American Football Coaches Association Coaches Poll
Overview

Since 1950, the AFCA has conducted a weekly Top 20/Top 25 poll during the college football season. The AFCA awards the AFCA Coaches’ Trophy to the No. 1-ranked team in the final FBS Coaches Poll each season. The head coach of the No. 1-ranked team receives the trophy at the American Football Coaches Awards show in early January.

Format

The FBS Coaches Poll is conducted weekly throughout the regular season using a panel of head coaches at FBS schools. The panel is chosen by random draw, conference by conference plus independents, from a pool of coaches who have indicated to the AFCA their willingness to participate. Each coach submits a Top 25 with a first-place vote worth 25 points, second place 24, and so on down to one point for 25th.

The US LBM Board of Coaches for the 2024 season: Tim Albin, Ohio; Major Applewhite, South Alabama; Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina; Mike Bloomgren, Rice; David Braun, Northwestern; Jeff Brohm, Louisville; Fran Brown, Syracuse; Neal Brown, West Virginia; Troy Calhoun, Air Force; Jamey Chadwell, Liberty; Bob Chesney, James Madison; Chris Creighton, Eastern Michigan; Sonny Cumbie, Louisiana Tech; Spencer Danielson, Boise State; Ryan Day, Ohio State; Kalen DeBoer, Alabama; Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State; Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri; Mike Elko, Texas A&M; Tony Elliott, Virginia; Jedd Fisch, Washington; James Franklin, Penn State; Marcus Freeman, Notre Dame; Willie Fritz, Houston; Alex Golesh, South Florida; Tyson Helton, Western Kentucky; Mike Houston, East Carolina; Butch Jones, Arkansas State; Brent Key, Georgia Tech; GJ Kinne, Texas State; Chris Klieman, Kansas State; Dan Lanning, Oregon; Rhett Lashlee, SMU; Clark Lea, Vanderbilt; Lance Leipold, Kansas; Pete Lembo, Buffalo; Sean Lewis, San Diego State; Mike Locksley, Maryland; Mike MacIntyre, Florida International; Gus Malzahn, Central Florida; Chuck Martin, Miami (Ohio); Derek Mason, Middle Tennessee; Joey McGuire, Texas Tech; Bronco Mendenhall, New Mexico; Jeff Monken, Army; Pat Narduzzi, Pittsburgh; Ken Niumatalolo, San Jose State; Barry Odom, UNLV; Gerad Parker, Troy; Brent Pry, Virginia Tech; Kirby Smart, Georgia; Mark Stoops, Kentucky; Jon Sumrall, Tulane; Lance Taylor, Western Michigan; Jeff Traylor, Texas-San Antonio.

 

 

 

1950
Oklahoma
Bud Wilkinson
1951
Tennessee
Robert Neyland
1952
Michigan State
Biggie Munn
1953
Maryland
Jim Tatum
1954
UCLA
Red Sanders
1955
Oklahoma
Bud Wilkinson
1956
Oklahoma
Bud Wilkinson
1957
Ohio State
Woody Hayes
1958
LSU
Paul Dietzel
1959
Syracuse
Ben Schwartzwalder
1960
Minnesota
Murray Warmath
1961
Alabama
Bear Bryant
1962
USC
John McKay
1963
Texas
Darrell Royal
1964
Alabama
Bear Bryant
1965
Michigan State
Duffy Daugherty
1966
Notre Dame
Ara Parseghian
1967
USC
John McKay
1968
Ohio State
Woody Hayes
1969
Texas
Darrell Royal
1970
Texas
Darrell Royal
1971
Nebraska
Bob Devaney
1972
USC
John McKay
1973
Alabama
Bear Bryant
1974
USC
John McKay
1975
Oklahoma
Barry Switzer
1976
Pittsburgh
Johnny Majors
1977
Notre Dame
Dan Devine
1978
USC
John Robinson
1979
Alabama
Bear Bryant
1980
Georgia
Vince Dooley
1981
Clemson
Danny Ford
1982
Penn State
Joe Paterno
1983
Miami (FL)
Howard Schnellenberger
1984
BYU
LaVell Edwards
1985
Oklahoma
Barry Switzer
1986
Penn State
Joe Paterno
1987
Miami (FL)
Jimmy Johnson
1988
Notre Dame
Lou Holtz
1989
Miami (FL)
Dennis Erickson
1990
Georgia Tech
Bobby Ross
1991
Washington
Don James
1992
Alabama
Gene Stallings
1993
Florida State
Bobby Bowden
1994
Nebraska
Tom Osborne
1995
Nebraska
Tom Osborne
1996
Florida
Steve Spurrier
1997
Nebraska
Tom Osborne
1998
Tennessee
Phil Fulmer
1999
Florida State
Bobby Bowden
2000
Oklahoma
Bob Stoops
2001
Miami (FL)
Larry Coker
2002
Ohio State
Jim Tressel
2003
LSU
Nick Saban
2004
USC
Pete Carroll
2005
Texas
Mack Brown
2006
Florida
Urban Meyer
2007
LSU
Les Miles
2008
Florida
Urban Meyer
2009
Alabama
Nick Saban
2010
Auburn
Gene Chizik
2011
Alabama
Nick Saban
2012
Alabama
Nick Saban
2013
Florida State
Jimbo Fisher
2014
Ohio State
Urban Meyer
2015
Alabama
Nick Saban
2016
Clemson
Dabo Swinney
2017
Alabama
Nick Saban
2018
Clemson
Dabo Swinney
2019
LSU
Ed Orgeron
2020
Alabama
Nick Saban
2021
Georgia
Kirby Smart
2022
Georgia
Kirby Smart
2023
Michigan
Jim Harbaugh
RankSchool (1st votes)Pts.Prev. Rec.
1Georgia (50)1,34612-0
2Ohio State (3)1,28122-0
3Texas (1)1,25932-0
4Alabama1,15742-0
5Mississippi 1,13652-0
6Oregon98762-0
7Penn State95682-0
8Missouri955102-0
9Tennessee930122-0
10Utah871112-0
11Southern California803142-0
12Miami (Fla.)798152-0
13Oklahoma700132-0
14Oklahoma State588172-0
15Kansas State578162-0
16Michigan50191-1
17LSU410191-1
18Arizona399182-0
19Notre Dame38871-1
20Clemson326221-1
21Louisville288242-0
22Washington176252-0
23Iowa State157NR2-0
24Nebraska91NR2-0
25Memphis85NR2-0

Dropped out: No. 20 Kansas (1-1); No. 21 Iowa (1-1); No. 23 North Carolina State (1-1).

Others receiving votes: Texas A&M (1-1) 68; Boston College (2-0) 36; Illinois (2-0) 33; Syracuse (2-0) 33; Northern Illinois (2-0) 30; Wisconsin (2-0) 28; South Carolina (2-0) 25; Boise State (1-1) 20; UNLV (2-0) 19; Iowa (1-1) 17; Kansas (1-1) 14; Central Florida (2-0) 12; North Carolina State (1-1) 10; Texas State (2-0) 8; TCU (2-0) 6; California (2-0) 5; North Carolina (2-0) 5; Liberty (2-0) 4; Brigham Young (2-0) 2; Michigan State (2-0) 2; Pittsburgh (2-0) 2; Arizona State (2-0) 2; Indiana (2-0) 1; James Madison (2-0) 1; Tulane (1-1) 1.

RankSchool (1st votes)Pts.Prev. Rec.
1Georgia (51)1,37111-0
2Ohio State (3)1,31621-0
3Texas (1)1,24541-0
4Alabama1,17251-0
5Mississippi1,08161-0
6Oregon1,08031-0
7Notre Dame1,07971-0
8Penn State98791-0
9Michigan91981-0
10Missouri848111-0
11Utah779131-0
12Tennessee753151-0
13Oklahoma705161-0
14Southern California655231-0
15Miami (Fla.)650191-0
16Kansas State537171-0
17Oklahoma State499181-0
18Arizona348211-0
19LSU341120-1
20Kansas295241-0
21Iowa260251-0
22Clemson223140-1
23NC State154221-0
24Louisville101NR1-0
25Washington95NR1-0

Dropped out: No. 10 Florida State (0-2); No. 20 Texas A&M (0-1).

Others receiving votes: Georgia Tech (2-0) 86; Texas A&M (0-1) 78; Memphis (1-0) 43; Kentucky (1-0) 23; Boise State (1-0) 22; SMU (2-0) 19; Auburn (1-0) 13; Wisconsin (1-0) 11; Iowa State (1-0) 10; Liberty (1-0) 9; Maryland (1-0) 9; Tulane (1-0) 9; UNLV (1-0) 9; Nebraska (1-0) 8; Boston College (1-0) 7; South Florida (1-0) 5; Air Force (1-0) 4; James Madison (1-0) 4; Appalachian State (1-0) 3; North Carolina (1-0) 3;Texas-San Antonio (1-0) 3; Texas State (1-0) 2; Coastal Carolina (1-0) 1; Syracuse (1-0) 1.

RankSchool (1st votes)Pts.Prev. 2023 Rec.
1Georgia (46)1,364313-1
2Ohio State (7)1,3021011-2
3Oregon1,228712-2
4Texas (1)1,223412-2
5Alabama1,077512-2
6Mississippi 1,019911-2
7Notre Dame9691410-3
8Michigan (1)944115-0
9Penn State8891310-3
10Florida State867613-1
11Missouri808811-2
12LSU7421210-3
13Utah665NR8-5
14Clemson657209-4
15Tennessee621179-4
16Oklahoma6091510-3
17Kansas State416199-4
18Oklahoma State3591610-4
19Miami (Fla.)292NR7-6
20Texas A&M273NR7-6
21Arizona2301110-3
22NC State216219-4
23Southern California199NR8-5
24Kansas186239-4
25Iowa1482110-4

Dropped out: No. 2 Washington (14-1); No. 18 Louisville (10-4); No. 24 SMU (11-3); No. 25 West Virginia (9-4).

Others receiving votes: Washington (14-1) 123; Louisville (10-4) 95; Virginia Tech (7-6) 64; SMU (11-3) 47; Memphis (10-3) 44; Boise State (8-6) 30; Auburn (6-7) 25; West Virginia (9-4) 22; Wisconsin (7-6) 17; Iowa State (7-6) 15; Liberty (13-1) 15; Kentucky (7-6) 12; Florida (5-7) 11; South Carolina (5-7) 10; North Carolina (8-5) 6; Maryland (8-5) 5; UNLV (9-5) 5; Central Florida (6-7) 4; Texas Tech (7-6) 4; Texas-San Antonio (9-4) 3; Appalachian State (9-5) 2; Colorado (4-8) 2; Nebraska (5-7) 2; Texas State (8-5) 2; Tulane (11-3) 2; Air Force (9-4) 1; James Madison (11-2) 1; Miami (Ohio) (11-3) 1; Syracuse (6-7) 1; Troy (11-3) 1.

Overview

In response to overwhelming support by NCAA FCS coaches, the American Football Coaches Association began publishing a FCS Top 25 Coaches’ Poll in 2018. Prior to 2018, the  NCAA FCS Coaches Poll was administered by the Southern Conference. The regional poll had been used to rank teams for consideration for the NCAA playoffs.

Format

The FCS  poll follows the same basic format as the Amway Coaches Poll. The FCS Board of Coaches will have 30 voters representing all FCS football playing conferences, as well as independent schools. The FCS Coaches’ Poll will be released on Mondays beginning with a preseason poll in August and will run through the final week of the regular season in November. A final poll will be released the Monday following the NCAA FCS championship game.

RankSchool (1st votes)Rec.Pts.Prev.Week 2Next Game
1South Dakota St. (22)1-16451D. No. 11 UIW, 45-24Sept. 14 vs. Augustana (S.D.)
2North Dakota St. (2)1-16202D. Tennessee St., 52-3Sept. 14 at East Tennessee St.
3Montana St. (2)3-05993D. Maine, 41-24Sept. 21 vs. Mercyhurst
4Villanova2-05535D. Colgate, 28-3Sept. 14 vs. Towson
5Idaho1-15457D. Wyoming, 17-13Sept. 14 vs. No. 15 UAlbany
6South Dakota1-15156Lost to Wisconsin, 27-13Sept. 14 at Portland St.
7Central Arkansas1-14339D. Lindenwood, 34-13Sept. 14 vs. Austin Peay
8Southern Illinois1-142612D. Austin Peay, 31-17Sept. 14 vs. No. 14 UIW
9Montana1-14054Lost to No. 20 North Dakota, 27-24Sept. 14 vs. Morehead St.
10North Dakota1-136220D. No. 4 Montana, 27-24Sept. 14 vs. Idaho St.
11Sacramento St.0-23048Lost to Fresno St., 46-30Sept. 14 vs. No. 23 Nicholls
12UC Davis1-128318D. Texas A&M-Commerce, 36-22Sept. 14 at Southern Utah
13William & Mary1-128114Lost to Coastal Carolina, 40-21Sept. 14 at Wofford
14UIW1-127711Lost to No. 1 South Dakota St., 45-24Sept. 14 at No. 8 Southern Illinois
15UAlbany1-126613Lost to West Virginia, 49-14Sept. 14 at No. 5 Idaho
16Chattanooga0-226510Lost to Georgia St., 24-21Sept. 14 vs. No. 24 Mercer
17Tarleton St.2-123121D. Houston Christian, 35-18Sept. 21 at North Alabama
18Lafayette1-121819D. Monmouth (N.J.), 40-35Sept. 14 vs. Marist
19Illinois St.1-120222D. North Alabama, 24-17Sept. 14 vs. Western Illinois
20Youngstown St.1-118323D. Valparaiso, 59-25Sept. 14 vs. Duquesne
21Northern Iowa2-086NRD. St. Thomas (Minn.), 17-10Sept. 14 at Nebraska
22Florida A&M2-17024Lost to Miami (Fla.), 56-9Sept. 21 at Troy
23Nicholls0-26525Lost to LSU, 44-21Sept. 14 at No. 11 Sacramento St.
24Mercer2-064NRD. Bethune-Cookman, 31-2Sept. 14 at No. 16 Chattanooga
25Weber St.1-163NRD. Portland St., 43-16Sept. 14 at Lamar

Dropped Out: Richmond (15), Furman (16), Western Carolina (17)

Others Receiving Votes: Southeast Missouri St., 61; Furman, 51; Richmond, 49; Wofford, 46; ACU, 38; Elon, 37; Southern Utah, 31; Eastern Illinois, 28; Western Carolina, 27; North Carolina Central, 16; Northern Arizona, 14; Delaware St., 13; New Hampshire, 13; Harvard, 11; UT Martin, 10; Missouri St., 8; Yale, 8; St. Francis (Pa.), 6; Drake, 5; Alabama A&M, 4; Alabama St., 2; Georgetown (D.C.), 2; McNeese, 2; Rhode Island, 2; Campbell, 1; Indiana St., 1; Lamar, 1; Prairie View A&M, 1; Stephen F. Austin, 1.

RankSchool (1st votes)Rec.Pts.Prev.Week 1Next Game
1South Dakota St. (17)0-16301Lost to Oklahoma St., 44-20Sept. 7 vs. No. 11 UIW
2North Dakota St. (5)0-16242Lost to Colorado, 31-26Sept. 7 vs. Tennessee St.
3Montana St. (4)2-05894D. Utah Tech, 31-7Sept. 7 vs. Maine
4Montana1-05723D. Missouri St., 29-24Sept. 7 at No. 20 North Dakota
5Villanova1-05276D. No. 23 Youngstown St., 24-17Sept. 7 at Colgate
6South Dakota1-04935D. Northern St., 45-3Sept. 7 at Wisconsin
7Idaho0-14897Lost to Oregon, 24-14Sept. 7 at Wyoming
8Sacramento St.0-139710Lost to San Jose St., 42-24Sept. 7 at Fresno St.
9Central Arkansas0-135913Lost to Arkansas St., 34-31Sept. 7 at Lindenwood
10Chattanooga0-13428Lost to Tennessee, 69-3Sept. 7 at Georgia St.
11UIW1-034015D. Northern Colorado, 28-7Sept. 7 at No. 1 South Dakota St.
12Southern Illinois0-133111Lost to BYU, 41-13Sept. 7 at Austin Peay
13UAlbany1-030214D. LIU, 27-21Sept. 7 at West Virginia
14William & Mary1-030016D. VMI, 41-7Sept. 7 at Coastal Carolina
15Richmond0-128912Lost to Virginia, 34-13Sept. 7 vs. Wofford
16Furman0-12709Lost to Ole Miss, 76-0Sept. 7 vs. Charleston Southern
17Western Carolina0-122119Lost to NC State, 38-21Sept. 7 vs. Campbell
18UC Davis0-119717Lost to California, 31-13Sept. 7 vs. Texas A&M-Commerce
19Lafayette0-115618Lost to Buffalo, 30-13Sept. 7 at Monmouth (N.J.)
20North Dakota0-115222Lost to Iowa St., 21-3Sept. 7 vs. No. 4 Montana
21Tarleton St.1-110921Lost to Baylor, 45-3Sept. 7 at Houston Christian
22Illinois St.0-19520Lost to Iowa, 40-0Sept. 7 at North Alabama
23Youngstown St.0-18823Lost to No. 6 Villanova, 24-17Sept. 7 vs. Valparaiso
24Florida A&M2-08225D. South Carolina St., 22-18Sept. 7 at Miami (Fla.)
25Nicholls0-17424Lost to Louisiana Tech, 25-17Sept. 7 at LSU

Dropped Out: None

Others Receiving Votes: Northern Iowa, 55; ACU, 43; Mercer, 41; Eastern Washington, 40; North Carolina Central, 33; Eastern Illinois, 30; Rhode Island, 26; Southeast Missouri St., 20; Weber St., 17; Delaware St., 14; Harvard, 14; Missouri St., 14; Princeton, 14; Elon, 13; McNeese, 13; Stephen F. Austin, 12; UT Martin, 11; Wagner, 10; Northern Arizona, 5; Wofford, 5; Indiana St., 3; Yale, 3; Tennessee St., 2; Alabama A&M, 1; Murray St., 1; North Carolina A&T, 1; Samford, 1.

RankSchool (1st votes)2023 Rec.Pts.2023 RankSeason OpenerHead Coach
1South Dakota St. (25)15-06491Aug. 31 at Oklahoma St.Jimmy Rogers
2North Dakota St.11-46143Aug. 29 at ColoradoTim Polasek
3Montana13-25762Aug. 31 vs. Missouri St.Bobby Hauck
4Montana St.8-45188Aug. 24 at New MexicoBrent Vigen
5South Dakota10-35124tAug. 29 vs. Northern St.Bob Nielson
6Villanova10-35029Aug. 29 vs. No. 23 Youngstown St.Mark Ferrante
7Idaho9-44734tAug. 31 at OregonJason Eck
8Chattanooga8-540317Aug. 31 at TennesseeRusty Wright
9Furman10-33926Aug. 31 at Ole MissClay Hendrix
10Sacramento St.8-538215Aug. 29 at San Jose St.Andy Thompson
11Southern Illinois8-537013Aug. 31 at BYUNick Hill
12Richmond9-435322Aug. 31 at VirginiaRuss Huesman
13Central Arkansas7-4339NRAug. 31 at Arkansas St.Nathan Brown
14UAlbany11-42757Aug. 31 vs. LIUGreg Gattuso
15UIW9-225914Aug. 31 vs. Northern ColoradoClint Killough
16William & Mary6-5196NRAug. 29 vs. VMIMike London
17UC Davis7-4164NRAug. 31 at CaliforniaTim Plough
18Lafayette9-315719Aug. 29 at BuffaloJohn Troxell
19Western Carolina7-4144NRAug. 29 at NC StateKerwin Bell
20Illinois St.6-5143NRAug. 31 at IowaBrock Spack
21Tarleton8-3137NRAug. 24 vs. McNeeseTodd Whitten
22North Dakota7-513116Aug. 31 at Iowa St.Bubba Schweigert
23Youngstown St.8-59721Aug. 29 at No. 6 VillanovaDoug Phillips
24Nicholls6-591NRAug. 31 at Louisiana TechTim Rebowe
25Florida A&M (1)12-17110Aug. 24 vs. Norfolk St.James Colzie III

*– Ranking in final AFCA FCS Coaches Poll of 2023

Others Receiving Votes: Weber St., 66; North Carolina Central, 53; Eastern Illinois, 50; UT Martin, 38; Austin Peay, 35; Northern Iowa, 33; Harvard, 32; Yale, 31; Mercer, 27; Holy Cross, 20; Howard, 20; Alabama St., 17; Northern Arizona, 17; Elon, 16; Alcorn St., 9; Duquesne, 7; North Carolina A&T, 6; Fordham, 5; Gardner-Webb, 4; Indiana St., 3; Missouri St., 3; Butler, 2; Eastern Kentucky, 2; Southeast Missouri St., 2; Eastern Washington, 1; Murray St., 1; Samford, 1; Utah Tech, 1.

Overview

In response to overwhelming support by NCAA Division II coaches, the American Football Coaches Association began publishing a Division II Top 25 Coaches’ Poll in 2000. Prior to 2000, there was no coaches’ polls for NCAA Division II. The regional poll had been used to rank teams for consideration for the NCAA playoffs.

Format

The Division II poll follows the same basic format as the Amway Coaches Poll. The Division II Board of Coaches will have 30 voters representing all Division II conferences, as well as independent schools. The Division II Coaches’ Poll will be released on Mondays beginning with a preseason poll in August and will run through the final week of the regular season in November. A final poll will be released the Monday following the NCAA Division II championship game.

RankSchool (1st votes)Rec.Pts.Prev.Week 1Next Game
1Harding (Ark.) (27)1-07231D. Southern Nazarene (Okla.), 59-0Sept. 14 at Oklahoma Baptist
2Central Missouri (1)1-06902D. Northeastern St. (Okla.), 63-21Sept. 14 at Central Oklahoma
3Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (1)1-06504D. Central St. (Ohio), 58-0Sept. 14 at No. 22 Colorado St.-Pueblo
4Pittsburg St. (Kan.)2-06236D. Missouri Southern St., 42-17Sept. 14 vs. No. 21 Emporia St. (Kan.)
5Colorado School of Mines1-05995D. West Texas A&M, 41-13Sept. 14 at Washburn (Kan.)
6Valdosta St. (Ga.)2-05677D. Newberry (S.C.), 27-14Sept. 14 vs. Fayetteville St. (N.C.)
7Ferris St. (Mich.)1-15463D. Lake Erie (Ohio), 56-3Sept. 14 vs. Ashland (Ohio)
8Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.)1-04919D. Bowie St. (Md.), 32-19Sept. 14 vs. Tiffin (Ohio)
9Kutztown (Pa.)1-046810D. Assumption (Mass.), 24-6Sept. 14 vs. Edinboro (Pa.)
10Slippery Rock (Pa.)1-044511D. New Haven (Conn.), 22-7Sept. 14 at Shepherd (W.Va.)
11Minnesota St. 2-041513D. No. 25 Bemidji St. (Minn.), 31-29Sept. 14 at Wayne St. (Neb.)
12West Florida1-041012D. McKendree (Ill.), 38-6Sept. 21 vs. West Alabama
13Central Washington0-13338Lost to San Diego (Calif.), 26-7Sept. 14 at Colorado Mesa
14Augustana (S.D.)1-031814D. Mary (N.D.), 35-13Sept. 14 at South Dakota St.
15Western Colorado1-030415D. Midwestern St. (Tex.), 38-33Sept. 14 at West Texas A&M
16Indianapolis (Ind.)1-029816D. Hillsdale (Mich.), 42-16Sept. 14 vs. Truman St. (Mo.)
17Delta St. (Miss.)2-028818D. Missouri S&T, 55-18Sept. 14 at Wingate (N.C.)
18Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)1-022819D. Southwestern Oklahoma, 42-3Sept. 12 at Northwestern Oklahoma
19Minnesota-Duluth1-022517IdleSept. 14 vs. Minnesota St.-Moorhead
20Charleston (W.Va.)2-013123D. California (Pa.), 23-19Sept. 21 vs. North Carolina-Pembroke
21Emporia St. (Kan.)2-0112NRD. No. 24 Angelo St. (Tex.), 17-12Sept. 14 at No. 4 Pittsburg St. (Kan.)
22Colorado St.-Pueblo2-094NRD. No. 21 Texas-Permian Basin, 40-23Sept. 14 vs. No. 3 Grand Valley St. (Mich.)
23Virginia Union1-18420Lost to Hampton (Va.), 33-21Sept. 21 at Johnson C. Smith (N.C.)
24Henderson St. (Ark.)1-073NRD. East Central (Okla.), 41-17Sept. 14 vs. Southeastern Oklahoma St.
25Fort Hays St. (Kan.)2-070NRD. Missouri Western St., 30-16Sept. 14 at Northwest Missouri St.

Dropped Out: Texas-Permian Basin (21), Northwest Missouri St. (22), Angelo St. (Tex.) (24), Bemidji St. (Minn.) (25)

Others Receiving Votes: Davenport (Mich.), 35; Tiffin (Ohio), 33; Wayne St. (Neb.), 30; Findlay (Ohio), 24; Texas-Permian Basin, 19; Bemidji St. (Minn.), 16; West Alabama, 15; Indiana (Pa.), 11; Southern Arkansas, 11; Wingate (N.C.), 10; Shepherd (W.Va.), 9; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 8; East Central (Okla.), 3; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 3; Nebraska-Kearney, 2; Shaw (N.C.), 2; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 2; Angelo St. (Tex.), 1; Colorado Mesa, 1; Frostburg St. (Md.), 1; Johnson C. Smith (N.C.), 1; Limestone (S.C.), 1; Minot St. (N.D.), 1; Virginia St., 1.

RankSchool (1st votes)2023 Rec.Pts.2023 RankSeason OpenerHead Coach
1Harding (Ark.) (25)15-06721Sept. 5 vs. Southern Nazarene (Okla.)Paul Simmons
2Central Missouri11-26206Sept. 7 vs. Northeastern St. (Okla.)Josh Lamberson
3Ferris St. (Mich.) (1)8-35909Aug. 31 at No. 6 Pittsburg St. (Kan.)Tony Annese
4Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (1)11-25663Sept. 5 vs. Central St. (Ohio)Scott Wooster
5Colorado School of Mines14-15642Sept. 5 vs. West Texas A&MPete Sterbick
6Pittsburg St. (Kan.)11-25405Aug. 31 vs. No. 3 Ferris St. (Mich.)Tom Anthony
7Valdosta St. (Ga.)12-25168Aug. 31 vs. Albany St. (Ga.)Tremaine Jackson
8Central Washington9-441817Sept. 7 at San Diego (Calif.)Chris Fisk
9Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.)13-24164Sept. 7 vs. Bowie St. (Md.)Doug Socha
10Kutztown (Pa.)12-34137Sept. 5 vs. Assumption (Mass.)Jim Clements
11Slippery Rock (Pa.)12-238410Sept. 7 vs. New Haven (Conn.)Shawn Lutz
12West Florida8-433023Sept. 5 vs. McKendree (Ill.)Kaleb Nobles
13Minnesota St. 9-323221Aug. 29 at No. 22 Northwest Missouri St.Todd Hoffner
14Augustana (S.D.)11-223113Sept. 5 at Mary (N.D.)Jerry Olszewski
15Western Colorado10-223015Sept. 7 vs. Midwestern St. (Tex.)Jas Bains
16Indianapolis (Ind.)9-221622Sept. 7 at Hillsdale (Mich.)Chris Keevers
17Minnesota-Duluth9-221425Aug. 29 at Northern MichiganCurt Wiese
18Delta St. (Miss.)10-221211Aug. 29 at Mars Hill (N.C.)Todd Cooley
19Ouachita Baptist (Ark.)9-2209NRSept. 5 vs. Southwestern Oklahoma St.Todd Knight
20Virginia Union10-218320Aug. 31 at Kentucky St.Alvin Parker
21Texas-Permian Basin10-216918Aug. 31 vs. Western New MexicoKris McCullough
22Northwest Missouri St.7-4167NRAug. 29 vs. No. 13 Minnesota St.Rich Wright
23Charleston (W.Va.)10-210219Aug. 31 at Livingstone (N.C.)Quinn Sanders
24Angelo St. (Tex.)7-389NRAug. 29 at Fort Hays St. (Kan.)Jeff Girsch
25Bemidji St. (Minn.)9-37016Aug. 29 vs. Michigan TechBrent Bolte

*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2023

Others Receiving Votes: Benedict (S.C.), 64; Henderson St. (Ark.), 56; Virginia St., 54; Tiffin (Ohio), 34; Southern Arkansas, 24; Ashland (Ohio), 21; Davenport (Mich.), 21; Wingate (N.C.), 20; Emporia St. (Kan.), 18; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 17; Albany St. (Ga.), 15; Findlay (Ohio), 14; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 12; California (Pa.), 11; Oklahoma Baptist, 11; Shepherd (W.Va.), 8; New Haven (Conn.), 7; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 6; Wayne St. (Neb.), 3; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 2; Truman St. (Mo.), 2; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 1; Indiana (Pa.), 1.

Overview

In response to overwhelming support by NCAA Division III coaches, the American Football Coaches Association began publishing a Division III Top 25 Coaches’ Poll in 1999.

Prior to 1999, there were no coaches’ polls for any NCAA divisions other than Football Bowl Subdivision. The NCAA had published a regional poll for Division III prior to 1999, but discontinued the poll because of changes in the selection process for the Division III playoffs that took effect in 1999.

The regional poll had been used to rank teams for consideration for the 16-team playoff tournament. But in 1999, the Division III playoffs expanded to 28 teams and the regional format was no longer used.

Format

The Division III poll follows the same basic format as the USA Today Coaches’ Poll. The Division III Board of Coaches will have 42 voters, representing all Division III conferences. The Division III Coaches’ Poll will be released on Mondays beginning in September and will run through the completion of the regular season in mid-November. A final poll will be released on the Monday following the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.

RankSchool (1st votes)Rec.Pts.Prev.Week 1Next Game
1North Central (Ill.) (28)0-012271IdleSept. 14 at No. 13 Aurora (Ill.)
2Cortland (N.Y.) (21)1-012012D. Hilbert (N.Y.), 76-0Sept. 14 vs. Lycoming (Pa.)
3Wisconsin-Whitewater1-011403D. No. 20 John Carroll (Ohio), 34-7Sept. 14 at Roosevelt (Ill.)
4Mount Union (Ohio) (1)1-010585D. Ferrum (Va.), 55-6Sept. 21 vs. John Carroll (Ohio)
5Wisconsin-La Crosse1-010236D. Rensselaer (N.Y.), 35-0Sept. 14 vs. Northern Michigan
6Wartburg (Iowa)1-09914D. Monmouth (Ill.), 38-24Sept. 14 at No. 12 St. John’s (Minn.)
7Johns Hopkins (Md.)1-09188D. No. 19 Ithaca (N.Y.), 27-23Sept. 14 at Christopher Newport (Va.)
8Randolph-Macon (Va.)1-085410D. Dickinson (Pa.), 47-21Sept. 14 vs. Hobart (N.Y.)
9Grove City (Pa.) 1-078011D. Geneva (Pa.), 41-0Sept. 21 at St. Vincent (Pa.)
10Wisconsin-River Falls1-072917D. No. 7 Alma (Mich.), 41-35Sept. 21 vs. Greenville (Ill.)
11Susquehanna (Pa.)1-072512D. Bridgewater (Va.), 41-7Sept. 14 vs. Brockport (N.Y.)
12St. John’s (Minn.)1-070514D. Carthage (Wis.), 49-0Sept. 14 vs. No. 6 Wartburg (Iowa)
13Aurora (Ill.)1-059815D. Dubuque (Iowa), 33-21Sept. 14 vs. No. 1 North Central (Ill.)
14Hardin-Simmons (Tex.)1-058216D. Howard Payne (Tex.), 38-6Sept. 14 at Curry (Mass.)
15Endicott (Mass.)1-043918D. St. Lawrence (N.Y.), 44-13Sept. 14 at No. 24 Ithaca (N.Y.)
16t.Alma (Mich.)0-14097Lost to No. 17 Wisconsin-River Falls, 41-35Sept. 14 at Denison (Ohio)
16t.Linfield (Ore.)1-040922D. Denison (Ohio), 31-7Sept. 14 at No. 18 Wisconsin-Oshkosh
18Wisconsin-Oshkosh1-0407NRD. No. 9 Wheaton (Ill.), 21-14Sept. 14 vs. No.16t Linfield (Ore.)
19Muhlenberg (Pa.)1-040521D. Moravian (Pa.), 33-7Sept. 14 at Salisbury (Md.)
20Carnegie Mellon (Pa.)1-033423D. Thiel (Pa.), 58-0Sept. 14 vs. Geneva (Pa.)
21Berry (Ga.) 1-028624D. Huntingdon (Ala.), 43-7Sept. 14 vs. No. 25 DePauw (Ind.)
22Wheaton (Ill.)0-12469Lost to Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 21-14Sept. 21 vs. Augustana (Ill.)
23Whitworth (Wash.)1-022225D. Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.), 40-7Sept. 14 vs. Eastern Oregon
24Ithaca (N.Y.)0-111819Lost to No. 8 Johns Hopkins (Md.), 27-23 Sept. 14 vs. No. 15 Endicott (Mass.)
25DePauw (Ind.)1-073NRD. Rose-Hulman (In.), 57-14Sept. 14 at No. 21 Berry (Ga.)

Dropped Out: Trinity (Tex.) (13), John Carroll (Ohio) (20)

Others Receiving Votes: Wisconsin-Platteville, 68; Bethel (Minn.), 59; Trinity (Tex.), 53; John Carroll (Ohio), 45; Washing & Jefferson (Pa.), 23; Christoper Newport (Va.), 19; Delaware Valley (Pa.), 18; Texas Lutheran, 15; Wabash (Ind.), 15; Illinois College, 13; Coe (Iowa), 11; Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 10; Marietta (Ohio), 6; Washington (Mo.), 6; Salisbury (Md.), 4; Springfield (Mass.), 3; Utica (N.Y), 2; Central (Iowa), 1.

RankSchool (1st votes)2023 Rec.Pts.2023 Rank*Season OpenerHead Coach
1North Central (Ill.) (26)14-112252Sept. 14 at No. 15 Aurora (Ill.)Brad Spencer
2Cortland (N.Y.) (24)14-111951Sept. 7 at Hilbert (N.Y.)Curt Fitzpatrick
3Wisconsin-Whitewater11-211025Sept. 7 vs. No. 20 John Carroll (Ohio)Jace Rindahl
4Wartburg (Iowa)13-110573Sept. 7 at Monmouth (Ill.)Chris Winter
5Mount Union (Ohio)11-110429Sept. 7 at Ferrum (Va.)Geoff Dartt
6Wisconsin-La Crosse11-210084Sept. 5 at Rensselaer (N.Y.)Matt Janus
7Alma (Mich.)12-19347Sept. 7 vs. No. 17 Wisconsin-River FallsJason Couch
8Johns Hopkins (Md.)12-18368Sept. 7 at No. 19 Ithaca (N.Y.)Dan Wodicka
9Wheaton (Ill.)10-277913Sept. 7 at Wisconsin-OshkoshJesse Scott
10Randolph-Macon (Va.)13-17386Sept. 6 at Dickinson (Pa.)Pedro Arruza
11Grove City (Pa.) 11-169710Sept. 7 vs. Geneva (Pa.)Andrew DiDonato
12Susquehanna (Pa.)10-160414Sept. 6 vs. Bridgewater (Va.)Tom Perkovich
13Trinity (Tex.)10-260011Sept. 7 vs. Texas LutheranJerheme Urban
14St. John’s (Minn.)8-257722Sept. 7 vs. Carthage (Wis.)Gary Fasching
15Aurora (Ill.)11-152912Sept. 6 at Dubuque (Iowa)Don Beebe
16Hardin-Simmons (Tex.)9-251717Sept. 7 at Howard Payne (Tex.)Jesse Burleson
17Wisconsin-River Falls7-3427NRSept. 7 at No. 7 Alma (Mich.)Matt Walker
18Endicott (Mass.)9-235615Sept. 7 at St. Lawrence (N.Y.)Paul McGonagle
19Ithaca (N.Y.)9-329418Sept. 7 vs. No. 8 Johns Hopkins (Md.)Michael Toerper
20John Carroll (Ohio)8-228725Sept. 7 at No. 3 Wisconsin-WhitewaterJeff Behrman
21Muhlenberg (Pa.)10-124819Sept. 7 at Moravian (Pa.)Nate Milne
22Linfield (Ore.)8-122824Sept. 7 vs. Denison (Ohio)Joseph Smith
23Carnegie Mellon (Pa.)10-1190NRSept. 7 at Thiel (Pa.)Ryan Larsen
24Berry (Ga.) 9-117723Sept. 7 at Huntingdon (Ala.)Tony Kunczewski
25Whitworth (Wash.)10-115516Sept. 7 at Gustavus Adolphus (Minn.)Rod Sandberg

*– Ranking in final AFCA Division III Poll of 2023

Others Receiving Votes: Mary Hardin-Baylor (Tex.), 111; Bethel (Minn.), 56; Wisconsin-Platteville, 52; Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 39; DePauw (Ind.), 37; Union (N.Y.), 35; Delaware Valley (Pa.), 23; Wabash (Ind.), 22; Coe (Iowa), 20; Washington & Jefferson (Pa.), 14; Illinois College, 10; Mount St. Joseph (Ohio), 7; Christopher Newport (Va.), 5; Washington (Mo.), 5; Belhaven (Miss.), 3; Rensselaer (N.Y.), 3; Huntingdon (Ala.), 2; Springfield (Mass.), 2; Central (Iowa), 1; Wisconsin-Stout, 1.

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