Ferris State finishes where they started, at No. 1
December 22, 2025
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.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out The Insider and subscribe to our weekly email.
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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.
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.
