2004 Preseason Football Poll

ROCK ISLAND, Illinois – In a narrow vote the Wheaton Thunder will be wearing the favorite’s mantle for the 2004 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin football season. Head coach Mike Swider’s team went 7-0 in 2003, winning the championship on the last day of the season with a 28-27 win at Augustana. The Thunder won 12 straight games in 2003 before falling to Mount Union in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III playoffs.

In the voting done by the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin football coaches Wheaton nudged past Millikin by a single point 44-43. The Thunder claimed five first place votes while Millikin, which was 7-3 overall and 4-3 in the league, picked up three.

Augustana, 7-3 overall and 6-1 in the conference, was third with 38 points while North Central, which tied for third last year at 4-3 in the CCIW while going 7-3 overall, was fourth with 30 points. The Cardinals are coming off back to back third place ties in the conference. Illinois Wesleyan, 5-5 and 3-4 in 2003, picked up 29 points for fifth place. Elmhurst went 6-4 overall and 3-4 in the conference and sits in sixth place with 18 points. The Bluejays will be without former head coach Paul Krohn, the co-winner (with Swider) of the 2003 "Coach of the Year" honor in the CCIW. Krohn has left coaching and will be the director of athletics at Elmhurst. Carthage had 15 points in seventh place and North Park had seven in eighth. The Redmen were 3-7 and 1-6 last year while North Park finished 2-8 and 0-7.

2004 FOOTBALL POLL RESULTS

Voting is done by the football coaches in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin.Each coach votes for the seven other schools in the league in order of predicted finish.Points are assigned in reverse order of voting (seven points for first, six for second, etc.).Coaches may not vote for his own team.

2003 COLLEGE CONFERENCE OF ILLINOIS & WISCONSIN FOOTBALL STANDINGS

© 2003-04 CCIW: College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin