After two straight trips to the NCAA Division II playoffs, including a national championship conquest in 2008, and a pair of outright Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference titles, the University of Minnesota Duluth should still be one of the teams to beat this fall. That's at least according to the 2010 Sporting News Division II preseason poll which had the Bulldogs checking in at No. 4.

The Bulldogs, who return 12 starters from a club which went 11-2 overall one year ago, will open up their 2010 season on Aug. 28 at Central Washington University, a fellow 2009 NCAA II playoff quarterfinalist which is ranked seventh in that same poll. One other club who cracked the the top 25, Minnesota State University-Mankato (No. 12), will host the Bulldogs in their 2009 regular season finale on Nov. 13.

2010 SPORTING NEWS DIVISION II PRESEASON POLL
1. Northwest Missouri State
2. Grand Valley State
3. West Liberty
4. UMD
5. California (Pa.)
6. Nebraska-Kearney
7. Central Washingtpm
8. UNC-Pembroke
9. Edinboro
10. North Alabama
11. Carson-Newman
12. Minnesota State Mankato
13. Hillsdale
14. Abilene Christian
15. Tarleton State
16. Missouri Western
17. Tuskegee
18. Texas A&M-Kingsville
19. Shippensburg
20. Saginaw Valley State
21. East Stroudsburg
22. West Texas A&M
23. Arkansas Tech
24. West Alabama
25. Midwestern State (Texas)