With less than a month until the start of a new season, Ashland University's football team now knows where it is slotted in the 2025 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) D2 preseason Coaches Poll.
 
Released on Monday (Aug. 11) afternoon, the Eagles are tied for 24^th in the first AFCA poll of the new season. It marks the third time in the last four years AU has been in the top 25 of the AFCA poll in the preseason.
 
Ashland's 2025 campaign opens on Sept. 4 at 7 p.m. at No. RV Indiana (Pa.). The Eagles return eight starters on offense, five starters on defense and two starters on special teams this fall.
 
In 2024, the Eagles finished 9-4 overall and 8-1 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, winning the conference championship outright and earning a road NCAA Division II postseason victory for the first time in program history. Ashland was 23^rd in the final 2024 AFCA Division II Coaches Poll.
 
2025 ASHLAND UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL AFCA COACHES POLL RANKINGS: No. T-24 (preseason).
 
WALKER, SHIMEK ON D2FOOTBALL.COM PRESEASON ELITE 100 LIST
D2Football.com has released its Elite 100 Watch List for 2025, and two Ashland University seniors have garnered preseason recognition.
 
Redshirt senior left tackle Nick Walker is on the first team offense, and senior defensive end Michael Shimek is on the second team defense.
 
A three-year starter at left tackle for the Eagles, Walker in 2024 was first-team All-Great Midwest Athletic Conference, was the program's offensive lineman of the year, and helped AU average 25.4 points and 353.5 yards per game.
 
Also a first-team all-conference choice last fall, Shimek recorded 59 total tackles (33 solo), a team-high 13½ tackles for loss, a team-high-tying 7½ sacks, two blocked kicks and a fumble recovery.