Women's Basketball Receives Votes in CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Preseason Poll
10/28/2010 11:34:00 AM | Women's Basketball
NEW YORK -- The Columbia University women's basketball team received votes in the preseason Women's Mid-Major Top 25 poll, it was announced by CollegeInsider.com on Wednesday, Oct. 27. Columbia garnered 11 votes and is one of only two Ivy League teams to be recognized by the website -- defending Ivy League champion Princeton is ranked sixth.
This is the first year that CollegeInsider.com will be doing a weekly women's Mid-Major Top 25 poll. The organization established the men's poll in 1999 for the purpose of recognizing smaller schools throughout the regular season and has become a measuring stick for programs outside the proverbial power conferences.
The women's Mid-Major Top 25 will be comprised of teams from America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Great West, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt and West Coast Conference.
Gonzaga picked up 12 first-place votes and is rated first amongst mid-majors, narrowly edging Green Bay (2nd) and James Madison (3rd). Arkansas-Little Rock and Bowling Green round out the top five.
The Lions, who return 10 letterwinners from last season's record-setting squad, open their season on Friday, Nov. 12 against Long Island University. The Blackbirds are also receiving votes in the poll (2).
