WAUKESHA, Wis. – Wisconsin Lutheran College has been picked to finish third among eight teams in the 2012 Northern Athletics Conference football standings, according to the preseason coaches' poll that was released Wednesday by the league office.

The Warriors received two-first place votes and 52 poll points, finishing just three points behind second-place Concordia Chicago (55) and six points behind first-place Benedictine (58) in the preseason poll. The Eagles garnered five first-place votes, while the Cougars collected the remaining first-place tally.

Lakeland was tabbed fifth with 32 points, Aurora sixth with 27, and Maranatha and Rockford tied for the seventh spot with 12 points apiece.

Wisconsin Lutheran returns 54 letterwinners and 12 starters from its 2011 squad that finished 6-4 overall and 5-2 in conference play. WLC enters the 2012 season on a program-best four-game winning streak after knocking off two-time defending conference champion Benedictine in last season's final game.

The Warriors open their 2012 season September 1 at Ripon and begin conference action September 29 at home against Lakeland.

The NAC champion becomes the league's automatic qualifier to the 2012 NCAA Division III Football Championship.

First-place votes in parentheses
Voted by the conference's eight head coaches
8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 point scale used