Langston grabbed the top spot in the Central States Football League preseason poll. The Lions took six of nine first-place votes.
The Lions, under new head coach Dwone Sanders, went 6-4 in 2012.
Bacone received the remaining three first-place votes and came in second in the CSFL poll.
Oklahoma Baptist is fielding a football team for the first time since 1940. The league newcomers are picked to finish sixth in the six-team conference.
Coaches and sports information directors from the CSFL voted in the poll.
| 1. | Langston | 38 (6) |
| 2. | Bacone | 31 (3) |
| 3. | Texas College | 18 |
| 4. | SAGU | 17 |
| 4. | Wayland Baptist | 17 |
| 6. | Oklahoma Baptist | 14 |