IRVING — Conference USA announced its preseason media football poll on Tuesday and UTSA, on the strength of seven first-place votes, was picked to finish second in the West Division standings.
Defending league champion WKU is the East Division favorite, while Louisiana Tech was slotted ahead of the Roadrunners to repeat in the West. Both teams collected 20 first-place votes.
The 13th Annual C-USA Championship Game, which will feature the circuit's two division winners, is scheduled to be played on Saturday, Dec. 2.
The Roadrunners return 44 letterwinners, including 15 starters, from last year's six-win squad. Four players — Matt Bayliss (Sr., DS), Marcus Davenport (Sr., DE), Austin Pratt (Sr., OG/C) and Josiah Tauaefa (So., LB) — earned spots on the preseason all-conference team that was announced on Monday.
Led by second-year head coach Frank Wilson, UTSA is coming off last fall's six-win campaign that saw it play in the first bowl game in program history at the Gildan New Mexico Bowl.
The Roadrunners will report to fall camp on Monday, July 31, and their season opener is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2, at the Alamodome against Houston.
2017 Preseason Conference USA Poll
(first place votes in parentheses)
West Division
1. Louisiana Tech (20)
2. UTSA (7)
3. Southern Miss (1)
4. North Texas
5. Rice
6. UTEP
7. UAB
East Division
1. WKU (20)
2. Middle Tennessee (4)
3. Old Dominion (3)
4. Marshall (1)
5. Florida Atlantic
6. FIU
7. Charlotte
