East Texas A&M Lions picked to finish seventh in Southland Conference football race

**The High Road Back to Respectability**

SAN ANTONIO – The East Texas A&M University football program received a critical marker as the Southland Conference began its 2025 season preparations Monday, opening the "Opening Drive" poll event. Following the preseason voting, the Lions were selected to finish, ironically, in a statistical dead heat for seventh place in the Conference's 10-team league.

This placement signals a continued climb up the Southland's complex pyramid for the program, though it comes amidst a season of significant turnover and considerable optimism surrounding First-Year Head Coach Michael "Country" Odom.

The Southland vote, involving media outlets covering each member institution, listed the Lions alongside Louisiana Tech for the final position. While seventh isn't precisely selling the team's potential, the poll reflects the collective assessment of the league's predictability and the established strength of several programs above A&M.

"We're certainly looking to build on what we did last year," Coach Odom stated, echoing a sentiment shared by players and boosters after the addition of a full-time, highly recruited offensive coordinator, a dedicated Run Game Coordinator, and an influx of new personnel, including four-star recruits.

Yes, seventh in a 10-member league doesn't often equate to bowl eligibility, a fact not lost on SFA fans. Several program staples are departing, including two starting quarterbacks who combined for 10 seasons as Skyline Conference MVPs. The absence of established playmakers leaves a void in key receiving roles. The offensive line, a potential weak point last season, might need further development.

Yet, beneath the surface of the poll result lies a blueprint for progress. Comparatively, the drop from previous years' projections was minimal. Moving beyond the bottom tier typically requires consistency, particularly on defense, and capitalizing on the league's inherent topsy-turvy nature. The possibility of a 7-5 record likely returns to the Campo Energy Stadium trips, perhaps with a bid to the Celebration Bowl on the national stage.

**The Southland Power Rankings**

The preseason leanings reveal a clear power structure. At the summit stand perennial powerhouse, and three-time Southland champions, North Texas (predicted three-way tie for first). This stirs immediate counterarguments from fans of teams like Nicholls State and Sam Houston State, who might feel slighted by their 2.0 poll average, just barely edging Xavier's 1.0. UL-Monroe sits firmly in the second tier, followed closely by either Southeastern Louisiana or Incarnate Word.

In the middle tier lies a battle for third place between Texas State and Abilene Christian, a group looking to break into the top four typically occupied by competitors like Texas-San Antonio, Sam Houston, and Lamar. These teams will likely dictate much of the season's narrative moving forward. Lamar, Texas-San Antonio, and Southwestern Louisiana are frequently cited favorites among conference voters to claim an outright championship.

Crucially for the A&M faithful, the projected 7th place finish suggests genuine progress, hopefully moving away from the days where the team struggled for double-digit wins. Coach Odom's restructuring offers a template for sustained success, demanding accountability from his young roster.

**The Battle Continues**

The Southland Conference, despite occasional buzz about relocation debates, remains fiercely competitive, providing the perfect forum for rebuilding. A&M's players, eager under Coach Odom's guidance, possess the talent and desire to secure notable wins. How they perform in early intrastate engagements against rival Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M-Commerce could set the tone. Ultimately, several teams ranking ahead, like Southeastern Louisiana under Dan McHale, North Texas, and Lamar under Kevin Miller, possess championship pedigree and experienced leadership.

This seventh-place nod is less a declaration of irrelevance for the program in 2025 and more a realistic baseline, albeit one with rising expectations. The real test will be translating the preseason optimism into tangible results on the gridiron, starting now and building momentum over the fall campaign. Fans will soon find out if the poll is just an early spring prediction or the beginning of a more sustained charge up the Southland standings.

**Projected Southland Finish Lines:**

* North Texas (-) HOUSTON - NICHOLLS * Abilene Christian vs. Nicholls * Lamar (+) Southwestern Louisiana * Texas State vs. Incarnate Word * Southeastern Louisiana (+) Texas-San Antonio (-) Sam Houston * UL Monroe (+) UNT (-) Nicholls / Incarnate Word (+) * **East Texas A&M (+) Texas A&M-Commerce vs. Lamar (-) Nicholls / Abilene / UNT (-) Sam Houston**

*(Notes: Approximate poll rankings, projected finishers)*

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