North Dakota State Starts 2019 at No. 1 In AFCA FCS Coaches Poll
August 19, 2019
When you have won seven national championships in eight years, including last year, it’s pretty easy to figure out where North Dakota State will start the 2019 season. The Bison are the preseason favorites to win it all again, as voted on by the coaches in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. James Madison, who made it to the second round of the FCS playoffs in 2018, comes in at the No. 2 spot. The Dukes are followed by last season’s national runner-up, Eastern Washington at No. 3, South Dakota State at No. 4 and UC Davis at No. 5.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS Poll] North Dakota State Runs The Table In The FCS Coaches’ Poll
No. 14 Colgate starts the FCS season off early as they host Villanova this coming Saturday, August 24. The Raiders went 10-2 last year with an appearance in the FCS quarterfinals. There is only one Top 25 matchup during the first full week of action as No. 19 North Carolina A&T plays host to No. 21 Elon. No. 24 Princeton, the only other undefeated team in FCS last year besides North Dakota State, begins defense of its 2018 IVY League title on September 21 versus Butler.
2019 American Football Coaches Association Preseason FCS Coaches’ Poll – August 19, 2019
Rank School (1st votes) 2018 Rec. Pts. 2018 Rank Season Opener Head Coach
1 North Dakota St. (23) 15-0 644 1 Aug. 31 vs. Butler Matt Entz
2 James Madison (1) 9-4 597 10 Aug. 31 at West Virginia Curt Cignetti
3 Eastern Washington (2) 12-3 588 2 Aug. 31 at Washington Aaron Best
4 South Dakota St. 10-3 579 3 Aug. 29 at Minnesota John Stiegelmeier
5 UC Davis 10-3 537 8 Aug. 31 at California Dan Hawkins
6 Jacksonville St. 9-4 500 13 Aug. 29 at Southeastern Louisiana John Grass
7 Maine 10-4 473 5 Aug. 30 vs. Sacred Heart Nick Charlton
8 Wofford 9-4 437 12 Aug. 31 at South Carolina St. Josh Conklin
9 Weber St. 10-3 432 6 Aug. 31 at San Diego St. Jay Hill
10 Kennesaw St. 11-2 404 4 Aug. 31 vs. Point Brian Bohannon
11 Nicholls 9-4 385 14 Aug. 31 at Kansas St. Tim Rebowe
12 Towson 7-5 349 22 Aug. 31 at The Citadel Rob Ambrose
13 Illinois St. 6-5 290 NR Aug. 31 at Northern Illinois Brock Spack
14 Colgate 10-2 272 7 Aug. 24 vs. Villanova Dan Hunt
15 Montana St. 8-5 271 17 Aug. 31 at Texas Tech Jeff Choate
16 Indiana St. 7-4 192 25 Aug. 31 at Kansas Curt Mallory
17 Furman 6-4 183 NR Aug. 31 vs. Charleston Southern Clay Hendrix
18 Southeast Missouri St. 9-4 178 16 Aug. 29 vs. Southern Illinois Tom Matukewicz
19 North Carolina A&T 10-2 158 11 Aug. 31 vs. No. 21 Elon Sam Washington
20 Northern Iowa 7-6 157 NR Aug. 31 at Iowa St. Mark Farley
21 Elon 6-5 155 19 Aug. 31 at No. 19 North Carolina A&T Tony Trisciani
22 Sam Houston St. 6-5 117 NR Aug. 31 at New Mexico K.C. Keeler
23 Delaware 7-5 87 23 Aug. 29 vs. Delaware St. Danny Rocco
24 Princeton 10-0 85 9 Sept. 21 vs. Butler Bob Surace
25 Central Arkansas 6-5 66 NR Aug. 29 at Western Kentucky Nathan Brown
*– Ranking in final AFCA FCS Coaches Poll of 2018
Others Receiving Votes: Montana, 52; Yale, 41; Incarnate Word, 31; East Tennessee St., 23; Tennessee-Chattanooga, 23; Northern Arizona, 20; Idaho, 18; North Dakota, 17; Alcorn St., 16; Monmouth (N.J.), 13; Eastern Kentucky, 12; Dartmouth, 11; South Dakota, 9; Duquesne, 7; Stony Brook, 7; McNeese, 4; San Diego, 3; New Hampshire, 2; Southern, 2; The Citadel, 2; Lamar, 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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When you have won seven national championships in eight years, including last year, it’s pretty easy to figure out where North Dakota State will start the 2019 season. The Bison are the preseason favorites to win it all again, as voted on by the coaches in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. James Madison, who made it to the second round of the FCS playoffs in 2018, comes in at the No. 2 spot. The Dukes are followed by last season’s national runner-up, Eastern Washington at No. 3, South Dakota State at No. 4 and UC Davis at No. 5.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS Poll] North Dakota State Runs The Table In The FCS Coaches’ Poll
No. 14 Colgate starts the FCS season off early as they host Villanova this coming Saturday, August 24. The Raiders went 10-2 last year with an appearance in the FCS quarterfinals. There is only one Top 25 matchup during the first full week of action as No. 19 North Carolina A&T plays host to No. 21 Elon. No. 24 Princeton, the only other undefeated team in FCS last year besides North Dakota State, begins defense of its 2018 IVY League title on September 21 versus Butler.
2019 American Football Coaches Association Preseason FCS Coaches’ Poll – August 19, 2019
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2018 Rec. | Pts. | 2018 Rank | Season Opener | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (23) | 15-0 | 644 | 1 | Aug. 31 vs. Butler | Matt Entz |
| 2 | James Madison (1) | 9-4 | 597 | 10 | Aug. 31 at West Virginia | Curt Cignetti |
| 3 | Eastern Washington (2) | 12-3 | 588 | 2 | Aug. 31 at Washington | Aaron Best |
| 4 | South Dakota St. | 10-3 | 579 | 3 | Aug. 29 at Minnesota | John Stiegelmeier |
| 5 | UC Davis | 10-3 | 537 | 8 | Aug. 31 at California | Dan Hawkins |
| 6 | Jacksonville St. | 9-4 | 500 | 13 | Aug. 29 at Southeastern Louisiana | John Grass |
| 7 | Maine | 10-4 | 473 | 5 | Aug. 30 vs. Sacred Heart | Nick Charlton |
| 8 | Wofford | 9-4 | 437 | 12 | Aug. 31 at South Carolina St. | Josh Conklin |
| 9 | Weber St. | 10-3 | 432 | 6 | Aug. 31 at San Diego St. | Jay Hill |
| 10 | Kennesaw St. | 11-2 | 404 | 4 | Aug. 31 vs. Point | Brian Bohannon |
| 11 | Nicholls | 9-4 | 385 | 14 | Aug. 31 at Kansas St. | Tim Rebowe |
| 12 | Towson | 7-5 | 349 | 22 | Aug. 31 at The Citadel | Rob Ambrose |
| 13 | Illinois St. | 6-5 | 290 | NR | Aug. 31 at Northern Illinois | Brock Spack |
| 14 | Colgate | 10-2 | 272 | 7 | Aug. 24 vs. Villanova | Dan Hunt |
| 15 | Montana St. | 8-5 | 271 | 17 | Aug. 31 at Texas Tech | Jeff Choate |
| 16 | Indiana St. | 7-4 | 192 | 25 | Aug. 31 at Kansas | Curt Mallory |
| 17 | Furman | 6-4 | 183 | NR | Aug. 31 vs. Charleston Southern | Clay Hendrix |
| 18 | Southeast Missouri St. | 9-4 | 178 | 16 | Aug. 29 vs. Southern Illinois | Tom Matukewicz |
| 19 | North Carolina A&T | 10-2 | 158 | 11 | Aug. 31 vs. No. 21 Elon | Sam Washington |
| 20 | Northern Iowa | 7-6 | 157 | NR | Aug. 31 at Iowa St. | Mark Farley |
| 21 | Elon | 6-5 | 155 | 19 | Aug. 31 at No. 19 North Carolina A&T | Tony Trisciani |
| 22 | Sam Houston St. | 6-5 | 117 | NR | Aug. 31 at New Mexico | K.C. Keeler |
| 23 | Delaware | 7-5 | 87 | 23 | Aug. 29 vs. Delaware St. | Danny Rocco |
| 24 | Princeton | 10-0 | 85 | 9 | Sept. 21 vs. Butler | Bob Surace |
| 25 | Central Arkansas | 6-5 | 66 | NR | Aug. 29 at Western Kentucky | Nathan Brown |
*– Ranking in final AFCA FCS Coaches Poll of 2018
Others Receiving Votes: Montana, 52; Yale, 41; Incarnate Word, 31; East Tennessee St., 23; Tennessee-Chattanooga, 23; Northern Arizona, 20; Idaho, 18; North Dakota, 17; Alcorn St., 16; Monmouth (N.J.), 13; Eastern Kentucky, 12; Dartmouth, 11; South Dakota, 9; Duquesne, 7; Stony Brook, 7; McNeese, 4; San Diego, 3; New Hampshire, 2; Southern, 2; The Citadel, 2; Lamar, 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.
