The 2017 Eastern Washington University football team finished ranked in the top 25 for the 14th time in school history – and 10th time in 14 years — in a pair of final NCAA Football Championship Subdivision polls announced Monday (Jan. 8).

Following a 7-4 finish under first-year head coach Aaron Best that included an impressive 6-2 Big Sky Conference record, the Eagles finished 21st in the STATS Top 25 Poll of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries. In the Coaches Poll, Eastern was 22nd.

Overall, this is the 14th time Eastern has finished the season nationally ranked, including 10 times since 2004. The other seasons were in 1985, 1992, 1993, 1997, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016.

“We were 7-4, but the standard around here is better than 7-4,” said Best after the season concluded. “We’re used to championships and hardware – at different times in Eastern’s history that may be a Super Bowl season, but now it’s sub-par. I like that about our mentality and we’ll attack our off-season based on that. We will have a chip on both shoulders.”

After beating defending FCS champion James Madison 17-13 for the FCS title, North Dakota State returned to its perch as the No. 1 team in both polls. The Bison have now won six of the last seven titles since EWU won it in 2010, and NDSU has won 26 of its last 27 postseason games.

Eastern has been ranked by STATS in 84 of its last 85 polls, and in the top 10 in 19 of the last 26. Eastern had its streak of being in the top 10 snapped at 15 after losing at home 40-13 to North Dakota State on Sept. 9, and again fell out of the top 10 on Oct. 23.

Eastern suffered three losses to FCS teams with a combined 34-7 record, and all three advanced to the playoffs and were conference champions. The other loss for EWU was to FBS member Texas Tech.

Besides losing to the top-ranked and national champion Bison, Eastern fell to No. 5 Weber State and No. 14 Southern Utah. In the poll of coaches, Eastern was 22nd, Weber State was fifth and Southern Utah was 13th. Northern Arizona, which also reached the playoffs, was not ranked in either poll.
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“I’m so proud of this darn team,” added Best. “Of the four losses we had, three of them were to conference champions and the other is from Lubbock. We won the games we were supposed to win, and played lights out in a lot of our games. They battled through 11 games and we ended up on the right side of things in seven of them.”

Next year, Eastern will play NAU (9/8/18 on the road), SUU (10/6/18 at home) and Weber State (10/31/18 on the road).

With 18 total starters expected back for the 2018 season, the Eagle defense will return eight starters, in addition to players at two other positions with considerable starting experience. Defensive end Albert Havili was the only full-time senior starter for all 11 games on the defensive side, and wide receiver Nic Sblendorio was the lone senior starter on offense.

Spring practice for the Eagles is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, April 3rd, with the annual Red-White Game taking place on Saturday, April 28.

Release courtesy of EWU Athletics