(Thursday, August 11; Sioux Center, Iowa) The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) has announced the preseason football coaches' poll for the 2022 season and the Dordt Defenders are pegged third in the voting.  

Dordt tallied 77 points in the voting and is five points in front of Concordia in the annual tally and Midland is right behind with 69 points. Morningside, the 2021 NAIA Football National Champion, is picked as the preseason favorite and took all 10 first place votes as coaches do not rank their own team. 

The Defenders finished the 2021 season with a 7-3 record, marking the fourth straight season the Defenders have won at least seven games.  

The Defenders will open the season on the road against Briar Cliff in Sioux City, Iowa on Saturday, September 3. Dordt's home opener will be against no. 1 Morningside on September 10. The Defenders will also play a Friday night game on October 7 against Mount Marty this season and the schedule features 10 games against the GPAC (Great Plains Athletic Conference) members and no non-conference games.  

There will be non-conference football games scheduled for Thursday, August 25 and Saturday, August 27 before the entire GPAC schedule begins on September 3.