UL-Monroe, UL-Lafayette share top spot in Sun Belt Conference preseaso

[Harry]

NEW ORLEANS - Apparently, the Sun Belt Conference football championship race is going to be a close one. At least that's the thinking of the league's eight head football coaches.

In a preseason poll to pick the league's top team, the coaches were deadlocked - the vote ended in a tie of the conference's Louisiana schools - Louisiana-Monroe and Louisiana-Lafayette both receiving 57 points in the poll to share the top spot. Defending champion Arkansas State is picked to finish third, close behind the Louisiana schools in the voting.

Results of the poll were released today at the league's Football Media Day event at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Lafayette received four of the eight first-place votes, with Monroe receiving two. ASU received the remaining two first-place votes.

Western Kentucky (44 points) is picked to finish fourth in the league with five-time conference champion Troy (35) picked to finish fifth. Newcomer Texas State (23) was tabbed in the sixth spot, followed by South Alabama (19) in seventh and another newcomer, Georgia State (9), picked to finish last.

Read more: http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/07/ul-monroe_ul-lafayette_share_t.html