FHSU Athletics
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association released its 2024 Preseason Polls for football on Tuesday, July 23 at its annual Football Media Day in Kansas City. The Tigers were picked fifth in both the in the Coaches Poll and Media Poll. Central Missouri, co-champion of the MIAA in 2023, was picked first in both polls.
FHSU tied for fifth in the MIAA standings in 2023, finishing with an overall record of 7-4. All of the Tigers' losses in 2023 were to the teams that finished in front of them in the conference standings. The Tigers had a strong bounce-back season from a tough 2022, reaching the seven-win mark in a season for the seventh time under head coach Chris Brown.
The conference will consist of only 10 teams in 2024 after Lincoln's departure to the Great Lakes Valley Conference and Northeastern State electing to play as an independent in football. The Tigers will have two non-conference games on their schedule this year, which includes a solid Angelo State team for the season opener in Hays in late August and then a meeting with Northeastern State in mid-September in Hays. Angelo State was an NCAA Playoffs team in 2021 and 2022 and finished 7-3 in 2023.
Both polls were nearly the same, with the only difference being Emporia State picked fourth in the coaches poll and sixth in the media poll, while Missouri Western was picked fourth in the media poll and sixth in the coaches poll. Central Missouri (1st), Pittsburg State (2nd), and Northwest Missouri State (3rd) were the top three teams in both polls. Central Missouri and Pittsburg State tied for the MIAA regular season title last year and both played in the NCAA Playoffs.
The Tigers return 20 of their 22 starters from the 2023 season, which includes all 11 on offense and nine on defense. The Tigers also boast 16 of their 17 all-conference players returning from a season ago. John Johnson, Myles Menges, Mason Perez, Kobe Rome, Parrish Terry, Makel Williams, Trevion Mitchell, and Sam Brandt were all-conference performers for the Tigers on the defensive side of the ball, while offensive players earning selections included Trevor Watts, Jack Dawson, Josh Shaw, Jayden Horace, Cale Cormaney, Dawson Reynolds, and Kofi Karikari. All-conference kicker Carson Arndt also returns.
Fort Hays State had the second-best total defense (300.1 yards per game) and third-best scoring defense (21.5 points per game) among MIAA teams in 2023. On the flip side, the Tigers had the fourth-best total offense average (420.2 yards per game) among conference teams.
Fort Hays State plays at home six times in 2024, which includes their two non-conference opponents mentioned above. The first MIAA opponent of the 2024 season for FHSU will be Missouri Western on September 7 in Hays. The Tigers will also host defending MIAA co-champion Central Missouri in Hays for Homecoming on October 5, Washburn on October 12, and Missouri Southern on October 26.
Get your season tickets today by contacting the FHSU Athletic Department at (785) 628-4050 or drop by the office in person.
2024 Fort Hays State Football Schedule
See the MIAA preseason polls below.
2024 MIAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
1. Central Missouri [8] - 80 points
2. Pittsburg State [2] - 73 points
3. Northwest Missouri - 58 points
4. Emporia State - 56 points
5. Fort Hays State - 55 points
6. Missouri Western - 42 points
7. Central Oklahoma - 31 points
8. Missouri Southern - 24 points
9. Washburn - 16 points
10. Nebraska Kearney - 15 points
[#] - Number of First-Place Votes
2024 MIAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
1. Central Missouri [20] - 254 points
2. Pittsburg State [6] - 231 points
3. Northwest Missouri - 199 points
4. Missouri Western - 158 points
5. Fort Hays State - 155 points
6. Emporia State - 145 points
7. Central Oklahoma - 94 points
8. Missouri Southern - 81 points
9. Washburn - 60 points
10. Nebraska Kearney - 53 points
[#] - Number of First-Place Votes