Reporters covering Colonial Athletic Association Football believe James Madison is the overwhelming favorite in the conference’s South Division and Villanova is the team to beat in the North Division during the league’s nearing spring campaign.

The Daily News-Record recently conducted a poll, with 11 participating media members casting votes for the DN-R’s first ever CAA Football Preseason Poll.

JMU earned all 11 first-place votes in the South Division and 10 of 11 votes for the CAA’s automatic qualifying berth into the FCS postseason. Though the league is split into two divisions for this spring, it’ll have only its usual one automatic bid into the playoffs. Villanova, which earned six of 11 first-place votes in the North Division, got one vote for the league’s automatic qualifying berth.

JMU, Villanova and Albany reached the FCS playoffs last season.

The North projects to be tighter than the South. Villanova finished with 64 total points followed by Albany with 60, Delaware with 52 and New Hampshire with 50. Albany earned three first-place votes for the North Division crown and Delaware and New Hampshire each earned one.

All four of those programs return starting quarterbacks entering the campaign. Villanova’s Daniel Smith threw for 35 touchdowns and rushed for 12 more in 2019 and Albany signal-caller Jeff Undercuffler threw for 3,543 yards and 41 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in that same season.

Filling out the rest of the North Division was Maine, Stony Brook and Rhode Island – fifth, sixth, and seventh, respectively.

JMU notched all 44 possible points it could get in the South Division. The Dukes return three starting offensive linemen including All-American right tackle Liam Fornadel as well as a loaded backfield featuring senior running backs Percy Agyei-Obese and Jawon Hamilton, who combined for 2,135 rushing yards and 24 scores on the ground last season.

Behind JMU were Elon, Richmond, and William & Mary in that order.