ASHLAND – Eleven days from opening the 2026 season, the Southern Oregon University football team got the No. 4 spot in Tuesday's Frontier Conference West Division coaches' poll.  College of Idaho was picked to repeat as champion in the seven-team West after going 6-0 in divisional play last year. The Yotes, who went on to advance to the semifinal round of the NAIA Championship Series, received six of seven first-place votes.  Carroll (Mont.) was second and Montana Western was third in the poll, followed by SOU. Eastern Oregon, Arizona Christian and Simpson (Calif.) rounded it out.  The injury-plagued Raiders went 2-4 in the West last season, a year removed from an 8-3 campaign. This fall they return seven starters on offense, six on defense, and 2024 Frontier Offensive MVP Gunner Yates, the former Coquille running back who was available for only a handful of snaps last season after a record-breaking sophomore year.  Marshfield's Dom Montiel returns for his senior campaign with the Raiders who open the season August 29th, at Simpson, CA.