CHICAGO – The Saint Xavier University football team (0-0, 0-0 MSFA Midwest) starts the 2024 season ranked No. 9 in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll as the preseason rankings were announced by the national office Monday afternoon. The Cougars also checked in at No. 2 in the Mid-States Football Association (MSFA) Midwest League preseason coaches' poll when the poll was announced by the league office last Thursday, August 15, finishing with 20 points, one behind Marian University (Ind.). The Knights came over from the MSFA Mideast League, along with University of Saint Francis (Ind.), after the departure of Roosevelt University (Ill.), who joined the NCAA Division II ranks, and St. Ambrose University (Iowa), who joined the Heart of America North Division.
 
SXU brings back All-MSFA Midwest League First Team fifth-year senior quarterback Stuart Ross (Springfield, Ill./Springfield Southeast) and All-MSFA Second Team fifth-year senior wide receiver Kyle Quinn (Tinley Park, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) on offense. All-MSFA First Team fifth-year senior defensive lineman Ayobami Arokoyo (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) and All-MSFA First Team junior linebacker Terry Elias Jr. (Monee, Ill./Crete-Monee) will lead the defense. All-MSFA First Team fifth-year senior punter Joe Polselli (Evergreen Park, Ill./St. Rita) and All-MSFA Second Team fifth-year kicker Peyton Benes (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) anchor special teams.
 
Head coach Mike Feminis, who enters his 26^th season on the sidelines for Saint Xavier and has the third-most wins for any active NAIA head coach with 214, had this to say about the rankings: "I always take preseason ratings with a grain of salt since they generally reflect how teams finished the year before. But from a fan's standpoint it's a lot of fun because it gets people excited and talking about the season that is right around the corner."
 
On the MSFA Midwest ranking: "From the MSFA standpoint, it's awesome to get our two huge rivals, Marian and Saint Francis, back on the same side with us as it brings back great memories when all three of us were in the MSFA Mideast League from 2007-12. Also, when you throw in our area rivals, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) and St. Francis (Ill.), who always play us tough, I think the MSFA Midwest League might be the most competitive conference from top to bottom in the NAIA."
 
No. 9 Saint Xavier (1-0, 0-0 MSFA Midwest) kicks off the 2024 campaign with a MSFA Crossover contest when they travel to Southfield, Mich. to play MSFA Mideast for Lawrence Tech University (Mich.) on Saturday, September 7. The game is slated for a 12:00 pm central time kickoff.