FORT MYERS, Fla. - The FGCU women's basketball team will open the 2017-18 season as the 8th-ranked team in the nation in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll.

The Eagles, who just last week received votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll, totaled 554 points in the Mid-Major Poll, which is just one behind Belmont and 10 behind James Madison. Quinnipiac, who has split a pair of games with FGCU over the past two seasons, received 28 first-place votes and is ranked in the top spot.

"There are a lot of great mid-major basketball teams in the country," FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. "To be mentioned among the very best is flattering, but we have a lot of work to do to earn that flattery."

FGCU, which finished 26-9 last year and made its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance over the past six seasons, is scheduled to face South Dakota State, the 5th-ranked team, on Dec. 29. Second-ranked Gonzaga and 7th-ranked Belmont are also competing in the Play4Kay Shootout in Las Vegas Nov. 23-25. The Eagles could potentially face one of them on Nov. 25.

With the season and home opener against Illinois just nine days away, fans can purchase tickets by visiting FGCUTickets.com, stopping by the Alico Arena Ticket Office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by calling 239-590-7145.

The CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 poll, which is now in its 8th season of existence, is made up of teams from the following conferences: America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Colonial, Horizon, Independents, Ivy, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, West Coast, Western Athletic.

CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25
1. Quinnipiac (28) 744 (Metro Atlantic)
2. Gonzaga (1) 700 (West Coast)
3. Drake 689 (Missouri Valley)
4. Green Bay (1) 688 (Horizon)
5. South Dakota State 579 (Summit)
6. James Madison 564 (Colonial)
7. Belmont 555 (Ohio Valley)
8. FGCU 554 (Atlantic Sun)
9. Central Michigan (1) 478 (Mid-American)
10. Elon 433 (Colonial)
11. Penn 318 (Ivy League)
12. Buffalo 304 (Mid-American)
13. Northern Colorado 301 (Big Sky)
14. New Mexico State 298 (Western Athletic)
15. Mercer 294 (Southern)
16. New Hampshire 257 (America East)
17. Bucknell 254 (Patriot)
18. Army 246 (Patriot)
19. Princeton 244 (Ivy League)
20. UC Davis 221 (Big West)
21. Western Illinois 142 (Summit)
22. Chattanooga 120 (Southern)
23. Northern Iowa 102 (Missouri Valley)
24. Saint Francis (Pa.) 90 (Northeast)
25. South Dakota 89 (Summit)
 

FOLLOW ALONG
For up-to-the-minute information and behind-the-scenes access to the women's basketball program, follow @FGCU_WBB on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook at /FGCUWBB.

COACH SMESKO
FGCU head coach Karl Smesko rallied the 2016-17 Eagles to their seventh-straight 25-win campaign, which culminated in the team's fourth NCAA tournament appearance in six seasons of eligibility. The seven-time ASUN Coach of the Year was named the espnW Mid-Major Coach of the Year in 2015-16 following a run that witnessed the Eagles finish a best-ever 33-6. Over a five-year stretch starting in 2011-12, FGCU racked up four ASUN seasons with a perfect record and capped the run with back-to-back 30 plus win seasons. In 2014-15, the team earned its first top-25 ranking and another NCAA Tournament trip as a seven seed, where FGCU won its first ever NCAA Division I Tournament game against No. 10 Oklahoma State. With 26 wins in 2016-17, Smesko has guided the Eagles to 13-straight 20-win seasons.  He maintains a record of 404-82 (.831) at FGCU, including a 160-15 (.914) mark in ASUN play. Over the past six seasons, he has guided FGCU to a 93-3 (.969) record in conference play. Smesko earned his 400th career coaching win in 2014-15 in just 493 career games, two games faster than UConn's Geno Auriemma. He holds a career head coaching record of 465-109 (.810). Smesko ranks among an elite list of just four active Division I coaches with a career win percentage of .800 or higher, joining Auriemma, Baylor's Kim Mulkey and Stanford's Tara VanDerveer in the esteemed group.

SUPPORT THE CAUSE
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help.

IRMA RELIEF DONATIONS
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, many individuals and families throughout Southwest Florida are still in desperate need of assistance. To aid in those relief efforts, FGCU Athletics will be collecting donations at all Eagle home games for the immediate future. Donation items most needed include: non-perishable food, clothing, household items and first-aid supplies. Additionally, those unable to attend upcoming home games can drop off donations in canisters located in the Alico Arena lobby. All donations will be given to those hardest hit in Lee and Collier counties.