CHARLESTON, Ill. – With just under two and half months before the start of the 2011 college football season the preseason magazines have hit the news stands with the predicted order of finish for the Ohio Valley Conference along with the FCS Top 25 polls.

Eastern Illinois will open the 2011 season on Thursday, Sept. 1 with the 100th meeting against Illinois State. That contest will be televised live on Comcast SportsNet Chicago. This year will be the 25th and final season for head coach Bob Spoo on the EIU sidelines. The Panthers are hoping to send Spoo out with yet another OVC title and FCS playoff berth.

Lindy's Football has tabbed the Panthers to finish sixth in its preseason poll. The magazine has Jacksonville State as the preseason favorite with the Gamecocks ranked 11th nationally. Defending OVC champion Southeast Missouri was picked second and ranked 16th in the preseason top 25. The remainder of the OVC preseason selections were Murray State, Eastern Kentucky, UT Martin, Eastern Illinois, Tennessee Tech, Austin Peay and Tennessee State.

The Sporting News picked Eastern Illinois to finish fifth in the OVC race during its preseason poll. The magazine listed Murray State as the preseason favorite followed by Jacksonville State. The Racers were slotted at No. 14 in the preseason top 25 with JSU picked 19th. Following MSU and JSU in the OVC preseason poll were Eastern Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, EIU, UT Martin, Tennessee Tech, Austin Peay and Tennessee State.

Athlon Sports does not predict individual conference races at the FCS level but did release its preseason top 25 with Jacksonville State picked 9th and Eastern Kentucky picked 22nd.

The Ohio Valley Conference will release its preseason predicted order of finish on Monday, July 25 at its annual football media day in Nashville. The Sports Network and Phil Steele Magazine will also release their preseason predictions later this summer.