Baker Football Ranked No. 16 in NAIA Preseason Poll

BALDWIN CITY – After earning its second straight postseason appearance last year, Baker football earned a spot on the 2025 NAIA Preseason Coaches' Poll, coming in at No. 16 in the national rankings, which were announced on Monday.

The Wildcats are one of four programs from the Heart of America Athletic Conference to be featured in the poll with all four teams representing a quarter of the top-16 nationally. Reigning NAIA champions Grand View were named the frontrunner this year, while fellow South division teams Benedictine and MidAmerica Nazarene were ranked No. 4 and No. 15, respectively.

Last season, Baker won nine games (9-2), earned a share of the Heart South title, qualified for the NAIA FCS and hosted a home playoff game all for the second straight year. BU went 5-1 in conference play and forced a three-way tie for the league championship after defeating MNU, 20-14 on the road in the second-to-last game of the regular season.

BU started 2024 by being ranked at No. 17 and peaked at No. 12 late in the season after knocking off the Pioneers, who were ranked No. 8 at the time.

With the season opener less than two weeks away, Baker returns five all-conference players from last year's roster, including the 2024 Heart South Defensive Player of the Year in Zac Kramer and kicker Seth Simpson, who was a finalist for the Fred Mitchell Award. Offensive lineman Aidan Palmer joined Kramer and Simpson on the All-Heart South First Team, while quarterback Truman Juelsgaard and defensive back Cameron Porter earned honorable-mention honors.

The Wildcats open the 2025 season on the road and will face Peru State on September 6 at 6 p.m. in Peru, Neb. You can watch a free live stream of all of Baker's regular-season games on the Urban Edge Network.

To view the full top-25 poll, please click here.

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