ANNVILLE (PA) – The Delaware Valley College football team has been picked to finish first in its pursuit of a third consecutive Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship in the 2010 preseason coaches' poll that was released by the conference office.

The Aggies received six of the eight first-place votes and finished with 47 points in the poll. Lebanon Valley College notched the remaining two first-place votes and was second in the poll with 41 points. 2009 NCAA quarterfinalist Albright College was third with 37 points.

The entire 2010 MAC preseason coaches' poll is as follows:

1. Delaware Valley College -- 47 points
2. Lebanon Valley College -- 41 points
3. Albright College -- 37 points
4. Lycoming College -- 27 points
4. Wilkes University -- 27 points
6. Widener University -- 24 points
7. FDU-Florham -- 11 points
8. King's College -- 10 points


2009 MAC Coach of the Year Jim Clements has 33 returning letterwinners, including 18 starters, back from last year's squad that went 10-2 overall and a perfect 7-0 in the MAC. The Aggies earned the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Division III playoffs and notched a school-record 66 points in a 66-7 rout of Susquehanna University in the opening round. They then dropped a 27-3 decision to Albright in the second round.

Delaware Valley begins its 2010 campaign on Saturday night, September 4 (7:00 p.m.) when it travels to Muhlenberg College for a non-conference game. The non-conference slate also includes contests against NCAA playoff qualifiers Washington & Jefferson College (home on September 11) and Wesley College (away on September 18) followed by an off week. The MAC schedule begins on Saturday, October 2 and the first Aggie match-up is a big one as they will host Lebanon Valley.