Ferris State In Familiar Spot At No. 1
August 18, 2026
Winners of four of the last five Division II national championships, it is no surprise that Ferris State is the preseason No. 1 team in the 2026 AFCA Division II Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs, who went 16-0 and claimed their second straight national title a year ago, will open the season against No. 4 Pittsburg State on August 27. The Gorillas went 10-3 in 2025 and lost in the second round of the playoffs to the preseason No. 2 team, Harding. The Bisons are looking to be one game better in 2026 after losing the national title game to Ferris State.
Fresh off their semifinal run in the playoffs in 2025, Kutztown will start this season at No. 3. The Golden Bears will begin their season on the road against Assumption on September 3. Rounding out the top five is Minnesota State. The Mavericks will begin their season on the road at Colorado Mesa on August 27. Colorado State-Pueblo, Central Washington, Northwest Missouri State, Grand Valley State and UIndy round out the top 10.
Rank School (1st votes) 2025 Rec. Pts. 2025 Rank Season Opener Head Coach
1 Ferris St. (31) 16-0 775 1 Aug. 27 at No. 4 Pittsburg St. Tony Annese
2 Harding 15-1 738 2 Sept. 3 vs. Northwestern Oklahoma St. Roddy Mote
3 Kutztown 14-1 684 3 Sept. 3 at Assumption Jim Clements
4 Pittsburg St. 10-3 647 6 Aug. 27 vs. No. 1 Ferris St. Tom Anthony
5 Minnesota St. 10-4 587 8 Aug. 27 at Colorado Mesa Todd Hoffner
6 Colorado St.-Pueblo 10-2 581 11 Aug. 27 vs. Central Missouri Philip Vigil
7 Central Washington 10-2 478 13 Sept. 5 at Cal Poly Scott Power
8 Northwest Missouri St. 9-3 470 17 Aug. 29 at Texas A&M-Kingsville John McMenamin
9t. Grand Valley St. 7-3 451 NR Aug. 27 at Charleston Scott Wooster
9t. UIndy 11-2 451 10 Aug. 27 vs. Marian Chris Keevers
11 Western Colorado 10-3 379 12 Aug. 27 at West Texas A&M Jas Bains
12 Minnesota-Duluth 10-2 372 16 Aug. 27 at Slippery Rock Curt Wiese
13 Ashland 10-3 328 15 Sept. 3 vs. No. 25 Indiana (Pa.) Doug Geiser
14 Virginia Union 9-3 318 21 Aug. 28 at Lenoir-Rhyne Alvin Parker
15 Newberry 12-2 276 4 Sept. 5 vs. Reinhardt Todd Knight
16 Findlay 10-2 250 19 Sept. 5 at No. 9t UIndy Tyler Johns
17 Frostburg St. 11-3 228 14 Sept. 5 at Shepherd Eric Wagoner
18 UT Permian Basin 11-3 197 5 Aug. 29 at UT Rio Grande Valley Chris Softley
19 Wingate 9-3 183 NR Aug. 27 at UNC Pembroke Rashaan Jordan
20 Augustana (S.D.) 9-2 181 25 Aug. 27 at Missouri Western Jerry Olszewski
21 Albany St. 12-2 172 7 Aug. 29 at Florida A&M David Bowser
22 Western Oregon 8-3 165 NR Aug. 29 at Colorado Mines Arne Ferguson
23 Johnson C. Smith 10-2 159 18 Aug. 29 at Benedict Maurice Flowers
24 Ouachita Baptist 7-4 146 NR Sept. 3 vs. East Central Todd Knight
25 Indiana (Pa.) 7-4 97 NR Sept. 3 at No. 13 Ashland Paul Tortorella
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2025
Others Receiving Votes: Valdosta St., 86; Chadron St., 83; Central Oklahoma, 64; North Greenville, 61; Slippery Rock, 56; California (Pa.), 53; Northwood, 50; Delta St., 33; Michigan Tech, 31; Assumption, 29; Bentley, 27; Benedict, 25; Lenoir-Rhyne, 21; Colorado Mines, 18; Northeastern St., 16; Southern Arkansas, 14; Charleston, 13; Fort Hays St., 13; Truman St., 13; West Texas A&M, 10; UNC Pembroke, 8; Central Missouri, 7; Edward Waters, 7; Henderson St., 6; Angelo St., 4; East Stroudsburg, 4; Nebraska-Kearney, 4; Upper Iowa, 3; Davenport, 2; Carson-Newman, 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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Winners of four of the last five Division II national championships, it is no surprise that Ferris State is the preseason No. 1 team in the 2026 AFCA Division II Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs, who went 16-0 and claimed their second straight national title a year ago, will open the season against No. 4 Pittsburg State on August 27. The Gorillas went 10-3 in 2025 and lost in the second round of the playoffs to the preseason No. 2 team, Harding. The Bisons are looking to be one game better in 2026 after losing the national title game to Ferris State.
Fresh off their semifinal run in the playoffs in 2025, Kutztown will start this season at No. 3. The Golden Bears will begin their season on the road against Assumption on September 3. Rounding out the top five is Minnesota State. The Mavericks will begin their season on the road at Colorado Mesa on August 27. Colorado State-Pueblo, Central Washington, Northwest Missouri State, Grand Valley State and UIndy round out the top 10.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2025 Rec. | Pts. | 2025 Rank | Season Opener | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferris St. (31) | 16-0 | 775 | 1 | Aug. 27 at No. 4 Pittsburg St. | Tony Annese | |
| 2 | Harding | 15-1 | 738 | 2 | Sept. 3 vs. Northwestern Oklahoma St. | Roddy Mote | |
| 3 | Kutztown | 14-1 | 684 | 3 | Sept. 3 at Assumption | Jim Clements | |
| 4 | Pittsburg St. | 10-3 | 647 | 6 | Aug. 27 vs. No. 1 Ferris St. | Tom Anthony | |
| 5 | Minnesota St. | 10-4 | 587 | 8 | Aug. 27 at Colorado Mesa | Todd Hoffner | |
| 6 | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 10-2 | 581 | 11 | Aug. 27 vs. Central Missouri | Philip Vigil | |
| 7 | Central Washington | 10-2 | 478 | 13 | Sept. 5 at Cal Poly | Scott Power | |
| 8 | Northwest Missouri St. | 9-3 | 470 | 17 | Aug. 29 at Texas A&M-Kingsville | John McMenamin | |
| 9t. | Grand Valley St. | 7-3 | 451 | NR | Aug. 27 at Charleston | Scott Wooster | |
| 9t. | UIndy | 11-2 | 451 | 10 | Aug. 27 vs. Marian | Chris Keevers | |
| 11 | Western Colorado | 10-3 | 379 | 12 | Aug. 27 at West Texas A&M | Jas Bains | |
| 12 | Minnesota-Duluth | 10-2 | 372 | 16 | Aug. 27 at Slippery Rock | Curt Wiese | |
| 13 | Ashland | 10-3 | 328 | 15 | Sept. 3 vs. No. 25 Indiana (Pa.) | Doug Geiser | |
| 14 | Virginia Union | 9-3 | 318 | 21 | Aug. 28 at Lenoir-Rhyne | Alvin Parker | |
| 15 | Newberry | 12-2 | 276 | 4 | Sept. 5 vs. Reinhardt | Todd Knight | |
| 16 | Findlay | 10-2 | 250 | 19 | Sept. 5 at No. 9t UIndy | Tyler Johns | |
| 17 | Frostburg St. | 11-3 | 228 | 14 | Sept. 5 at Shepherd | Eric Wagoner | |
| 18 | UT Permian Basin | 11-3 | 197 | 5 | Aug. 29 at UT Rio Grande Valley | Chris Softley | |
| 19 | Wingate | 9-3 | 183 | NR | Aug. 27 at UNC Pembroke | Rashaan Jordan | |
| 20 | Augustana (S.D.) | 9-2 | 181 | 25 | Aug. 27 at Missouri Western | Jerry Olszewski | |
| 21 | Albany St. | 12-2 | 172 | 7 | Aug. 29 at Florida A&M | David Bowser | |
| 22 | Western Oregon | 8-3 | 165 | NR | Aug. 29 at Colorado Mines | Arne Ferguson | |
| 23 | Johnson C. Smith | 10-2 | 159 | 18 | Aug. 29 at Benedict | Maurice Flowers | |
| 24 | Ouachita Baptist | 7-4 | 146 | NR | Sept. 3 vs. East Central | Todd Knight | |
| 25 | Indiana (Pa.) | 7-4 | 97 | NR | Sept. 3 at No. 13 Ashland | Paul Tortorella |
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2025
Others Receiving Votes: Valdosta St., 86; Chadron St., 83; Central Oklahoma, 64; North Greenville, 61; Slippery Rock, 56; California (Pa.), 53; Northwood, 50; Delta St., 33; Michigan Tech, 31; Assumption, 29; Bentley, 27; Benedict, 25; Lenoir-Rhyne, 21; Colorado Mines, 18; Northeastern St., 16; Southern Arkansas, 14; Charleston, 13; Fort Hays St., 13; Truman St., 13; West Texas A&M, 10; UNC Pembroke, 8; Central Missouri, 7; Edward Waters, 7; Henderson St., 6; Angelo St., 4; East Stroudsburg, 4; Nebraska-Kearney, 4; Upper Iowa, 3; Davenport, 2; Carson-Newman, 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.
