TOWSON, Md. - - Towson's 3-0 start to its 2006 football season has earned the Tigers their first Top 25 national ranking in 13 years.

            The Tigers are ranked No. 21 in The Sports Network's NCAA Division I-AA Top 25, marking the second time in program history that Towson is ranked and the first since the final 1993 regular season poll when it came in at No. 24.

            In both the College Sporting News Coaches Poll and the AGS website poll the Tigers are ranked No. 22.

            Towson is one of six Atlantic 10 Football Conference teams ranked among the Top 25, making it the most represented of any I-AA conference. New Hampshire is ranked No. 1 followed by No. 7 Richmond, No. 9 Massachusetts, No. 17 James Madison and No. 18 Delaware. The Tigers face Richmond, Massachusetts, JMU and Delaware in the weeks ahead.

            The Tigers begin play against A-10 opponents this Saturday night when they travel to Hempstead, N.Y. for a contest with Hofstra. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m.

The Sports Network Top 25

1. NEW HAMPSHIRE (83) - 2,711

2. Appalachian State (22) - 2,627

3. Cal Poly (2) - 2,439

4. Furman - 2,271

5. Montana - 2,109

6. Illinois State - 2,109

7. RICHMOND - 2,071

8. Youngstown State - 1,868

9. MASSACHUSETTS - 1,851

10. Southern Illinois (2) - 1,684

11. Hampton (1) - 1,646

12. Northern Iowa - 1,417

13. McNeese State - 1,299

14. North Dakota State - 1,281

15. Portland State - 1,228

16. UC Davis - 1,192

17. JAMES MADISON - 1,190

18. DELAWARE - 619

19. Georgia Southern - 611

20. Eastern Illinois - 477

21. TOWSON - 424

22. Western Carolina - 361

23. Central Connecticut - 252

24. Eastern Kentucky - 227

25. Jacksonville State - 166

First-place votes in parenthesis