Defending National Champion Ferris State Begins 2022 at No. 1
August 15, 2022
After winning the program’s first Division II national title with a perfect 14-0 record in 2021, Ferris State (Mich.) starts the 2022 season at No. 1 in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Bulldogs, who earned all 30 first-place votes, will begin their title defense on September 1 hosting Central Washington.
Northwest Missouri State comes in at No. 2, followed by Valdosta State (Ga.), the national runner-up from a year ago, at No. 3.
The season’s first big Top 25 matchup pits the fourth and fifth-ranked teams as No. 4 Colorado School of Mines travels to No. 5 Grand Valley State (Mich.).
Shepherd (W.Va.), Angelo State (Tex.), Bowie State (Md.), Harding (Ark.), and Notre Dame (Ohio) round out the Top 10.
There is a second Top 25 matchup on the first weekend as No. 8 Bowie State (Md.) plays host to No. 16 New Haven (Conn.).
Rank School (1st votes) 2021 Rec. Pts. 2021 Rank Season Opener Head Coach
1 Ferris St. (Mich.) (30) 14-0 750 1 Sept. 1 vs. Central Washington Tony Annese
2 Northwest Missouri St. 11-2 661 4 Sept. 1 vs. Fort Hays St. (Kan.) Rich Wright
3 Valdosta St. (Ga.) 12-2 656 2 Sept. 1 vs. Keiser (Fla.) Tremaine Jackson
4 Colorado School of Mines 12-2 654 3 Sept. 1 at No. 5 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) Brandon Moore
5 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 10-2 596 7 Sept. 1 vs. No. 4 Colorado School of Mines Matt Mitchell
6 Shepherd (W.Va.) 13-2 550 5 Sept. 1 at Southern Connecticut St. Ernie McCook
7 Angelo St. (Tex.) 11-3 494 11 Sept. 1 vs. Chadron St. (Neb.) Jeff Girsch
8 Bowie St. (Md.) 12-2 479 6 Sept. 3 vs. No. 20 New Haven (Conn.) Kyle Jackson
9 Harding (Ark.) 11-2 467 10 Sept. 1 at East Central (Okla.) Paul Simmons
10 Notre Dame (Ohio) 11-2 465 9 Sept. 1 at Ashland (Ohio) Garrett Mack
11 West Florida 9-2 452 12 Sept. 3 vs. Warner (Fla.) Pete Shinnick
12 West Georgia 9-3 373 13 Sept. 1 vs. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) David Dean
13 Kutztown (Pa.) 11-2 359 8 Sept. 3 at Assumption (Mass.) Jim Clements
14 Nebraska-Kearney 10-3 318 15 Sept. 1 at Missouri Southern Josh Lynn
15 Newberry (S.C.) 10-3 250 17 Sept. 3 vs. Allen (S.C.) Todd Knight
16 New Haven (Conn.) 10-2 243 14 Sept. 3 at No. 11 Bowie St. (Md.) Chris Pincince
17 Western Colorado 10-2 226 16 Sept. 3 at West Texas A&M Jas Bains
18 Albany St. (Ga.) 10-2 160 18 Sept. 3 vs. Mississippi College Gabe Giardina
19t. Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 8-3 154 NR Sept. 3 vs. Virginia St. Mike Jacobs
19t. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 9-2 154 23 Sept. 1 at Oklahoma Baptist Todd Knight
21 California (Pa.) 9-1 143 21 Sept. 1 vs. Fairmont St. (W.Va.) Gary Dunn
22 Bemidji St. (Minn.) 10-3 137 19 Sept. 1 vs. Minnesota St. Brent Bolte
23 Slippery Rock (Pa.) 9-3 131 20 Sept. 3 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.) Shawn Lutz
24 Midwestern St. (Tex.) 7-3 112 NR Sept. 3 vs. Colorado St.-Pueblo Bill Maskill
25 Augustana (S.D.) 9-3 99 NR Sept. 1 at Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) Jerry Olszewski
Others Receiving Votes: Frostburg St. (Md.), 97; Indiana (Pa.), 79; Indianapolis (Ind.), 65; Washburn (Kan.), 59; Findlay (Ohio), 52; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 46; Tiffin (Ohio), 34; Minnesota-Duluth, 32; Henderson St. (Ark.), 31; Central Washington, 25; Bentley (Mass.), 24; Minnesota St., 23; Ashland (Ohio), 22; West Texas A&M, 15; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 14; Truman St. (Mo.), 13; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 7; Southeastern Oklahoma St., 7; Delta St. (Miss.), 5; Ohio Dominican, 4; Virginia Union, 4; West Alabama, 3; Shaw (N.C.), 2; Chadron St. (Neb.), 1; Colorado Mesa, 1; UT-Permian Basin (Texas), 1; West Chester (Pa.), 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.
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After winning the program’s first Division II national title with a perfect 14-0 record in 2021, Ferris State (Mich.) starts the 2022 season at No. 1 in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Bulldogs, who earned all 30 first-place votes, will begin their title defense on September 1 hosting Central Washington.
Northwest Missouri State comes in at No. 2, followed by Valdosta State (Ga.), the national runner-up from a year ago, at No. 3.
The season’s first big Top 25 matchup pits the fourth and fifth-ranked teams as No. 4 Colorado School of Mines travels to No. 5 Grand Valley State (Mich.).
Shepherd (W.Va.), Angelo State (Tex.), Bowie State (Md.), Harding (Ark.), and Notre Dame (Ohio) round out the Top 10.
There is a second Top 25 matchup on the first weekend as No. 8 Bowie State (Md.) plays host to No. 16 New Haven (Conn.).
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2021 Rec. | Pts. | 2021 Rank | Season Opener | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferris St. (Mich.) (30) | 14-0 | 750 | 1 | Sept. 1 vs. Central Washington | Tony Annese |
| 2 | Northwest Missouri St. | 11-2 | 661 | 4 | Sept. 1 vs. Fort Hays St. (Kan.) | Rich Wright |
| 3 | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 12-2 | 656 | 2 | Sept. 1 vs. Keiser (Fla.) | Tremaine Jackson |
| 4 | Colorado School of Mines | 12-2 | 654 | 3 | Sept. 1 at No. 5 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | Brandon Moore |
| 5 | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 10-2 | 596 | 7 | Sept. 1 vs. No. 4 Colorado School of Mines | Matt Mitchell |
| 6 | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 13-2 | 550 | 5 | Sept. 1 at Southern Connecticut St. | Ernie McCook |
| 7 | Angelo St. (Tex.) | 11-3 | 494 | 11 | Sept. 1 vs. Chadron St. (Neb.) | Jeff Girsch |
| 8 | Bowie St. (Md.) | 12-2 | 479 | 6 | Sept. 3 vs. No. 20 New Haven (Conn.) | Kyle Jackson |
| 9 | Harding (Ark.) | 11-2 | 467 | 10 | Sept. 1 at East Central (Okla.) | Paul Simmons |
| 10 | Notre Dame (Ohio) | 11-2 | 465 | 9 | Sept. 1 at Ashland (Ohio) | Garrett Mack |
| 11 | West Florida | 9-2 | 452 | 12 | Sept. 3 vs. Warner (Fla.) | Pete Shinnick |
| 12 | West Georgia | 9-3 | 373 | 13 | Sept. 1 vs. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) | David Dean |
| 13 | Kutztown (Pa.) | 11-2 | 359 | 8 | Sept. 3 at Assumption (Mass.) | Jim Clements |
| 14 | Nebraska-Kearney | 10-3 | 318 | 15 | Sept. 1 at Missouri Southern | Josh Lynn |
| 15 | Newberry (S.C.) | 10-3 | 250 | 17 | Sept. 3 vs. Allen (S.C.) | Todd Knight |
| 16 | New Haven (Conn.) | 10-2 | 243 | 14 | Sept. 3 at No. 11 Bowie St. (Md.) | Chris Pincince |
| 17 | Western Colorado | 10-2 | 226 | 16 | Sept. 3 at West Texas A&M | Jas Bains |
| 18 | Albany St. (Ga.) | 10-2 | 160 | 18 | Sept. 3 vs. Mississippi College | Gabe Giardina |
| 19t. | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 8-3 | 154 | NR | Sept. 3 vs. Virginia St. | Mike Jacobs |
| 19t. | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 9-2 | 154 | 23 | Sept. 1 at Oklahoma Baptist | Todd Knight |
| 21 | California (Pa.) | 9-1 | 143 | 21 | Sept. 1 vs. Fairmont St. (W.Va.) | Gary Dunn |
| 22 | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | 10-3 | 137 | 19 | Sept. 1 vs. Minnesota St. | Brent Bolte |
| 23 | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 9-3 | 131 | 20 | Sept. 3 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.) | Shawn Lutz |
| 24 | Midwestern St. (Tex.) | 7-3 | 112 | NR | Sept. 3 vs. Colorado St.-Pueblo | Bill Maskill |
| 25 | Augustana (S.D.) | 9-3 | 99 | NR | Sept. 1 at Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) | Jerry Olszewski |
Others Receiving Votes: Frostburg St. (Md.), 97; Indiana (Pa.), 79; Indianapolis (Ind.), 65; Washburn (Kan.), 59; Findlay (Ohio), 52; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 46; Tiffin (Ohio), 34; Minnesota-Duluth, 32; Henderson St. (Ark.), 31; Central Washington, 25; Bentley (Mass.), 24; Minnesota St., 23; Ashland (Ohio), 22; West Texas A&M, 15; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 14; Truman St. (Mo.), 13; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 7; Southeastern Oklahoma St., 7; Delta St. (Miss.), 5; Ohio Dominican, 4; Virginia Union, 4; West Alabama, 3; Shaw (N.C.), 2; Chadron St. (Neb.), 1; Colorado Mesa, 1; UT-Permian Basin (Texas), 1; West Chester (Pa.), 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.
