The start of fall practice is just a few days away for the UW–Platteville football team.
     Construction continues on a brand new Daktronics video scoreboard at Ralph E. Davis Pioneer Stadium, but the headlines last week centered around the Pioneers being ranked No. 23 in the D3football.com preseason Top 25 poll.
     UW–Platteville is coming off a 7–3 campaign in 2011 that returns eight offensive starters, nine more on defense as well as a specialist in 2012.
     The No. 23 ranking is the highest the Pioneers have been ranked since October 2004, when they started 4-0 and beat Drake, Augustana and UW-Whitewater to begin the season and climbed to No. 20 in the DIII poll.
     At the top of this year’s preseason poll is defending champion, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, who received 17 of 25 first-place votes.
     The Pioneers and the Warhawks are the only two teams from the WIAC and UW–Platteville is one of just four teams that was not ranked in the final top 25 poll in 2011.
     The Pioneers report to camp this Saturday. They will test out and have organizational meetings Saturday before beginning fall practice on Sunday.
     UWP will open the season Sept. 1 at Buena Vista, Iowa.

#....School....................2011 Rec.
1....UW–Whitewater.......15–0
2....Mount Union.............14–1
3....Wesley.......................12–2
4....Mary Hardin–Baylor..12–1
5....Linfield......................10–1
6....North Central (Ill.).....10–2
7....Salisbury.....................11–2
8....St. Thomas.................13–1
9....Delaware Valley.........11–1
10....Wabash....................12–1
11....St. John Fisher.........10–3
12....Cal Lutheran............8–2
13....Franklin...................10–2
14....Kean........................10–2
15....Wheaton (Ill.)...........8–2
16....Trinity (Texas)........10–1
17....Bethel.......................8–2
18....Redlands...................8–2
19....Baldwin–Wallace......8–2
20....Thomas More............9–2
21....Illinois Wesleyan.......9–2
22....Hobart.......................7–2
23....UW–Platteville..........7–3
24....Birmingham–Southern..7–2
25....Widener.......................9–2

Others receiving votes: Centre 77; Johns Hopkins 52; Hampden-Sydney 43; Monmouth 41; Louisiana College 38; UW–Oshkosh 35; St. Olaf 34; Dubuque 28; Albion 21; Cortland State 21; Christopher Newport 17; Illinois College 17; Adrian 10; Heidelberg 10; Montclair State 10; Wartburg 8; Case Western Reserve 5; Wittenberg 4; Alfred 3; Coe 3; Amherst 2; Central 2; TCNJ 2; Trinity (Conn.) 2; Randolph-Macon 1; St. John’s 1; St. Vincent 1; Waynesburg 1; Willamette 1.