Mike McMahon/The Record

The University at Albany football team may not have much respect from its new opponents in the Colonial Athletic Association, but the Great Danes seem to have support nationally.

UAlbany was picked No. 10 (out of 11) in the preseason CAA football poll, but in the Football Championship Subdivision Coaches poll, released on Tuesday, the Great Danes are receiving Top 25 votes.

Here are stories from the first day of practice and a look at the brand new stadium that is Bob Ford Field. 

UAlbany opens the 2013 season, traveling to Duquesne on Aug. 31. The home opener is also the CAA opener, when the Great Danes host Rhode Island, on Sept. 14, at Bob Ford Field.

Below is the poll.

Preseason 2013 FCS Coaches Preseason Poll (August 6, 2013)
Team (No. 1 Votes) 2012 Record Points Final 2012 Ranking
1. North Dakota State (23) 14-1 645 1
2. Montana State (1) 11-2 591 5
3. Eastern Washington 11-3 549 4
4. Sam Houston State (1) 11-4 534 2
5. Wofford 9-4 450 7
6. Central Arkansas 9-3 428 10
7. South Dakota State 9-4 410 17
8. New Hampshire 8-4 386 13
9. Villanova 8-4 381 16
10. Illinois State 9-4 379 9
11. Cal Poly 9-3 348 11
12. Towson 7-4 347 15
13. Stony Brook 10-3 326 12
14. Richmond 8-3 274 18
15. James Madison 7-4 235 21
16. Northern Iowa 5-6 218 NR
17. Lehigh 10-1 198 14
18. Northern Arizona 8-2 196 20
19. Eastern Kentucky (1) 8-3 188 19
20. Bethune-Cookman 9-3 159 23
21. Coastal Carolina 8-5 140 24
22. Montana 6-2* 135 NR
23. Eastern Illinois 7-5 120 25
24. Youngstown State 7-4 107 NR
25. Chattanooga 6-5 104 NR


Others receiving votes: Wagner (87), Colgate (67), Tennessee State (52), Harvard (48), Delaware (47), The Citadel (39), Liberty (39), Arkansas Pine-Bluff (35), Indiana State (27), Stephen F. Austin (19), McNeese State (16), Penn (13), Alcorn State (12), Jacksonville State (11), Samford (10), Norfolk State (7), Alabama State (7), UC Davis (7), Southern Illinois (6), Maine (5), Albany (5), Tennessee Tech (5), UT Martin (4), Gardner Webb (4), Sacramento State (3), Hampton (3), San Diego (2), Jackson State (1), Missouri State (1), Brown (1)
* Final 6 games of 2012 vacated

Here is my first (well, second, including preseason) Football Championship Subdivision ballot.

The University at Albany is inching closer to be included in my rankings, following a 40-23 victory over Colgate on Saturday.

The Great Danes are receiving votes - 38 to be exact. 

For those of you new to the blog, the teams listed below is how I filled out my ballot, while the numbers in (xx) are where the team actually is located on the FCS poll.

1. North Dakota State (2)
2. Sam Houston State (1)
3. Georgia Southern
4. Youngstown State (6)
5. Montana State (4)
6. James Madison (5)
7. Northern Iowa (8)
8. Old Dominion (7)
9. Appalachian State (11)
10. Towson (13)
11. Delaware (15)
12. New Hampshire (14)
13. Stephen F. Austin (19)
14. Montana (12)
15. Lehigh (16)
16. Stony Brook (17)
17. Illinois State (18)
18. Wofford (10)
19, Eastern Kentucky (21)
20. Jacksonville State (24)
21. Harvard (NR)
22. Maine (20)
23. Indiana State
24. William & Mary (NR)
25. Eastern Washington (9)

Teams in poll, not on my ballot
22. McNeese State
25. Central Arkansas  

Others receiving votes: Harvard 327, Liberty 213, UT Martin 173, South Carolina State 169, William & Mary 168, Norfolk State 146, Bethune-Cookman 134, Cal Poly 84, Chattanooga 76, Tennessee Tech 52, Eatern Illinois 48, Northern Arizona 43, North Dakota 43, Murray State 40, ALBANY 38, Portland State 34, South Dakota State 34, Penn 17, Samford 17, Alabama State 16, Tennessee State 16, Dayton 12, Morgan State 9, SE Missouri State 8, Idaho State 7, Southern Utah 7, Duquesne 7, Richmond 5, Georgetown 4, Furman 4, Alabama A&M 3, Alcorn State 3, Jackson State 3, Villanova 2, The Citadel 2, Cornell 2, San Diego 2, Western Illinois 1, Drake 1, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 1, UC Davis 1.