Defending Champs Ferris State Picked as GLIAC Favorite
July 31st, 2025 11:00am
From GLIAC Communications:
GLIAC -- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) announced the results of its preseason football poll for 2025 on Thursday, July 31.
The rankings were determined by a vote of the league coaches.
Ferris State, the defending NCAA Division II national champions, was selected to win the 2025 conference crown, receiving six of eight first-place votes. The Bulldogs own a 50-5 record over the past four seasons, capturing three national titles in that span, and have made 10-straight postseason appearances. Led by 2024 GLIAC Coach of the Year and Walter Camp DII National Coach of the Year Tony Annese, Ferris State is preseason ranked No. 1 in the nation by Lindy’s Sports.
Grand Valley State, preseason ranked sixth nationally by Lindy’s Sports, received one first-place vote in the GLIAC poll and was voted to finish second. The Lakers posted an 11-2 overall record a year ago, advancing to the second round of the NCAA postseason.
Saginaw Valley State, which secured its fourth-consecutive winning season in 2024, also garnered one first-place vote and was selected third.
Davenport, which has compiled a total of 23 wins over the last three seasons, was chosen fourth with 31 points.
Michigan Tech was close behind in fifth place, receiving 28 points. The Huskies won seven games in 2024, the program's most since the 2015 season.
Wayne State (16), Roosevelt (12) and Northern Michigan (11) rounded out the 2025 GLIAC preseason poll.
GLIAC football action gets underway on Thursday, Aug. 28 with four Week Zero games on the schedule -- Ferris State vs. Pittsburg State, Michigan Tech vs. Bemidji State, Northern Michigan vs. Minnesota State Moorhead and Saginaw Valley State vs. Northeastern State.
