Ferris State Starts 2025 at No. 1
August 11, 2025
Fresh off their third national title in 2024, Ferris State is the preseason No. 1 team in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The Bulldogs, who went 14-1 a year ago, will open the season against No. 9 Pittsburg State. The Gorillas went 8-3 in 2024 and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the preseason No. 2 team, Harding. The Bisons will look to better their 12-2 record and quarterfinal appearance as they open their season in week 2 against Northwestern Oklahoma State.
Grand Valley State begins at No. 3. The Lakers want to improve from their second-round playoff exit from a year ago. Slippery Rock, who gave Ferris State their toughest competition in the semifinals of the playoffs last season, received one first-place vote and starts 2025 at No. 4. Central Oklahoma, who also lost to the defending national champs in the second round, sits at No. 5.
Besides Ferris State vs. Pittsburg State, there are two other top 25 matchups in the opening week of the season as No. 8 West Florida, who was unranked to end the 2024 season, will play host to No. 17 Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears went 10-3 in 2024 with a second-round playoff appearance. The final matchup has No. 19 Virginia Union vs. No. 24t Miles in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
Rank School (1st votes) 2024 Rec. Pts. 2024 Rank Season Opener Head Coach
1 Ferris St. (30) 14-1 773 1 Aug. 28 vs. No. 9 Pittsburg St. Tony Annese
2 Harding 12-2 734 4 Sept. 4 at Northwestern Oklahoma St. Paul Simmons
3 Grand Valley St. 11-2 669 6 Aug. 30 vs. Lincoln (Pa.) Scott Wooster
4 Slippery Rock (1) 12-2 576 3 Sept. 5 at Franklin Pierce Shawn Lutz
5 Central Oklahoma 11-2 569 9 Aug. 30 at UT-Permian Basin Adam Dorrel
6 Colorado St.-Pueblo 10-2 549 8 Aug. 28 vs. South Dakota Mines Philip Vigil
7 Kutztown 11-1 517 5 Sept. 4 vs. Assumption Jim Clements
8 West Florida 7-3 504 NR Aug. 29 vs. No. 17 Lenoir-Rhyne Kaleb Nobles
9 Pittsburg St. 8-3 451 17 Aug. 28 at No. 1 Ferris St. Tom Anthony
10 Western Colorado 11-2 450 10 Aug. 28 vs. West Texas A&M Jas Bains
11 Minnesota St. 11-4 449 7 Aug. 28 vs. Northwest Missouri St. Todd Hoffner
12 Valdosta St. 13-1 402 2 Aug. 30 vs. Clark Atlanta Graham Craig
13 Angelo St. 9-3 352 20 Aug. 28 at Fort Hays St. Jeff Girsch
14 Charleston 11-1 337 15 Aug. 28 vs. Livingstone Mike Tesch
15 California (Pa.) 10-3 275 12 Sept. 4 vs. No. 14 Charleston Gary Dunn
16 Bemidji St. 10-4 254 13 Aug. 28 at Michigan Tech Brent Bolte
17 Lenoir-Rhyne 10-3 248 16 Aug. 29 at No. 8 West Florida Doug Socha
18 Ouachita Baptist 10-2 246 14 Sept. 4 at East Central Todd Knight
19 Virginia Union 10-4 228 11 Aug. 31 vs. No. 24t Miles Alvin Parker
20 UIndy 10-2 191 19 Aug. 28 at Marian Chris Keevers
21 Central Washington 8-4 176 24 Aug. 28 vs. Colorado Mesa Chris Fisk
22 Central Missouri 9-3 149 NR Aug. 28 at Delta St. Josh Lamberson
23 Augustana (S.D.) 8-4 127 25 Aug. 30 vs. Missouri Western Jerry Olszewski
24t. Ashland 9-4 114 23 Sept. 4 at Indiana (Pa.) Doug Geiser
24t. Miles 10-3 114 22 Aug. 31 vs. No. 19 Virginia Union Chris Goode
Others Receiving Votes: West Alabama, 113; Carson-Newman, 100; Wingate, 74; Fort Hays St., 66; Colorado School of Mines, 42; Saginaw Valley St., 35; Minnesota-Duluth, 29; Albany St., 26; Northwest Missouri St., 21; Indiana (Pa.), 16; UT-Permian Basin, 16; Delta St., 13; Findlay, 12; UNC-Pembroke, 12; Davenport, 10; Johnson C. Smith, 9; East Stroudsburg, 7; Fairmont St., 7; Southern Arkansas, 6; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 5; Colorado Mesa, 1; Truman St., 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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Fresh off their third national title in 2024, Ferris State is the preseason No. 1 team in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The Bulldogs, who went 14-1 a year ago, will open the season against No. 9 Pittsburg State. The Gorillas went 8-3 in 2024 and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the preseason No. 2 team, Harding. The Bisons will look to better their 12-2 record and quarterfinal appearance as they open their season in week 2 against Northwestern Oklahoma State.
Grand Valley State begins at No. 3. The Lakers want to improve from their second-round playoff exit from a year ago. Slippery Rock, who gave Ferris State their toughest competition in the semifinals of the playoffs last season, received one first-place vote and starts 2025 at No. 4. Central Oklahoma, who also lost to the defending national champs in the second round, sits at No. 5.
Besides Ferris State vs. Pittsburg State, there are two other top 25 matchups in the opening week of the season as No. 8 West Florida, who was unranked to end the 2024 season, will play host to No. 17 Lenoir-Rhyne. The Bears went 10-3 in 2024 with a second-round playoff appearance. The final matchup has No. 19 Virginia Union vs. No. 24t Miles in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2024 Rec. | Pts. | 2024 Rank | Season Opener | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferris St. (30) | 14-1 | 773 | 1 | Aug. 28 vs. No. 9 Pittsburg St. | Tony Annese | |
| 2 | Harding | 12-2 | 734 | 4 | Sept. 4 at Northwestern Oklahoma St. | Paul Simmons | |
| 3 | Grand Valley St. | 11-2 | 669 | 6 | Aug. 30 vs. Lincoln (Pa.) | Scott Wooster | |
| 4 | Slippery Rock (1) | 12-2 | 576 | 3 | Sept. 5 at Franklin Pierce | Shawn Lutz | |
| 5 | Central Oklahoma | 11-2 | 569 | 9 | Aug. 30 at UT-Permian Basin | Adam Dorrel | |
| 6 | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 10-2 | 549 | 8 | Aug. 28 vs. South Dakota Mines | Philip Vigil | |
| 7 | Kutztown | 11-1 | 517 | 5 | Sept. 4 vs. Assumption | Jim Clements | |
| 8 | West Florida | 7-3 | 504 | NR | Aug. 29 vs. No. 17 Lenoir-Rhyne | Kaleb Nobles | |
| 9 | Pittsburg St. | 8-3 | 451 | 17 | Aug. 28 at No. 1 Ferris St. | Tom Anthony | |
| 10 | Western Colorado | 11-2 | 450 | 10 | Aug. 28 vs. West Texas A&M | Jas Bains | |
| 11 | Minnesota St. | 11-4 | 449 | 7 | Aug. 28 vs. Northwest Missouri St. | Todd Hoffner | |
| 12 | Valdosta St. | 13-1 | 402 | 2 | Aug. 30 vs. Clark Atlanta | Graham Craig | |
| 13 | Angelo St. | 9-3 | 352 | 20 | Aug. 28 at Fort Hays St. | Jeff Girsch | |
| 14 | Charleston | 11-1 | 337 | 15 | Aug. 28 vs. Livingstone | Mike Tesch | |
| 15 | California (Pa.) | 10-3 | 275 | 12 | Sept. 4 vs. No. 14 Charleston | Gary Dunn | |
| 16 | Bemidji St. | 10-4 | 254 | 13 | Aug. 28 at Michigan Tech | Brent Bolte | |
| 17 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 10-3 | 248 | 16 | Aug. 29 at No. 8 West Florida | Doug Socha | |
| 18 | Ouachita Baptist | 10-2 | 246 | 14 | Sept. 4 at East Central | Todd Knight | |
| 19 | Virginia Union | 10-4 | 228 | 11 | Aug. 31 vs. No. 24t Miles | Alvin Parker | |
| 20 | UIndy | 10-2 | 191 | 19 | Aug. 28 at Marian | Chris Keevers | |
| 21 | Central Washington | 8-4 | 176 | 24 | Aug. 28 vs. Colorado Mesa | Chris Fisk | |
| 22 | Central Missouri | 9-3 | 149 | NR | Aug. 28 at Delta St. | Josh Lamberson | |
| 23 | Augustana (S.D.) | 8-4 | 127 | 25 | Aug. 30 vs. Missouri Western | Jerry Olszewski | |
| 24t. | Ashland | 9-4 | 114 | 23 | Sept. 4 at Indiana (Pa.) | Doug Geiser | |
| 24t. | Miles | 10-3 | 114 | 22 | Aug. 31 vs. No. 19 Virginia Union | Chris Goode |
Others Receiving Votes: West Alabama, 113; Carson-Newman, 100; Wingate, 74; Fort Hays St., 66; Colorado School of Mines, 42; Saginaw Valley St., 35; Minnesota-Duluth, 29; Albany St., 26; Northwest Missouri St., 21; Indiana (Pa.), 16; UT-Permian Basin, 16; Delta St., 13; Findlay, 12; UNC-Pembroke, 12; Davenport, 10; Johnson C. Smith, 9; East Stroudsburg, 7; Fairmont St., 7; Southern Arkansas, 6; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 5; Colorado Mesa, 1; Truman St., 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.
