Governors football was picked last in the Ohio Valley Conference Preseason poll that was released this past Friday, July. 18

The unanimous decision to pick the Govs last was partly due to the 0-12 record that the Govs posted last season. The players and coaches were not very surprised by the prediction because of how they performed from last year, but the Govs are determined to not repeat the season they had last year.

At the OVC annual Media Day in Nashville on Monday, July. 21 . the Govs’ Head Coach Kirby Cannon told Fox sports,”When you get picked last unanimously, it creates a chip on your players’ shoulders.”

This will be the second season for Cannon as head coach and he and the rest of the coaching staff and players are looking to prove the preseason doubters wrong. The Govs are not discouraged by the poll, instead they are using it as motivation to do better this season especially since they will be playing their home games in a newly renovated, $19-million stadium.

Cannon and staff plan to begin the Governors’ rise from the bottom this season but it more than likely will not be an easy time considering that three teams (Eastern Illinois, Tennessee State, and Jacksonville State) from the FCS division championship tournament last season are in the same conference.

Hopes and confidence are high going into this season, players and coaches alike are ready for the season to get underway.

The Govs are showing that despite the odds they are determined to make this season more successful than last year and open up the new stadium with a winning season. At the Media Day, Cannon and the two player representatives, senior right guard Nathan Sanders and sophomore defensive end Corey Teague, remained optimistic and hopeful of the upcoming season believing that they can rebuild.

The Governors open the football season Aug. 30 at Memphis and their first home game is Sept. 13 against Chattanooga.