North Dakota State Opens at No. 1
August 11, 2025
North Dakota State is in a familiar spot as they open the 2025 season as the No. 1 team in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The Bison will look to repeat as national champions after going 14-2 in 2024 and winning their 10th title in the last 14 years. Last year’s national runner-up, Montana State, start at No. 2. The Bobcats finished with a 15-1 record in 2024 and will open this season at Oregon on August 30.
South Dakota State will start at No. 3 as the Jackrabbits break in a new head coach. Dan Jackson takes over for a team who went 12-3 and made an appearance in the semifinals in 2024. UIW, the team South Dakota State beat in the quarterfinals of last season’s playoffs, will begin at No. 4. South Dakota, who also has a new head coach in Travis Johansen, rounds out the top 5.
There will be four top 25 teams that see action in week 0, which kicks off on August 23. One is a top 11 showdown as No. 7 UC Davis hosts No. 11 Mercer. The other two games feature No. 4 UIW traveling to Nichols while No. 8 Tarleton State heads to Portland State.
Rank School (1st votes) 2024 Rec. Pts. 2024 Rank Season Opener Head Coach
1 North Dakota St. (26) 14-2 650 1 Aug. 30 at The Citadel Tim Polasek
2 Montana St. 15-1 612 2 Aug. 30 at Oregon Brent Vigen
3 South Dakota St. 12-3 581 3 Aug. 30 vs. No. 14 Sacramento St. Dan Jackson
4 UIW 11-3 541 6 Aug. 23 at Nichols Clint Killough
5 South Dakota 11-3 521 4 Aug. 30 at Iowa St. Travis Johansen
6 Illinois St. 10-4 466 9 Aug. 30 at Oklahoma Brock Spack
7 UC Davis 11-3 456 5 Aug. 23 vs. No. 11 Mercer Tim Plough
8 Tarleton St. 10-4 454 12 Aug. 23 at Portland St. Todd Whitten
9 Montana 9-5 447 13 Sept. 6 vs. Central Washington Bobby Hauck
10 Rhode Island 11-3 416 11 Aug. 29 vs. Campbell Jim Fleming
11 Mercer 11-3 396 7 Aug. 23 vs. No. 7 UC Davis Mike Jacobs
12 Idaho 10-4 371 8 Aug. 30 at Washington St. Thomas Ford Jr.
13 Villanova 10-4 338 10 Sept. 6 vs. Colgate Mark Ferrante
14 Sacramento St. 3-9 265 NR Aug. 30 at No. 3 South Dakota St. Brennan Marion
15 Lehigh 9-4 207 22 Aug. 30 vs. No. 22t Richmond Kevin Cahill
16 ACU 9-5 203 15 Aug. 30 at Tulsa Keith Patterson
17 Jackson St. 12-2 200 14 Aug. 30 vs. Hampton T.C. Taylor
18 Northern Arizona 8-5 168 21 Aug. 30 at Arizona St. Brian Wright
19 Western Carolina 7-5 147 NR Aug. 30 vs. Gardner-Webb Kerwin Bell
20 Southern Illinois 4-8 132 NR Aug. 30 vs. Thomas More Nick Hill
21 Monmouth (N.J.) 6-6 116 NR Aug. 29 at Colgate Kevin Callahan
22t. Richmond 10-3 111 17 Aug. 30 at No. 15 Lehigh Russ Huesman
22t. Tennessee Tech 7-5 111 NR Aug. 30 vs. Cumberland Bobby Wilder
24 Stephen F. Austin 7-5 82 NR Aug. 28 at Houston Colby Carthel
25 Stony Brook 8-4 69 NR Aug. 28 at San Diego St. Billy Cosh
Others Receiving Votes: UT Martin, 50; Harvard, 40; Southeastern Louisiana, 36; South Carolina St., 25; Southeast Missouri St., 25; East Tennessee St., 24; New Hampshire, 21; Eastern Kentucky, 19; North Dakota, 19; Youngstown St., 16; Chattanooga, 14; Tennessee St., 14; Dartmouth, 13; North Carolina Central, 13; Central Connecticut St., 11; Southern Utah, 9; Lafayette, 6; Central Arkansas, 5; Northern Iowa, 5; San Diego, 5; Indiana St., 4; Lindenwood, 4; Lamar, 3; Holy Cross, 2; Southern, 2; Yale, 2; Bucknell, 1; Eastern Washington, 1; Samford, 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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North Dakota State is in a familiar spot as they open the 2025 season as the No. 1 team in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The Bison will look to repeat as national champions after going 14-2 in 2024 and winning their 10th title in the last 14 years. Last year’s national runner-up, Montana State, start at No. 2. The Bobcats finished with a 15-1 record in 2024 and will open this season at Oregon on August 30.
South Dakota State will start at No. 3 as the Jackrabbits break in a new head coach. Dan Jackson takes over for a team who went 12-3 and made an appearance in the semifinals in 2024. UIW, the team South Dakota State beat in the quarterfinals of last season’s playoffs, will begin at No. 4. South Dakota, who also has a new head coach in Travis Johansen, rounds out the top 5.
There will be four top 25 teams that see action in week 0, which kicks off on August 23. One is a top 11 showdown as No. 7 UC Davis hosts No. 11 Mercer. The other two games feature No. 4 UIW traveling to Nichols while No. 8 Tarleton State heads to Portland State.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2024 Rec. | Pts. | 2024 Rank | Season Opener | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (26) | 14-2 | 650 | 1 | Aug. 30 at The Citadel | Tim Polasek | |
| 2 | Montana St. | 15-1 | 612 | 2 | Aug. 30 at Oregon | Brent Vigen | |
| 3 | South Dakota St. | 12-3 | 581 | 3 | Aug. 30 vs. No. 14 Sacramento St. | Dan Jackson | |
| 4 | UIW | 11-3 | 541 | 6 | Aug. 23 at Nichols | Clint Killough | |
| 5 | South Dakota | 11-3 | 521 | 4 | Aug. 30 at Iowa St. | Travis Johansen | |
| 6 | Illinois St. | 10-4 | 466 | 9 | Aug. 30 at Oklahoma | Brock Spack | |
| 7 | UC Davis | 11-3 | 456 | 5 | Aug. 23 vs. No. 11 Mercer | Tim Plough | |
| 8 | Tarleton St. | 10-4 | 454 | 12 | Aug. 23 at Portland St. | Todd Whitten | |
| 9 | Montana | 9-5 | 447 | 13 | Sept. 6 vs. Central Washington | Bobby Hauck | |
| 10 | Rhode Island | 11-3 | 416 | 11 | Aug. 29 vs. Campbell | Jim Fleming | |
| 11 | Mercer | 11-3 | 396 | 7 | Aug. 23 vs. No. 7 UC Davis | Mike Jacobs | |
| 12 | Idaho | 10-4 | 371 | 8 | Aug. 30 at Washington St. | Thomas Ford Jr. | |
| 13 | Villanova | 10-4 | 338 | 10 | Sept. 6 vs. Colgate | Mark Ferrante | |
| 14 | Sacramento St. | 3-9 | 265 | NR | Aug. 30 at No. 3 South Dakota St. | Brennan Marion | |
| 15 | Lehigh | 9-4 | 207 | 22 | Aug. 30 vs. No. 22t Richmond | Kevin Cahill | |
| 16 | ACU | 9-5 | 203 | 15 | Aug. 30 at Tulsa | Keith Patterson | |
| 17 | Jackson St. | 12-2 | 200 | 14 | Aug. 30 vs. Hampton | T.C. Taylor | |
| 18 | Northern Arizona | 8-5 | 168 | 21 | Aug. 30 at Arizona St. | Brian Wright | |
| 19 | Western Carolina | 7-5 | 147 | NR | Aug. 30 vs. Gardner-Webb | Kerwin Bell | |
| 20 | Southern Illinois | 4-8 | 132 | NR | Aug. 30 vs. Thomas More | Nick Hill | |
| 21 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 6-6 | 116 | NR | Aug. 29 at Colgate | Kevin Callahan | |
| 22t. | Richmond | 10-3 | 111 | 17 | Aug. 30 at No. 15 Lehigh | Russ Huesman | |
| 22t. | Tennessee Tech | 7-5 | 111 | NR | Aug. 30 vs. Cumberland | Bobby Wilder | |
| 24 | Stephen F. Austin | 7-5 | 82 | NR | Aug. 28 at Houston | Colby Carthel | |
| 25 | Stony Brook | 8-4 | 69 | NR | Aug. 28 at San Diego St. | Billy Cosh |
Others Receiving Votes: UT Martin, 50; Harvard, 40; Southeastern Louisiana, 36; South Carolina St., 25; Southeast Missouri St., 25; East Tennessee St., 24; New Hampshire, 21; Eastern Kentucky, 19; North Dakota, 19; Youngstown St., 16; Chattanooga, 14; Tennessee St., 14; Dartmouth, 13; North Carolina Central, 13; Central Connecticut St., 11; Southern Utah, 9; Lafayette, 6; Central Arkansas, 5; Northern Iowa, 5; San Diego, 5; Indiana St., 4; Lindenwood, 4; Lamar, 3; Holy Cross, 2; Southern, 2; Yale, 2; Bucknell, 1; Eastern Washington, 1; Samford, 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.
