University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana Ranked No. 23 in Preseason Associated Press Top 25
8/16/2021 10:56:00 AM | Football
LAFAYETTE – Louisiana Football will enter the 2021 season ranked No. 23 in the Preseason Associated Press Top 25 Poll, it was announced on Monday. The ranking marks the first time in program history that the team has been ranked in the news agency's national preseason poll.
Last week, the Ragin' Cajuns occupied the same slot in the season's first USA Today/AFCA Coaches Poll.
After failing to receive a vote in last year's preseason poll, the Ragin' Cajuns finished the 2020 campaign ranked No. 15 in the nation after compiling a 10-1 overall record and a 7-1 mark in Sun Belt play.
The team broke into the AP Top 25 rankings for the first time since 1943 following a huge Week 1 victory, upsetting then No. 23 Iowa State, 31-14, in Ames on Sept. 12.
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Under head coach Billy Napier's leadership, Louisiana was able to navigate a season impacted by COVID-19 to claim a Sun Belt Conference Championship, its third-straight Sun Belt West Division title and its second-straight bowl victory, a 31-24 win over UTSA in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl.
In addition to their final AP Poll ranking, Napier's team finished the campaign ranked No. 16 in the USA Today/AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 19 in the College Football Playoff, the team's highest ranking in all three polls.
Beginning on Oct. 19, 1936, the AP Top 25 Poll is the longest-running poll of those that award national titles at the end of the season. The preseason poll was started in 1950. A panel of 62 sports writers and broadcasters from around the country votes on the poll weekly.
Louisiana opens the 2021 season and the fourth year of the Napier era on Saturday, Sept. 4, at Texas. Kickoff in Austin is slated for 3:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
In total, six Ragin' Cajuns games, four of which will be played at Cajun Field, have been selected for national broadcasts during the 2021 season. To view the team's complete schedule, click here.
Fans are encouraged to secure tickets now, which includes six games at Cajun Field. More information can be obtained by calling the Louisiana Athletics Ticket Office at the CAJUNDOME, (337) 265-2170, or by visiting the office in-person.
The Ragin' Cajuns Athletic Foundation is excited to announce reduced tailgating prices for the 2021 season. For more information on securing a tailgate or RV spot, call the RCAF office at (337) 851-7223 or email RCAF@louisiana.edu.
Follow the Ragin' Cajuns on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram (@RaginCajunsFB) to stay up-to-date on Louisiana Football.
