For the second straight year, the Keiser Seahawks have been picked as the favorite to claim the Sun Conference title, the league announced on Thursday. The 2023 Sun Conference Preseason Football Coaches’ Poll was voted on by the conference’s eight head coaches.

The 2022 season was a special one for the Keiser football program. The Seahawks ended the 2022 season with an overall record of 10-4, advancing to the NAIA National Championship Game. Despite the loss to the No. 3-ranked Raiders, Keiser defeated the No. 1, No. 2, and No. 4 seeds in last year’s tournament, becoming the first team in NAIA history to face each of the top four seeds in the same championship.

After an early set back versus NCAA Division II teams, the Seahawks battled their way back up the NAIA Top 25 standings. Led by the Sun Conference Coach of the Year (Doug Socha), the Sun Conference Offensive Player and Back of the Year (Marques Burgess), and the Sun Conference Receiver of the Year (Jaylen Arnold), Keiser saw six Seahawks earn All-America honors recognition while claiming the program’s first Sun Conference title.

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Top of the League

• The Seahawks totaled 48 points, including six first-place votes to finish atop the preseason poll
• St. Thomas was selected to finish second with 44 points to go along with two first-place vote

A Look Back at Last Season

• KU Wrapped up the 2022 season with a 10-4 record – the first 10-win season in program history
• The Seahawks earned their first Sun Conference title for KU and the program’s fourth straight league title (2019, 2020, and 2021 MSC Sun Division Champions)
• KU garnered four Seahawks named AP NAIA All-Americans and three student-athletes received AFCA All-America honors
• 13 Seahawks were named all-conference
• Keiser claimed the Sun Conference Coach of the Year (Doug Socha), the Sun Conference Offensive Player and Back of the Year (Marques Burgess), and the Sun Conference Receiver of the Year (Jaylen Arnold)
• Keiser advanced to the NAIA Football Championship Series for the fourth time in program history, the FCS Quarterfinals for the third time, the FCS Semifinals for the second time, and the FCS National Championship for the first time
• The Seahawks finished ranked No. 12 in the final NAIA Top 25 Poll
• Off the field, 13 players received conference all-academic honors