Defending Champ Montana State Opens 2026 at No. 1
August 17, 2026
Fresh off their second national title in program history, Montana State is the preseason No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. The Bobcats will start defense of their title on August 29 as they begin the 2026 on the road at Utah Tech. Right behind MSU at No. 2 is in-state rival Montana. The Grizz start play under the Bobby Kennedy era with a home game against Southern Utah, also on August 29. South Dakota State received one first-place vote and will start the season at No. 3, looking to improve on their second-round playoff appearance from 2025. The runner-up in last year’s national championship game, Illinois State, comes in at No. 4. The Redbirds finished 12-5 last year and start this season off against NAIA-member St. Francis (Ill.) on August 29. Quarterfinalists from a year ago, the Tarleton State Texans begin 2026 at No. 5 and will host Prairie View A&M.
There will be two top 25 matchups in week 0 to begin the season. First is No. 15 Tennessee Tech hosting No. 23 Monmouth (N.J.) while No. 14 ACU heads south to Beaumont, Texas, to face No. 21 Lamar.
Rank School (1st votes) 2025 Rec. Pts. 2025 Rank Season Opener Head Coach
1 Montana St. (25) 14-2 649 1 Aug. 29 at Utah Tech Brent Vigen
2 Montana 13-2 605 3 Aug. 29 vs. Southern Utah Bobby Kennedy
3 South Dakota St. (1) 9-5 591 14 Aug. 29 vs. Stetson Dan Jackson
4 Illinois St. 12-5 553 2 Aug. 29 vs. St. Francis (Ill.) Brock Spack
5 Tarleton St. 12-2 527 6 Aug. 29 vs. Prairie View A&M Todd Whitten
6 UC Davis 9-4 498 8 Aug. 29 at Portland St. Tim Plough
7 Villanova 12-3 448 4 Aug. 28 vs. William & Mary Mark Ferrante
8 Rhode Island 11-3 434 10 Aug. 28 at Merrimack Jim Fleming
9 Youngstown St. 8-5 428 17 Aug. 27 vs. Mercyhurst Doug Phillips
10 North Dakota 8-6 396 16 Aug. 27 vs. LIU Eric Schmidt
11 Lehigh 12-1 359 9 Aug. 29 at Holy Cross Richard Nagy
12 South Dakota 10-5 347 11 Aug. 29 vs. Central Connecticut St. Matt Vitzthum
13 Stephen F. Austin 11-3 313 7 Aug. 29 at McNeese St. Colby Carthel
14 ACU 9-5 295 12 Aug. 29 at No. 21 Lamar Keith Patterson
15 Tennessee Tech 11-2 294 15 Aug. 29 vs. No. 23 Monmouth (N.J.) Bobby Wilder
16 Southern Illinois 7-5 231 NR Aug. 27 at West Florida Nick Hill
17 Mercer 9-3 189 18 Aug. 29 vs. East Texas A&M Joel Taylor
18 Austin Peay 7-5 186 NR Aug. 27 vs. Gardner-Webb Jeff Faris
19 Yale 9-3 164 13 Sept. 19 at Holy Cross Kevin Cahill
20 Southeastern Louisiana 9-4 160 19 Aug. 27 vs. HCU Frank Scelfo
21 Lamar 8-5 133 21 Aug. 29 vs. No. 14 ACU Pete Rossomando
22 UT Martin 6-6 123 NR Aug. 27 vs. Central Arkansas Jason Simpson
23 Monmouth (N.J.) 9-3 105 20 Aug. 29 at No. 15 Tennessee Tech Jeff Gallo
24 Northern Arizona 7-5 67 NR Aug. 29 vs. Eastern Washington Brian Wright
25 South Carolina St. 10-3 63 25 Aug. 29 vs. Savannah St. Chennis Berry
*– Ranking in final AFCA FCS Coaches Poll of 2025
Others Receiving Votes: Richmond, 31; Southeast Missouri St., 27; Valparaiso, 23; Alabama St., 21; East Tennessee St., 21; Western Carolina, 20; Idaho St., 15; Harvard, 14; Central Connecticut St., 12; Furman, 12; Jackson St., 11; Chattanooga, 9; Eastern Kentucky, 9; UIW, 9; UT-Rio Grande Valley, 9; Dartmouth, 8; Elon, 7; William & Mary, 7; Holy Cross, 6; Wofford, 5; Prairie View A&M, 4; Northern Colorado, 3; St. Thomas (Minn.), 3; New Hampshire, 2; Central Arkansas, 1; McNeese St., 1; San Diego, 1; Stony Brook, 1.
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Fresh off their second national title in program history, Montana State is the preseason No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. The Bobcats will start defense of their title on August 29 as they begin the 2026 on the road at Utah Tech. Right behind MSU at No. 2 is in-state rival Montana. The Grizz start play under the Bobby Kennedy era with a home game against Southern Utah, also on August 29. South Dakota State received one first-place vote and will start the season at No. 3, looking to improve on their second-round playoff appearance from 2025. The runner-up in last year’s national championship game, Illinois State, comes in at No. 4. The Redbirds finished 12-5 last year and start this season off against NAIA-member St. Francis (Ill.) on August 29. Quarterfinalists from a year ago, the Tarleton State Texans begin 2026 at No. 5 and will host Prairie View A&M.
There will be two top 25 matchups in week 0 to begin the season. First is No. 15 Tennessee Tech hosting No. 23 Monmouth (N.J.) while No. 14 ACU heads south to Beaumont, Texas, to face No. 21 Lamar.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2025 Rec. | Pts. | 2025 Rank | Season Opener | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Montana St. (25) | 14-2 | 649 | 1 | Aug. 29 at Utah Tech | Brent Vigen | |
| 2 | Montana | 13-2 | 605 | 3 | Aug. 29 vs. Southern Utah | Bobby Kennedy | |
| 3 | South Dakota St. (1) | 9-5 | 591 | 14 | Aug. 29 vs. Stetson | Dan Jackson | |
| 4 | Illinois St. | 12-5 | 553 | 2 | Aug. 29 vs. St. Francis (Ill.) | Brock Spack | |
| 5 | Tarleton St. | 12-2 | 527 | 6 | Aug. 29 vs. Prairie View A&M | Todd Whitten | |
| 6 | UC Davis | 9-4 | 498 | 8 | Aug. 29 at Portland St. | Tim Plough | |
| 7 | Villanova | 12-3 | 448 | 4 | Aug. 28 vs. William & Mary | Mark Ferrante | |
| 8 | Rhode Island | 11-3 | 434 | 10 | Aug. 28 at Merrimack | Jim Fleming | |
| 9 | Youngstown St. | 8-5 | 428 | 17 | Aug. 27 vs. Mercyhurst | Doug Phillips | |
| 10 | North Dakota | 8-6 | 396 | 16 | Aug. 27 vs. LIU | Eric Schmidt | |
| 11 | Lehigh | 12-1 | 359 | 9 | Aug. 29 at Holy Cross | Richard Nagy | |
| 12 | South Dakota | 10-5 | 347 | 11 | Aug. 29 vs. Central Connecticut St. | Matt Vitzthum | |
| 13 | Stephen F. Austin | 11-3 | 313 | 7 | Aug. 29 at McNeese St. | Colby Carthel | |
| 14 | ACU | 9-5 | 295 | 12 | Aug. 29 at No. 21 Lamar | Keith Patterson | |
| 15 | Tennessee Tech | 11-2 | 294 | 15 | Aug. 29 vs. No. 23 Monmouth (N.J.) | Bobby Wilder | |
| 16 | Southern Illinois | 7-5 | 231 | NR | Aug. 27 at West Florida | Nick Hill | |
| 17 | Mercer | 9-3 | 189 | 18 | Aug. 29 vs. East Texas A&M | Joel Taylor | |
| 18 | Austin Peay | 7-5 | 186 | NR | Aug. 27 vs. Gardner-Webb | Jeff Faris | |
| 19 | Yale | 9-3 | 164 | 13 | Sept. 19 at Holy Cross | Kevin Cahill | |
| 20 | Southeastern Louisiana | 9-4 | 160 | 19 | Aug. 27 vs. HCU | Frank Scelfo | |
| 21 | Lamar | 8-5 | 133 | 21 | Aug. 29 vs. No. 14 ACU | Pete Rossomando | |
| 22 | UT Martin | 6-6 | 123 | NR | Aug. 27 vs. Central Arkansas | Jason Simpson | |
| 23 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 9-3 | 105 | 20 | Aug. 29 at No. 15 Tennessee Tech | Jeff Gallo | |
| 24 | Northern Arizona | 7-5 | 67 | NR | Aug. 29 vs. Eastern Washington | Brian Wright | |
| 25 | South Carolina St. | 10-3 | 63 | 25 | Aug. 29 vs. Savannah St. | Chennis Berry |
*– Ranking in final AFCA FCS Coaches Poll of 2025
Others Receiving Votes: Richmond, 31; Southeast Missouri St., 27; Valparaiso, 23; Alabama St., 21; East Tennessee St., 21; Western Carolina, 20; Idaho St., 15; Harvard, 14; Central Connecticut St., 12; Furman, 12; Jackson St., 11; Chattanooga, 9; Eastern Kentucky, 9; UIW, 9; UT-Rio Grande Valley, 9; Dartmouth, 8; Elon, 7; William & Mary, 7; Holy Cross, 6; Wofford, 5; Prairie View A&M, 4; Northern Colorado, 3; St. Thomas (Minn.), 3; New Hampshire, 2; Central Arkansas, 1; McNeese St., 1; San Diego, 1; Stony Brook, 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
If you are interested in more in-depth articles and videos, please become an AFCA member. You can find out more information about membership and specific member benefits on the AFCA Membership Overview page. If you are ready to join, please fill out the AFCA Membership Application.
