We may be three months out from the official kickoff of the 2013 season, but preseason coverage is now well underway as the first of the FCS preseason polls was recently released by Sporting News. The publication has issued its annual preseason FCS Top 25 along with its predicted order of finish for each individual conference. You can find Sporting News’ top 25 rankings along with its predicted order of finish for CAA Football below.

Before we get to that, though, how about a few quick notes? After CAA Football led all conferences with six teams ranked in both The Sports Network and FCS Coaches polls at the close of 2012, the league has an FCS-best five teams featured in Sporting News’ 2013 top 25 poll. James Madison senior LB Stephon Robertson was selected to the publication’s preseason FCS All-America Team and was also named the league’s top defensive returner. Stony Brook senior RB Marcus Coker was chosen as the top returner on offense, while Seawolves junior TE (and Florida State transfer) Will Tye was selected as the top newcomer.

Also keep in mind that the playoff picture is slightly different in 2013, as 24 teams will vie for the national title as compared to the 20-team format that has been featured since 2010. Eight teams will receive opening-round byes and await the winners of the 16 programs playing in the tournament’s first round. It should also be noted that the Pioneer League will receive its first-ever automatic playoff berth in 2013, while the Ivy League and SWAC will maintain their traditions of not sending teams to the playoffs.

2013 FCS PRESEASON TOP 25 (2012 TSN/FCS Coaches Poll final rankings)
1. North Dakota State (1/1)
2.Georgia Southern* (3/3)
3. Montana State (5/5)
4. Eastern Washington (4/4)
5. Appalachian State* (9/8)
6. Sam Houston State (2/2)
7. Villanova (15/16)
8. South Dakota State (14/17)
9. Illinois State (8/9)
10. Old Dominion* (6/6)
11. Central Arkansas (10/10)
12. Northern Iowa (RV/-)
13. Towson (17/15)
14. Montana (RV/-)
15. Richmond (18/18)
16. Arkansas Pine-Bluff (RV/RV)
17. Northern Arizona (20/20)
18. Stony Brook (11/12)
19. Eastern Illinois (RV/25)
20. Chattanooga (-/-)
21. Cal Poly (12/12)
22. New Hampshire (13/13)
23. Colgate (25/RV)
24. Sacramento State (RV/-)
25. Bethune-Cookman (22/23)

* Ineligible for 2013 FCS Playoffs

2013 CAA FOOTBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH1. Villanova*!
2. Towson*
3. Richmond*
4. Stony Brook
5. New Hampshire*
6. James Madison
7. Maine
8. UAlbany
9. Delaware
10. William and Mary
11. Rhode Island

* 2012 CAA Football Co-Champion
! 2012 League Automatic Qualifier

STONY BROOK ATHLETICS NATIONAL POSTSEASON TOURNAMENTS:

SBU	D1-POSTSEASON	HISTORY
YEAR	TEAM	RESULT
2016	WOMEN’S LACROSSE	NCAA: at BC –1st Round Stony Brook 11, BC 9 Final 2nd Round Syracuse 7, Stony Brook 6 Final
2016	MEN’S BASKETBALL	NCAA: at Des Moines, Iowa 1st Round – Kentucky 85, Stony Brook 57
2016	WOMEN’S BASKETBALL	WBI: Round 1: L. at Youngstown State 67-60
2015	BASEBALL	NCAA: #3 Seed vs. (2) NC State L, 3-0 vs. (4) Sacred Heart, W, 11-6 vs. (1) TCU L, 8-3
2015	WOMEN’S LACROSSE	NCAA: #6th Seed Bye – 1st Round Princeton – 2nd Round (L, 8-4)
2015	WOMEN’S TENNIS	NCAA: at Stanford (L, 0-4)
2015	WOMEN’S BASKETBALL	WBI: Round 1: L. at Siena 53-46
2015	MEN’S BASKETBALL	CBI: Round 1: L. at Mercer 72-70
2014	WOMEN’S LACROSSE	NCAA: W 10-8 vs. Towson 1st Round vs. Syracuse L, 13-6 Second Round
2014	WOMEN’S TENNIS	NCAA: at Texas A&M L 4-0
2014	WOMEN’S BASKETBALL	NIT: Round 1: L, at Michigan, 86-48
2014	MEN’S BASKETBALL	CBI: Round 1: L. at Siena, 65-55
2013	SOFTBALL	NCAA: L, 3-0 at Missouri, L, 6-0 vs. Oregon State
2013	WOMEN’S LACROSSE	NCAA: W 8-6 vs. Towson – 1st Round L 11-3 at #1 Maryland, Second Round
2013	WOMEN’S TENNIS	NCAA: at California – First Round, 5/10
2013	MEN’S BASKETBALL	NIT: Round 1: W, 71-58 at UMass Round 2: at Iowa: L, 75-63
2012	FOOTBALL	NCAA: L, 16-10 at Montana State SECOND ROUND W, 20-10 Villanova, FIRST ROUND
2012	WOMEN’S SOCCER	NCAA: at Maryland (L, 2-0, 1st Round)
2012	BASEBALL	NCAA: at Coral Gables (FL.) Regional W, Miami, 10-2 L, UCF, 9-8 W, Missouri St. 10-7 W, UCF, 12-5 W, UCF, 10-6 Regional Champions at LSU (Baton Rouge, La.) Super Regional Game 1: L, LSU, 5-4 (12), Game 2: W, 3-1. Game 3: W, 7-2 Super Regional Champs at COLLEGE WORLD SERIES (Omaha, NE) L, UCLA, 9-1 L, FSU, 12-2 Final National Ranking: #7 Record: 52-15
2012	MEN’S LACROSSE	NCAA: at Johns Hopkins. L, 19-9
2012	WOMEN’S TENNIS	NCAA: at Stanford FIRST ROUND (L, 4-0)
2012	MEN’S BASKETBALL	NIT (1st Rd.) – L, Seton Hall 63. Stony Brook 61
2011	FOOTBALL	NCAA: SECOND ROUND, L, at Sam Houston State, 34-27, W Albany, 31-28 – FIRST ROUND.
2011	MEN’S SOCCER	NCAA: at Monmouth (1st Rd., L, 5-4 PKs)
2010	WOMEN’S XC	NCAA: 7th in Nation
2010	BASEBALL	NCAA: @Myrtle Beach Regional, 1-2 W, NC State
2010	MEN’S LACROSSE	NCAA: Quarterfinals (LaValle), L 10-9 (UVA); W, vs Denver (R1) (LaValle)
2010	MEN’S BASKETBALL	NIT (SBU Arena) L, to Illinois, 76-66
2009	MEN’S SOCCER	NCAA: L, at Brown (R1)
2008	BASEBALL	NCAA: @ Tempe, AZ Regional (L, ASU, Vanderbilt)
2008	SOFTBALL	NCAA: @ Tempe, AZ Regional (L, ASU, Miss. State.
2008	WOMEN’S XC	NCAA
2007	WOMEN’S XC	NCAA
2006	MEN’S TENNIS	NCAA: L, at UCLA
2006	WOMEN’S BASKETBALL	WNIT, L, at Hofstra.
2005	MEN’S SOCCER	NCAA: L, at UCONN (R2); Won at Yale (R1)
2004	BASEBALL	NCAA: 0-2 at ECU/Tenn.
2002	MEN’S LACROSSE	NCAA: L, at Cornell