Bowie State Bulldogs Football Predicted To Finish Sixth Overall In CIAA

WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina -- The Bowie State University football team has been predicted to finish 6th in the CIAA and 3rd in the Northern Division according to the 2013 conference preseason poll, which was released during the league's football press conference at the Reaves Center on the Winston-Salem State University campus.

The Bulldogs return 39 lettermen including 16 starters from last year's squad. Bowie State finished the 2012 campaign with a 5-5 overall record and 2-5 record in the CIAA.

Senior defensive tackle Oladimeji (5-11, 240, Washington, D.C.), junior tight end Khari Lee (6-4, 235, Baltimore, Md.), fellow junior center Austin Hochman (6-5, 284, Annapolis, Md.) and sophomore defensive back Curtis Pumphrey (5-8, 155, Laurel, Md.) were selected to the 2013 All-CIAA Preseason Team. The conference Predicted Order of Finish and Preseason Team are voted on by the CIAA Football Coaches Association.

The defending CIAA Champions of Winston-Salem State University were selected to finish as the top team in the conference in 2013 followed by Elizabeth City State University, St. Augustine's University, Chowan University and Shaw University made up the top five teams. Bowie State was voted as the sixth overall ranked team in the conference followed by Johnson C. Smith University, Virginia Union University, Fayetteville State University, Virginia State University, Livingstone College and Lincoln (Pa.).

Bowie State will open up the season on September 7th, making a non-conference road trip to Manchester, N.H. to face the St. Anselm College Hawks at 1 pm. St. Anselm is a member of the Northeast-10 Conference and finished the 2012 season with an overall record of 2-9 (1-7 in the conference).

CIAA Football Predicted Order of Finish
1. Winston-Salem State University
2. Elizabeth City State University
3. St. Augustine's University
4. Chowan University
5. Shaw University
6. Bowie State University
7. Johnson C. Smith University
8. Virginia Union University
9. Fayetteville State University
10. Virginia State University
11. Livingstone College
12. Lincoln University (PA)

COURTESY BOWIE STATE UNIVERSITY