South Alabama is picked to finish third in the Sun Belt Conference West Division in 2018, according to voting by league coaches released Thursday.
The Jaguars, heading into the first season under new coach Steve Campbell, received 26 poll points and one first-place vote. Arkansas State (49 points, 9 first-place votes) is the preseason division favorite, followed by Louisiana-Monroe (37), South Alabama, Louisiana-Lafayette (25) and Texas State (13).
Appalachian State (46 points, 6 first-place votes) is the pick in the East, followed by Troy (44, 4), Georgia State (26), Georgia Southern (22) and Coastal Carolina (12). The Trojans and Mountaineers tied for the conference championship last season.