South Dakota State is Preseason No. 1
August 14, 2023
Fresh off their first FCS national title in 2022, South Dakota State will begin the 2023 season at No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Jackrabbits earned 24 first-place votes and will begin defense of their title against Western Oregon on August 31. The team South Dakota State beat in the championship game sits in the No. 2 position. North Dakota State, who received one first-place vote, will face Eastern Washington on September 2 in Minneapolis at U.S. Bank Stadium.
There aren’t any Top 25 matchups in the first week of action, but one Top 25 team begins play before anybody else. No. 22 Mercer will face North Alabama in the FCS Kickoff Classic on Saturday, August 26 in Montgomery, Alabama. This will be the first meeting between those two programs.
Rank School (1st votes) 2022 Rec. Pts. 2022 Rank Season Opener Head Coach
1 South Dakota St. (24) 14-1 624 1 Aug. 31 vs. Western Oregon Jimmy Rogers
2 North Dakota St. (1) 12-3 596 2 Sept. 2 vs. Eastern Washington Matt Entz
3 Montana St. 12-2 567 5 Sept. 2 vs. Utah Tech Brent Vigen
4 William & Mary 11-2 510 8 Aug. 31 at Campbell Mike London
5 Holy Cross 12-1 459 6 Sept. 2 vs. Merrimack Bob Chesney
6 Furman 10-3 438 10 Aug. 31 vs. Tennessee Tech Clay Hendrix
7 UIW 12-2 424 3 Sept. 2 at UTEP Clint Killough
8 Sacramento St. 12-1 421 4 Aug. 31 at Nicholls St. Andy Thompson
9 Samford 11-2 414 7 Aug. 31 vs. Shorter Chris Hatcher
10 Weber St. 10-3 325 9 Aug. 31 vs. Central Washington Mickey Mental
11 Southeast Missouri St. 9-3 322 13 Sept. 2 at Kansas St. Tom Matukewicz
12 New Hampshire 9-4 304 15 Sept. 2 at Stonehill Rick Santos
13 Idaho 7-5 288 22 Aug. 31 at Lamar Jason Eck
14 Montana 8-5 285 14 Sept. 2 vs. Butler Bobby Hauck
15 Southeastern Louisiana 9-4 259 19 Sept. 2 at Mississippi St. Frank Scelfo
16 Richmond 9-4 235 12 Sept. 2 vs. Morgan St. Russ Huesman
17 UC Davis 6-5 226 NR Aug. 31 at Texas A&M-Commerce Dan Hawkins
18 North Dakota 7-5 188 NR Sept. 2 vs. Drake Bubba Schweigert
19 North Carolina Central 10-2 139 17 Sept. 2 vs. Winston-Salem St. Trei Oliver
20 Northern Iowa 6-5 137 NR Sept. 2 at Iowa St. Mark Farley
21 Delaware 8-5 124 24t Aug. 31 at Stony Brook Ryan Carty
22 Mercer 7-4 123 21 Aug. 26 vs. North Alabama Drew Cronic
23 Rhode Island 7-4 73 NR Aug. 31 at Georgia St. Jim Fleming
24 Gardner-Webb 7-6 72 NR Sept. 2 at Appalachian St. Tre Lamb
25 Florida A&M 9-2 70 23 Sept. 3 vs. Jackson St. Willie Simmons
Others Receiving Votes: Yale, 64; Eastern Kentucky, 59; Fordham, 58; Jackson St., 37; Elon, 30; St. Thomas (Minn.), 30; Youngstown St., 28; Princeton, 26; Southern Illinois, 26; UT Martin, 23; Central Arkansas, 22; Chattanooga, 13; North Carolina A&T, 13; Illinois St., 12; Northern Arizona, 12; Southern, 9; Davidson, 7; St. Francis (Pa.), 7; Tennessee Tech, 6; Howard, 5; Pennsylvania, 5; Abilene Christian, 4; Austin Peay, 3; Campbell, 2; Villanova, 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 first FCS national title in 2022, South Dakota State will begin the 2023 season at No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Jackrabbits earned 24 first-place votes and will begin defense of their title against Western Oregon on August 31. The team South Dakota State beat in the championship game sits in the No. 2 position. North Dakota State, who received one first-place vote, will face Eastern Washington on September 2 in Minneapolis at U.S. Bank Stadium.
There aren’t any Top 25 matchups in the first week of action, but one Top 25 team begins play before anybody else. No. 22 Mercer will face North Alabama in the FCS Kickoff Classic on Saturday, August 26 in Montgomery, Alabama. This will be the first meeting between those two programs.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2022 Rec. | Pts. | 2022 Rank | Season Opener | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (24) | 14-1 | 624 | 1 | Aug. 31 vs. Western Oregon | Jimmy Rogers | |
| 2 | North Dakota St. (1) | 12-3 | 596 | 2 | Sept. 2 vs. Eastern Washington | Matt Entz | |
| 3 | Montana St. | 12-2 | 567 | 5 | Sept. 2 vs. Utah Tech | Brent Vigen | |
| 4 | William & Mary | 11-2 | 510 | 8 | Aug. 31 at Campbell | Mike London | |
| 5 | Holy Cross | 12-1 | 459 | 6 | Sept. 2 vs. Merrimack | Bob Chesney | |
| 6 | Furman | 10-3 | 438 | 10 | Aug. 31 vs. Tennessee Tech | Clay Hendrix | |
| 7 | UIW | 12-2 | 424 | 3 | Sept. 2 at UTEP | Clint Killough | |
| 8 | Sacramento St. | 12-1 | 421 | 4 | Aug. 31 at Nicholls St. | Andy Thompson | |
| 9 | Samford | 11-2 | 414 | 7 | Aug. 31 vs. Shorter | Chris Hatcher | |
| 10 | Weber St. | 10-3 | 325 | 9 | Aug. 31 vs. Central Washington | Mickey Mental | |
| 11 | Southeast Missouri St. | 9-3 | 322 | 13 | Sept. 2 at Kansas St. | Tom Matukewicz | |
| 12 | New Hampshire | 9-4 | 304 | 15 | Sept. 2 at Stonehill | Rick Santos | |
| 13 | Idaho | 7-5 | 288 | 22 | Aug. 31 at Lamar | Jason Eck | |
| 14 | Montana | 8-5 | 285 | 14 | Sept. 2 vs. Butler | Bobby Hauck | |
| 15 | Southeastern Louisiana | 9-4 | 259 | 19 | Sept. 2 at Mississippi St. | Frank Scelfo | |
| 16 | Richmond | 9-4 | 235 | 12 | Sept. 2 vs. Morgan St. | Russ Huesman | |
| 17 | UC Davis | 6-5 | 226 | NR | Aug. 31 at Texas A&M-Commerce | Dan Hawkins | |
| 18 | North Dakota | 7-5 | 188 | NR | Sept. 2 vs. Drake | Bubba Schweigert | |
| 19 | North Carolina Central | 10-2 | 139 | 17 | Sept. 2 vs. Winston-Salem St. | Trei Oliver | |
| 20 | Northern Iowa | 6-5 | 137 | NR | Sept. 2 at Iowa St. | Mark Farley | |
| 21 | Delaware | 8-5 | 124 | 24t | Aug. 31 at Stony Brook | Ryan Carty | |
| 22 | Mercer | 7-4 | 123 | 21 | Aug. 26 vs. North Alabama | Drew Cronic | |
| 23 | Rhode Island | 7-4 | 73 | NR | Aug. 31 at Georgia St. | Jim Fleming | |
| 24 | Gardner-Webb | 7-6 | 72 | NR | Sept. 2 at Appalachian St. | Tre Lamb | |
| 25 | Florida A&M | 9-2 | 70 | 23 | Sept. 3 vs. Jackson St. | Willie Simmons |
Others Receiving Votes: Yale, 64; Eastern Kentucky, 59; Fordham, 58; Jackson St., 37; Elon, 30; St. Thomas (Minn.), 30; Youngstown St., 28; Princeton, 26; Southern Illinois, 26; UT Martin, 23; Central Arkansas, 22; Chattanooga, 13; North Carolina A&T, 13; Illinois St., 12; Northern Arizona, 12; Southern, 9; Davidson, 7; St. Francis (Pa.), 7; Tennessee Tech, 6; Howard, 5; Pennsylvania, 5; Abilene Christian, 4; Austin Peay, 3; Campbell, 2; Villanova, 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.
