[FCS POLL] James Madison Still No. 1 in 2021 Spring AFCA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll
March 23, 2021
James Madison still sits at No. 1 in the spring AFCA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll of 2021, but the rest of the Top 5 looks different thanks to No. 3 North Dakota State’s 34-13 win over then-No. 2 North Dakota. The loss sent North Dakota down three spots to No. 5t while No. 2 Weber State and North Dakota State each moved up one place. Sam Houston State and South Dakota State each rose two spots to round out the Top 5.
RELATED CONTENT: [FCS POLL] James Madison No. 1 In First 2021 Spring AFCA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll
Southern Illinois was the other casualty from the previous week’s Top 5. The Salukis fell seven spots to No. 12 after its 44-3 loss to South Dakota State. The biggest mover was No. 17 Murray State. The Racers jumped seven places after beating Tennessee State, 35-13, and moving its record to 4-0.
There are only two Top 25 matchups this coming weekend. The first one has No. 9 Delaware traveling to newly ranked and No. 21 Rhode Island. The second is an important matchup in the Southland Conference as No. 14 Nicholls host No. 15 UIW. The Cardinals need a win if they want to keep pace with No. 4 Sam Houston State in the conference standings.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Spring Top 25 Poll – March 23, 2021
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Prev. March 13-14 Next Game
1 James Madison (18) 3-0 498 1 March 20 vs. No. 22 Richmond, postponed March 27 at William & Mary
2 Weber St. (1) 2-0 467 3 Idle March 27 vs. Northern Arizona
3 North Dakota St. (1) 5-1 449 4 D. No. 2 North Dakota, 34-13 March 27 at South Dakota
4 Sam Houston St. 3-0 428 6 D. Lamar, 62-7 April 1 at Northwestern St.
5t. North Dakota 4-1 399 2 Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 34-13 March 27 at Youngstown St.
5t. South Dakota St. 4-1 399 7 D. No. 5 Southern Illinois, 44-3 April 3 at No. 3 North Dakota St.
7 Jacksonville St. 7-1 389 8 D. Southeast Missouri St., 21-3 March 28 vs. Austin Peay
8 Kennesaw St. 3-0 362 9 D. Dixie St., 37-27 April 3 vs. Robert Morris (Pa.)
9 Delaware 2-0 319 10 March 20 at No. 23 New Hampshire, postponed March 27 at No. 21 Rhode Island
10 Chattanooga 3-1 318 12t D. No. 11 Furman, 20-18 March 27 vs. Mercer
11 Eastern Washington 2-1 276 12t Idle March 27 vs. Cal Poly
12 Southern Illinois 4-2 270 5 Lost to No. 7 South Dakota St., 44-3 March 27 at Missouri St.
13 VMI 4-0 244 18 D. Samford, 38-37 OT March 27 at Wofford
14 Nicholls 3-1 210 16 Idle March 27 vs. No. 15 UIW
15 UIW 3-0 207 20 D. No. 17 Southeastern Louisiana, 56-45 March 27 at No. 14 Nicholls
16 Villanova 1-1 198 14t Idle April 3 at Maine
17 Murray St. 4-0 171 24 D. Tennessee St., 35-13 March 28 vs. Eastern Illinois
18 Furman 3-2 163 11 Lost to No. 12t Chattanooga, 20-18 April 3 at Mercer
19 UC Davis 2-1 144 25 D. Cal Poly, 73-24 March 27 vs. Idaho St.
20 Richmond 2-0 135 22 March 20 at No. 1 James Madison, postponed March 27 vs. Elon
21 Rhode Island 2-0 107 NR D. No. 19 Albany, 17-10 OT March 27 vs. No. 9 Delaware
22 Southeastern Louisiana 2-2 63 17 Lost to No. 20 UIW, 56-45 April 3 vs. Lamar
23 Northern Iowa 2-3 62 14t Lost to Missouri St., 13-6 March 27 at Western Illinois
24 Tarleton St. 4-2 38 NR D. Midwestern St., 33-21 March 27 vs. Northeastern St.
25 New Hampshire 0-1 36 23 March 20 vs. No. 10 Delaware, postponed April 3 at No. 21 Rhode Island
Dropped Out: Albany (19), Jackson St. (21)
Others Receiving Votes: Southern, 35; San Diego, 21; Duquesne, 18; Albany, 16; Jackson St., 16; Maine, 12; Missouri St., 7; Charleston Southern, 6; Gardner-Webb, 6; Monmouth (N.J.), 4; Illinois St., 3; Prairie View A&M, 2; East Tennessee St., 1; Northern Arizona, 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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James Madison still sits at No. 1 in the spring AFCA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll of 2021, but the rest of the Top 5 looks different thanks to No. 3 North Dakota State’s 34-13 win over then-No. 2 North Dakota. The loss sent North Dakota down three spots to No. 5t while No. 2 Weber State and North Dakota State each moved up one place. Sam Houston State and South Dakota State each rose two spots to round out the Top 5.
RELATED CONTENT: [FCS POLL] James Madison No. 1 In First 2021 Spring AFCA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll
Southern Illinois was the other casualty from the previous week’s Top 5. The Salukis fell seven spots to No. 12 after its 44-3 loss to South Dakota State. The biggest mover was No. 17 Murray State. The Racers jumped seven places after beating Tennessee State, 35-13, and moving its record to 4-0.
There are only two Top 25 matchups this coming weekend. The first one has No. 9 Delaware traveling to newly ranked and No. 21 Rhode Island. The second is an important matchup in the Southland Conference as No. 14 Nicholls host No. 15 UIW. The Cardinals need a win if they want to keep pace with No. 4 Sam Houston State in the conference standings.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Spring Top 25 Poll – March 23, 2021
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | March 13-14 | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Madison (18) | 3-0 | 498 | 1 | March 20 vs. No. 22 Richmond, postponed | March 27 at William & Mary |
| 2 | Weber St. (1) | 2-0 | 467 | 3 | Idle | March 27 vs. Northern Arizona |
| 3 | North Dakota St. (1) | 5-1 | 449 | 4 | D. No. 2 North Dakota, 34-13 | March 27 at South Dakota |
| 4 | Sam Houston St. | 3-0 | 428 | 6 | D. Lamar, 62-7 | April 1 at Northwestern St. |
| 5t. | North Dakota | 4-1 | 399 | 2 | Lost to No. 4 North Dakota St., 34-13 | March 27 at Youngstown St. |
| 5t. | South Dakota St. | 4-1 | 399 | 7 | D. No. 5 Southern Illinois, 44-3 | April 3 at No. 3 North Dakota St. |
| 7 | Jacksonville St. | 7-1 | 389 | 8 | D. Southeast Missouri St., 21-3 | March 28 vs. Austin Peay |
| 8 | Kennesaw St. | 3-0 | 362 | 9 | D. Dixie St., 37-27 | April 3 vs. Robert Morris (Pa.) |
| 9 | Delaware | 2-0 | 319 | 10 | March 20 at No. 23 New Hampshire, postponed | March 27 at No. 21 Rhode Island |
| 10 | Chattanooga | 3-1 | 318 | 12t | D. No. 11 Furman, 20-18 | March 27 vs. Mercer |
| 11 | Eastern Washington | 2-1 | 276 | 12t | Idle | March 27 vs. Cal Poly |
| 12 | Southern Illinois | 4-2 | 270 | 5 | Lost to No. 7 South Dakota St., 44-3 | March 27 at Missouri St. |
| 13 | VMI | 4-0 | 244 | 18 | D. Samford, 38-37 OT | March 27 at Wofford |
| 14 | Nicholls | 3-1 | 210 | 16 | Idle | March 27 vs. No. 15 UIW |
| 15 | UIW | 3-0 | 207 | 20 | D. No. 17 Southeastern Louisiana, 56-45 | March 27 at No. 14 Nicholls |
| 16 | Villanova | 1-1 | 198 | 14t | Idle | April 3 at Maine |
| 17 | Murray St. | 4-0 | 171 | 24 | D. Tennessee St., 35-13 | March 28 vs. Eastern Illinois |
| 18 | Furman | 3-2 | 163 | 11 | Lost to No. 12t Chattanooga, 20-18 | April 3 at Mercer |
| 19 | UC Davis | 2-1 | 144 | 25 | D. Cal Poly, 73-24 | March 27 vs. Idaho St. |
| 20 | Richmond | 2-0 | 135 | 22 | March 20 at No. 1 James Madison, postponed | March 27 vs. Elon |
| 21 | Rhode Island | 2-0 | 107 | NR | D. No. 19 Albany, 17-10 OT | March 27 vs. No. 9 Delaware |
| 22 | Southeastern Louisiana | 2-2 | 63 | 17 | Lost to No. 20 UIW, 56-45 | April 3 vs. Lamar |
| 23 | Northern Iowa | 2-3 | 62 | 14t | Lost to Missouri St., 13-6 | March 27 at Western Illinois |
| 24 | Tarleton St. | 4-2 | 38 | NR | D. Midwestern St., 33-21 | March 27 vs. Northeastern St. |
| 25 | New Hampshire | 0-1 | 36 | 23 | March 20 vs. No. 10 Delaware, postponed | April 3 at No. 21 Rhode Island |
Dropped Out: Albany (19), Jackson St. (21)
Others Receiving Votes: Southern, 35; San Diego, 21; Duquesne, 18; Albany, 16; Jackson St., 16; Maine, 12; Missouri St., 7; Charleston Southern, 6; Gardner-Webb, 6; Monmouth (N.J.), 4; Illinois St., 3; Prairie View A&M, 2; East Tennessee St., 1; Northern Arizona, 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.
