Ferris State and Harding were No. 1 and No. 2 in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, for the entire 2025 season, and that’s where they will end. After a back and forth first half in the Division II national championship game, Ferris State exploded with 21 points in the third quarter to blow the game wide open. Harding added a touchdown of their own in the third quarter, but it was too little, too late as the Bulldogs cruised to their fourth national title in five years by a score of 42-21. The No. 1 Bulldogs also became the first NCAA Division I or II team in the modern era of college football to finish with a 16-0 record.
Kutztown stays at No. 3 after earning a trip to the semifinals and setting a school single season record with 14 victories this season. Fellow semifinalist Newberry rose 12 spots to finish at No. 4 with a 12-2 mark. UT Permian Basin ran through a couple of ranked teams before bowing out in the quarterfinals and jumped five places to No. 5. Pittsburg State remains at No. 6 after a second-round playoff appearance, followed by Albany State, who jumped six spots to No. 7 after their run to the quarterfinals. Minnesota State also made it to the quarterfinals and had the biggest move of any team in the top 25, moving up 13 places to No. 8. West Florida and UIndy both lost in the second round of the playoffs and round out the top 10.
Grand Valley State, who had been ranked in every poll this season, and Western Oregon fell out of the top 25, allowing for two newcomers in the final poll. California (Pa.) was unranked for six straight polls but jumped back in at No. 22 after losing a close one to No. 14 Frostburg State in the second round. Assumption was only ranked one time this season, at No. 24 on November 3, and that’s where they end 2025, at No. 24 thanks to their second-round playoff appearance.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Post-season | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferris St. (30) | 16-0 | 750 | 1 | D. No. 2 Harding, 42-21, in national championship | Tony Annese | |
| 2 | Harding | 15-1 | 720 | 2 | Lost to No. 1 Ferris St., 42-21, in national championship | Paul Simmons | |
| 3 | Kutztown | 14-1 | 686 | 3 | Lost to No. 2 Harding, 49-27, in semifinals | Jim Clements | |
| 4 | Newberry | 12-2 | 608 | 16 | Lost to No. 1 Ferris St., 49-17, semifinals | Todd Knight | |
| 5 | UT Permian Basin | 11-3 | 601 | 10 | Lost to No. 2 Harding, 34-28, in quarterfinals | Kris McCullough | |
| 6 | Pittsburg St. | 10-3 | 559 | 6 | Lost to No. 2 Harding, 37-21, in second round | Tom Anthony | |
| 7 | Albany St. | 12-2 | 499 | 13 | Lost to No. 16 Newberry, 31-24, in quarterfinals | Quinn Gray | |
| 8 | Minnesota St. | 10-4 | 487 | 21 | Lost to No. 1 Ferris St., 52-29, in quarterfinals | Todd Hoffner | |
| 9 | West Florida | 10-2 | 457 | 9 | Lost to No. 16 Newberry, 24-17, in second round | Kaleb Nobles | |
| 10 | UIndy | 11-2 | 440 | 8 | Lost to No. 21 Minnesota St., 35-27, in second round | Chris Keevers | |
| 11 | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 10-2 | 413 | 4 | Lost to No. 10 UT Permian Basin, 37-24, in first round | Philip Vigil | |
| 12 | Western Colorado | 10-3 | 409 | 15 | Lost to No. 10 UT Permian Basin, 21-15 OT, in second round | Jas Bains | |
| 13 | Central Washington | 10-2 | 401 | 5 | Lost to No. 15 Western Colorado, 27-20, in first round | Chris Fisk | |
| 14 | Frostburg St. | 11-3 | 378 | 24 | Lost to No. 3 Kutztown, 51-29, in quarterfinals | Eric Wagoner | |
| 15 | Ashland | 10-3 | 337 | 18 | Lost to No. 1 Ferris St., 56-24, in second round | Doug Geiser | |
| 16 | Minnesota-Duluth | 10-2 | 320 | 7 | Lost to No. 18 Ashland, 32-7, in first round | Curt Wiese | |
| 17 | Northwest Missouri St. | 9-3 | 251 | 14 | Lost to No. 2 Harding, 38-16, in first round | John McMenamin | |
| 18 | Johnson C. Smith | 10-2 | 246 | 11 | Lost to No. 24 Frostburg St., 21-7, in first round | Maurice Flowers | |
| 19 | Findlay | 10-2 | 229 | 12 | Lost to No. 21 Minnesota St., 37-14, in first round | Kory Allen | |
| 20 | Benedict | 10-3 | 213 | 23 | Lost to No. 13 Albany St., 14-12, in second round | Ron Dickerson Jr. | |
| 21 | Virginia Union | 9-3 | 165 | 17 | Lost to California (Pa.), 27-24, in first round | Alvin Parker | |
| 22 | California (Pa.) | 9-4 | 129 | NR | Lost to No. 24 Frostburg St., 23-21, in second round | Gary Dunn | |
| 23 | Chadron St. | 8-4 | 109 | 22 | Lost to No. 6 Pittsburg St., 21-17, in first round | Jay Long | |
| 24 | Assumption | 9-3 | 91 | NR | Lost to No. 3 Kutztown, 56-19, in second round | Andy McKenzie | |
| 25 | Augustana (S.D.) | 9-2 | 84 | 19 | DNQ Playoffs | Jerry Olszewski |
Dropped Out: Grand Valley St. (20), Western Oregon (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Grand Valley St., 71; Wingate, 28; Western Oregon, 26; Valdosta St., 12; Slippery Rock, 8; Upper Iowa, 8; Indiana (Pa.), 4; Delta St., 3; Kentucky St., 3; West Texas A&M, 3; Charleston, 1; Southern Arkansas, 1.
The American Football Coaches Association was founded to ensure that every football coach receives the finest professional development support and resources available. We bring relevant topics and current advancements directly to your desktop. We are committed to football coaching education and helping you reach and exceed your goals for success with our Professional Development Series. Along with industry networking, membership provides a forum for you to find Professional Football Coaching Jobs nationwide. By joining the AFCA you have full access to a group of like-minded, well-respected individuals in the coaching profession.
The American Football Coaches Association was founded to ensure that every football coach receives the finest professional development support and resources available. We bring relevant topics and current advancements directly to your desktop. We are committed to football coaching education and helping you reach and exceed your goals for success with our Professional Development Series. Along with industry networking, membership provides a forum for you to find Professional Football Coaching Jobs nationwide. By joining the AFCA you have full access to a group of like-minded, well-respected individuals in the coaching profession.
The American Football Coaches Association was founded to ensure that every football coach receives the finest professional development support and resources available. We bring relevant topics and current advancements directly to your desktop. We are committed to football coaching education and helping you reach and exceed your goals for success with our Professional Development Series. Along with industry networking, membership provides a forum for you to find Professional Football Coaching Jobs nationwide. By joining the AFCA you have full access to a group of like-minded, well-respected individuals in the coaching profession.
The American Football Coaches Association was founded to ensure that every football coach receives the finest professional development support and resources available. We bring relevant topics and current advancements directly to your desktop. We are committed to football coaching education and helping you reach and exceed your goals for success with our Professional Development Series. Along with industry networking, membership provides a forum for you to find Professional Football Coaching Jobs nationwide. By joining the AFCA you have full access to a group of like-minded, well-respected individuals in the coaching profession.
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The American Football Coaches Association was founded to ensure that every football coach receives the finest professional development support and resources available. We bring relevant topics and current advancements directly to your desktop. We are committed to football coaching education and helping you reach and exceed your goals for success with our Professional Development Series. Along with industry networking, membership provides a forum for you to find Professional Football Coaching Jobs nationwide. By joining the AFCA you have full access to a group of like-minded, well-respected individuals in the coaching profession.
