Eastern Michigan Athletics
Football Picked Seventh in 2026 MAC Preseason Coaches Poll
7/22/2026 9:00:00 AM | Football
Eastern opens its season Aug. 29 versus Sacramento State
DETROIT, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - Eastern Michigan University football was selected seventh in the 2026 Mid-American Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, the league office announced Wednesday, July 22, during the MAC Football Kickoff Media Day at Ford Field in Detroit.
The Eagles received 76 points in the annual poll, which is voted on by the conference's 13 head coaches. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team.
Defending MAC Champion Western Michigan was picked to repeat as conference champion after collecting nine first-place votes and 138 points. Miami received four first-place votes and finished second with 134 points, followed by Toledo (115), Ohio (107), Central Michigan (101), Buffalo (81), Eastern Michigan (76), Kent State (64), Bowling Green (59), Akron (52), Ball State (34), Sacramento State (28), and Massachusetts (25).
Western Michigan also earned nine votes to win the 2026 MAC Football Championship Game, while Miami received four championship selections.
Kicking Off
Once again, this year's MAC Football Media Day will be shown live on ESPN+ from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. today! The production will highlight the league's annual kickoff event as the hosts will visit with all MAC head coaches and several student-athletes throughout MAC Media Day.
Attending from Eastern Michigan will be Head Coach Chris Creighton, senior defensive back Bryce Llewellyn (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral/Charleston Southern) and senior quarterback Noah Kim (Centreville, Va./Westfield/Michigan State/Coastal Carolina). EMUEagles.com will also have full coverage of the event with interviews and releases to be posted throughout the day.
Not only will MAC Football fans around the country be able to watch the live show previewing the upcoming 2026 season, but they will also have the opportunity to interact with the head coaches, student-athletes, and league office regarding media day. Both EMU and the MAC will post updates throughout the day using its X, Instagram, and Facebook feeds. The official Twitter hashtag for the 2026 MAC Football Media Day coverage is #MACtion and #EMUFB. Official tweets will include this hashtag and all media and fans are also asked to use it in their tweets related to the event and when sending questions to their favorite coaches and student-athletes.
Kim returns after leading the Mid-American Conference in passing yards with 2,817 during the 2025 campaign while becoming one of only six quarterbacks in program history to account for more than 3,000 total yards in a season. Llewellyn enters his final season after earning All-MAC Second Team honors and leading the Eagles with 103 tackles last fall.
The 2026 season begins Saturday, Aug. 29, when Eastern opens the campaign at home inside Rynearson Stadium versus Sacramento State University. Eastern Michigan will look to build on a 2025 season that saw the program rank among the MAC leaders in passing offense, red zone efficiency, and fewest sacks allowed.
2026 MAC Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Western Michigan (9 first-place votes), 138 points
2. Miami (4), 134
3. Toledo, 115
4. Ohio, 107
5. Central Michigan, 101
6. Buffalo, 81
7. Eastern Michigan, 76
8. Kent State, 64
9. Bowling Green, 59
10. Akron, 52
11. Ball State, 34
12. Sacramento State, 28
13. Massachusetts, 25
2026 MAC Football Championship Game Champion
Western Michigan, 9 votes
Miami, 4 votes
The Eagles received 76 points in the annual poll, which is voted on by the conference's 13 head coaches. Coaches are not permitted to vote for their own team.
Defending MAC Champion Western Michigan was picked to repeat as conference champion after collecting nine first-place votes and 138 points. Miami received four first-place votes and finished second with 134 points, followed by Toledo (115), Ohio (107), Central Michigan (101), Buffalo (81), Eastern Michigan (76), Kent State (64), Bowling Green (59), Akron (52), Ball State (34), Sacramento State (28), and Massachusetts (25).
Western Michigan also earned nine votes to win the 2026 MAC Football Championship Game, while Miami received four championship selections.
Kicking Off
Once again, this year's MAC Football Media Day will be shown live on ESPN+ from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. today! The production will highlight the league's annual kickoff event as the hosts will visit with all MAC head coaches and several student-athletes throughout MAC Media Day.
Attending from Eastern Michigan will be Head Coach Chris Creighton, senior defensive back Bryce Llewellyn (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral/Charleston Southern) and senior quarterback Noah Kim (Centreville, Va./Westfield/Michigan State/Coastal Carolina). EMUEagles.com will also have full coverage of the event with interviews and releases to be posted throughout the day.
Not only will MAC Football fans around the country be able to watch the live show previewing the upcoming 2026 season, but they will also have the opportunity to interact with the head coaches, student-athletes, and league office regarding media day. Both EMU and the MAC will post updates throughout the day using its X, Instagram, and Facebook feeds. The official Twitter hashtag for the 2026 MAC Football Media Day coverage is #MACtion and #EMUFB. Official tweets will include this hashtag and all media and fans are also asked to use it in their tweets related to the event and when sending questions to their favorite coaches and student-athletes.
Kim returns after leading the Mid-American Conference in passing yards with 2,817 during the 2025 campaign while becoming one of only six quarterbacks in program history to account for more than 3,000 total yards in a season. Llewellyn enters his final season after earning All-MAC Second Team honors and leading the Eagles with 103 tackles last fall.
The 2026 season begins Saturday, Aug. 29, when Eastern opens the campaign at home inside Rynearson Stadium versus Sacramento State University. Eastern Michigan will look to build on a 2025 season that saw the program rank among the MAC leaders in passing offense, red zone efficiency, and fewest sacks allowed.
2026 MAC Preseason Coaches Poll
1. Western Michigan (9 first-place votes), 138 points
2. Miami (4), 134
3. Toledo, 115
4. Ohio, 107
5. Central Michigan, 101
6. Buffalo, 81
7. Eastern Michigan, 76
8. Kent State, 64
9. Bowling Green, 59
10. Akron, 52
11. Ball State, 34
12. Sacramento State, 28
13. Massachusetts, 25
2026 MAC Football Championship Game Champion
Western Michigan, 9 votes
Miami, 4 votes
Players Mentioned
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