Cal U Football: Vulcans ranked in pre-season publications

CALIFORNIA (July 30) - With training camp only a few weeks away, the California University of Pennsylvania football program is ranked among the nation's elite in both the Lindy's and Sporting News Division II Top 25 preseason polls.

The Vulcans are tabbed No. 5 by the Sporting News and No. 6 by Lindy's. Both preseason magazines are currently available on newsstands and regional copies feature Pitt running back Dion Lewis and Penn State running back Evan Royster on the cover.

Last year, Cal U made its third-consecutive appearance in the NCAA Semifinals and lost on the road to eventual-National Champion Northwest Missouri State - the 2010 preseason favorite by both publications.

Among the opponents on the Vulcans' 11-game schedule three teams - Saginaw Valley (Mich.), East Stroudsburg and Edinboro - are also ranked in the preseason polls by both Lindy's and Sporting News.

Cal U opens the season on Sept. 4 with a road game at Saginaw Valley, who is ranked No. 12 by Lindy's and No. 20 by Sporting News before hosting Nos. 18/21 East Stroudsburg on Sept. 18. The Vulcans will later travel to rival Edinboro (Nos. 24/9) in the last week of divisional play on Nov. 6 in what the Sporting News selected as one of five "Games to Watch" during the 2010 season.

Under ninth-year head coach John Luckhardt, Cal U returns 17 starters from last season's squad that finished 11-4 overall.