LEBANON, Ill. – Missouri S&T's football team was tabbed for a fourth place finish in the Great Lakes Valley Conference in the upcoming 2021 season as the coaches' pre-season poll was released today as part of the GLVC Football Kickoff event at McKendree University.

The Miners finished at 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the GLVC to end up in fourth place in the 2019 season, the last full season played by the GLVC as the 2020 fall campaign was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The league did conduct an abbreviated season in the spring, where the Miners went 2-1 with wins over William Jewell and Southwest Baptist and a loss to Truman State.

S&T returns 14 starters and 41 lettermen to its roster for the 2021 season, including five players named to the All-GLVC team from the spring season.  The Miner roster for the upcoming year, which currently stands at 126 players, includes seven member of the GLVC's all-conference team in 2019, a group that had first-team selections Payton McAlister (Decatur, TX/Decatur), Justin Onwugbufor (Wichita, KS/Northwest) and Stefan Camplin (Raytown, MO/Raytown).

This year's coaches' poll is headed by the three teams that appeared in the post-season in 2019.  Indianapolis, who won the GLVC championship game in April, received five first place votes and narrowly finished ahead of 2019 champion Lindenwood; the Lions received the other three first place tallies.  Truman, who played in the inaugural America's Crossroads Bowl, was picked to finish in third ahead of the Miners.

McKendree, Southwest Baptist, William Jewell and Quincy filled the final four spots in the pre-season poll.

Missouri S&T will report on August 8 to begin workouts for the upcoming season, which will begin Sept. 2 at South Dakota School of Mines.  S&T's home opener will take place on Sept. 11 against Arkansas Baptist, one of six home games on the 2021 slate.  The GLVC season opens for S&T on Oct. 2 at Quincy.

2021 GLVC Football Pre-Season Poll
1. Indianapolis, 47 points (5 first place votes)
2. Lindenwood, 44 points (3 first place votes)
3. Truman State, 37 points
4. Missouri S&T, 32 points
5. McKendree, 24 points
6. Southwest Baptist, 19 points
7. William Jewell, 12 points
8. Quincy, 9 points