Morningside Begins 2019 At No. 1 In The AFCA NAIA Coaches Top 25 Poll
August 5, 2019
After claiming its first-ever NAIA national championship last season, Morningside (Iowa) will start the 2019 season ranked No. 1 in the inaugural AFCA NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The AFCA, which administers Top 25 polls in Football Championship Subdivision, Division II and Division III, will begin promoting the NAIA Top 25 in 2019. The Mustangs went 15-0 in 2018, beating preseason-No. 2 Benedictine (Kan.), 35-28, in the national title game. Saint Francis (Ind.), Kansas Wesleyan and Saint Xavier (Ill.) round out the Top 5.
RELATED ARTICLE: 2018 NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – FINAL (Nov. 11)
Morningside (Iowa) begins the defense of their title on August 31 as they host St. Francis (Ill.). No. 10 Reinhardt (Ga.) starts the 2019 season early as they host Webber International (Fla.) on August 24, just a short three weeks away. There is only one Top 25 matchup during the first week of action as No. 9 Dickinson State (N.D.) host No. 23 Rocky Mountain (Mont.) on Thursday, August 29.
2019 American Football Coaches Association Preseason NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – August 5, 2019
Rank School (1st votes) 2018 Rec. Pts. 2018 Rank Season Opener Head Coach
1. Morningside (Iowa) (16) 15-0 366 1 Aug. 31 vs. St. Francis (Ill.) Steve Ryan
2. Benedictine (Kan.) 13-2 352 2 Aug. 31 at Graceland (Iowa) Larry Wilcox
3. Saint Francis (Ind.) 10-3 338 3 Sept. 7 at St. Francis (Ill.) Kevin Donley
4. Kansas Wesleyan 13-1 307 4 Aug. 31 vs. Texas Wesleyan Myers Hendrickson
5. Saint Xavier (Ill.) 9-4 300 7 Sept. 7 at Lawrence Tech (Mich.) Mike Feminis
6. Concordia (Mich.) 10-3 280 6 Sept. 7 at Kentucky Wesleyan Joshua Schumacher
7. Marian (Ind.) 10-1 278 9 Sept. 14 vs. Saint Ambrose (Iowa) Mark Henninger
8. Baker (Kan.) 9-3 268 5 Aug. 31 at Culver-Stockton (Mo.) Jason Thoren
9. Dickinson St. (N.D.) 9-3 230 8 Aug. 29 vs. No. 23 Rocky Mountain (Mont.) Pete Stanton
10. Reinhardt (Ga.) 9-2 224 11 Aug. 24 vs. Webber International (Fla.) James Miller
11. Northwestern (Iowa) 9-2 214 12t Sept. 7 vs. Valley City St. (N.D.) Matt McCarty
12. Grand View (Iowa) 8-3 185 15 Aug. 29 vs. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) Joe Woodley
13. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) 7-3 182 18 Aug. 29 vs. Campbellsville (Ky.) Chris Oliver
14. Langston (Okla.) 9-2 171 14 Sept. 7 vs. McPherson (Kan.) Quinton Morgan
15. College of Idaho 6-5 164 22 Aug. 31 vs. Eastern Oregon Mike Moroski
16. Bethel (Tenn.) 10-1 161 10 Aug. 29 at Lamar (Texas) Michael Jasper
17. Cumberlands (Ky.) 10-2 157 12t Sept. 7 at Ave Maria (Fla.) Matt Rhymer
18. Evangel (Mo.) 9-2 136 17 Aug. 31 at William Penn (Iowa) Chuck Hepola
19. Southeastern (Fla.) 7-3 88 21 Sept. 7 vs. Campbellsville (Ky.) Keith Barefield
20. Southern Oregon 6-4 82 NR Aug. 31 at Sacramento St. (Calif.) Charlie Hall
21. Georgetown (Ky.) 7-3 78 19 Sept. 7 at Kentucky Christian Bill Cronin
22. Ottawa (Kan.) 8-2 70 20 Sept. 7 at Southwestern (Kan.) Kent Kessinger
23. Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 8-4 66 16 Aug. 29 at No. 9 Dickinson St. (N.D.) Chris Stutzriem
24. Dordt (Iowa) 7-3 32 23 Aug. 29 vs. Keiser (Fla.) Joel Penner
25. Montana Western 6-4 27 NR Sept. 7 vs. Carroll (Mont.) Ryan Nourse
*– Ranking in final NAIA Poll of 2018
Others Receiving Votes: Siena Heights (Mich.), 25; Cumberland (Tenn.), 22; William Penn (Iowa), 20; Eastern Oregon, 18; Montana Tech, 9; Ottawa (Ariz.), 9; Arizona Christian, 6; Ave Maria (Fla.), 5; Olivet Nazarene (Ill.), 5; Avila (Mo.), 1; Campbellsville (Ky.), 1; Tabor (Kan.), 1; Valley City St. (N.D.), 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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After claiming its first-ever NAIA national championship last season, Morningside (Iowa) will start the 2019 season ranked No. 1 in the inaugural AFCA NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The AFCA, which administers Top 25 polls in Football Championship Subdivision, Division II and Division III, will begin promoting the NAIA Top 25 in 2019. The Mustangs went 15-0 in 2018, beating preseason-No. 2 Benedictine (Kan.), 35-28, in the national title game. Saint Francis (Ind.), Kansas Wesleyan and Saint Xavier (Ill.) round out the Top 5.
RELATED ARTICLE: 2018 NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – FINAL (Nov. 11)
Morningside (Iowa) begins the defense of their title on August 31 as they host St. Francis (Ill.). No. 10 Reinhardt (Ga.) starts the 2019 season early as they host Webber International (Fla.) on August 24, just a short three weeks away. There is only one Top 25 matchup during the first week of action as No. 9 Dickinson State (N.D.) host No. 23 Rocky Mountain (Mont.) on Thursday, August 29.
2019 American Football Coaches Association Preseason NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – August 5, 2019
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2018 Rec. | Pts. | 2018 Rank | Season Opener | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Morningside (Iowa) (16) | 15-0 | 366 | 1 | Aug. 31 vs. St. Francis (Ill.) | Steve Ryan | |
| 2. | Benedictine (Kan.) | 13-2 | 352 | 2 | Aug. 31 at Graceland (Iowa) | Larry Wilcox | |
| 3. | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 10-3 | 338 | 3 | Sept. 7 at St. Francis (Ill.) | Kevin Donley | |
| 4. | Kansas Wesleyan | 13-1 | 307 | 4 | Aug. 31 vs. Texas Wesleyan | Myers Hendrickson | |
| 5. | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 9-4 | 300 | 7 | Sept. 7 at Lawrence Tech (Mich.) | Mike Feminis | |
| 6. | Concordia (Mich.) | 10-3 | 280 | 6 | Sept. 7 at Kentucky Wesleyan | Joshua Schumacher | |
| 7. | Marian (Ind.) | 10-1 | 278 | 9 | Sept. 14 vs. Saint Ambrose (Iowa) | Mark Henninger | |
| 8. | Baker (Kan.) | 9-3 | 268 | 5 | Aug. 31 at Culver-Stockton (Mo.) | Jason Thoren | |
| 9. | Dickinson St. (N.D.) | 9-3 | 230 | 8 | Aug. 29 vs. No. 23 Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | Pete Stanton | |
| 10. | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 9-2 | 224 | 11 | Aug. 24 vs. Webber International (Fla.) | James Miller | |
| 11. | Northwestern (Iowa) | 9-2 | 214 | 12t | Sept. 7 vs. Valley City St. (N.D.) | Matt McCarty | |
| 12. | Grand View (Iowa) | 8-3 | 185 | 15 | Aug. 29 vs. MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | Joe Woodley | |
| 13. | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 7-3 | 182 | 18 | Aug. 29 vs. Campbellsville (Ky.) | Chris Oliver | |
| 14. | Langston (Okla.) | 9-2 | 171 | 14 | Sept. 7 vs. McPherson (Kan.) | Quinton Morgan | |
| 15. | College of Idaho | 6-5 | 164 | 22 | Aug. 31 vs. Eastern Oregon | Mike Moroski | |
| 16. | Bethel (Tenn.) | 10-1 | 161 | 10 | Aug. 29 at Lamar (Texas) | Michael Jasper | |
| 17. | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 10-2 | 157 | 12t | Sept. 7 at Ave Maria (Fla.) | Matt Rhymer | |
| 18. | Evangel (Mo.) | 9-2 | 136 | 17 | Aug. 31 at William Penn (Iowa) | Chuck Hepola | |
| 19. | Southeastern (Fla.) | 7-3 | 88 | 21 | Sept. 7 vs. Campbellsville (Ky.) | Keith Barefield | |
| 20. | Southern Oregon | 6-4 | 82 | NR | Aug. 31 at Sacramento St. (Calif.) | Charlie Hall | |
| 21. | Georgetown (Ky.) | 7-3 | 78 | 19 | Sept. 7 at Kentucky Christian | Bill Cronin | |
| 22. | Ottawa (Kan.) | 8-2 | 70 | 20 | Sept. 7 at Southwestern (Kan.) | Kent Kessinger | |
| 23. | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | 8-4 | 66 | 16 | Aug. 29 at No. 9 Dickinson St. (N.D.) | Chris Stutzriem | |
| 24. | Dordt (Iowa) | 7-3 | 32 | 23 | Aug. 29 vs. Keiser (Fla.) | Joel Penner | |
| 25. | Montana Western | 6-4 | 27 | NR | Sept. 7 vs. Carroll (Mont.) | Ryan Nourse |
*– Ranking in final NAIA Poll of 2018
Others Receiving Votes: Siena Heights (Mich.), 25; Cumberland (Tenn.), 22; William Penn (Iowa), 20; Eastern Oregon, 18; Montana Tech, 9; Ottawa (Ariz.), 9; Arizona Christian, 6; Ave Maria (Fla.), 5; Olivet Nazarene (Ill.), 5; Avila (Mo.), 1; Campbellsville (Ky.), 1; Tabor (Kan.), 1; Valley City St. (N.D.), 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.
