Wayne State was picked fifth overall and fourth in the South Division in the 2026 Northern Sun Conference Preseason Football Coaches' Poll released Monday morning by the league office in Burnsville, Minnesota.  Senior running back Dawson Forgy was also voted South Division Preseason Offensive Player of the Year.
            The Wildcats are coming off an NSIC South Division title last season, going 7-4 overall, 7-3 in the NSIC and 5-1 in the South Division.  WSC received 125 points in voting conducted by league coaches.
            Minnesota State is the preseason favorite in the NSIC garnering 10 first-place votes and 166 points followed by Minnesota Duluth in second at 154 points and three-first-place votes.  Augustana collected the remaining first-place ballot and was third with 145 points while Sioux Falls edged Wayne State 126-125 for fourth in the coaches' poll.
            In the NSIC South Division, Minnesota State was a unanimous selection receiving 36 points and six first-place votes with Augustana second at 29 points and one first-place ballot (coaches can not vote for their own team).  Sioux Falls was third with 27 points followed by Wayne State (22), Winona State (16), Concordia-St. Paul (9) and Southwest Minnesota State (8).
            Forgy was voted by the league coaches as the NSIC South Division Preseason Offensive Player of the Year following a sensational junior season.  The 5-11, 205-pound senior running back from Winterset, Iowa (Winterset HS) set a new single season rushing record last year at WSC with 1,400 yards on 241 carries (5.8 avg) with a school record 19 rushing TD's and 21 total touchdowns.  Forgy tied a school record with seven 100-yard rushing games and led the NSIC in rushing (127.3/game) while ranking third in NCAA Division II and sixth nationally in all-purpose yards per game (163.4).  He was All-NSIC First Team, D2CCA All-Super Region 3 First Team and Don Hansen Division II All-America honorable mention last season.
            Wayne State's Defensive Player to Watch this season is senior defensive lineman Luke Lambert.  A 6-3, 285-pounder from Ashland-Greenwood HS, Lambert was fourth on the Wildcat defense last season that led the NSIC in total defense and rush defense, tied for first in forced fumbles and second in sacks.  He had 50 total tackles and tied for eighth in the NSIC with 4.5 sacks.  Lambert also had 7.5 tackles for loss, one interception, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble, one blocked kick and three quarterback hurries. 
            Wayne State opens the 2026 football season on Thursday, August 27^th visiting Nebraska-Kearney in a 6 p.m. game.   The 'Cats play their first home game of the year Saturday, September 12^th hosting Minnesota Duluth at 1 p.m. at Bob Cunningham Field in Wayne.
 
2026 Preseason NSIC Football Coaches Poll
1.         Minnesota State (10)                  166 pts.
2.         Minnesota Duluth (3)                 154 pts.
3.         Augustana (1)                            145 pts.
4.         Sioux Falls                                126 pts.
5.         Wayne State                             125 pts.
6.         Northern State                          106 pts.
7.         Bemidji State                              97 pts.
8.         MSU Moorhead                          86 pts.
9.         Winona State                             83 pts.
10.        Minot State                               62 pts.
11.        University of Mary                     51 pts.
12.        Concordia-St. Paul                   34 pts.
13.        Jamestown                               29 pts.
14.        Southwest Minnesota State     21 pts.
                        first place votes in ( )