Sam Houston Starts the 2021 Fall Season at No. 1
August 16, 2021
Just three months after claiming their first national title, Sam Houston is the preseason No. 1 team in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Bearkats won a great national championship game, 23-21, over South Dakota State on May 16 and are now three weeks away from opening their title defense against Northern Arizona. Sam Houston received 18 first-place votes while No. 2 James Madison received nine. North Dakota State checks in at No. 3 while spring national runner-up South Dakota State is No. 4 and received the final first-place vote. Delaware rounds out the Top 5.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS POLL] Sam Houston Claims the No. 1 Spot in Final AFCA FCS Spring Top 25 Poll
There is only one Top 25 matchup in the first full weekend of games as No. 18 Chattanooga plays host to No. 25 Austin Peay. The Mocs went 3-2 in the spring while Austin Peay played a mixed schedule of fall and spring games and finished with a 4-5 mark. Of the preseason Top 25 teams, No. 8 Jacksonville State is the first to play as the Gamecocks will face UAB on Wednesday, September 1.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – August 16, 2021
Rank School (1st votes) 2021 Spring Rec. Pts. 2021 Spring Rank Season Opener Head Coach
1 Sam Houston (18) 10-0 682 1 Sept. 2 Northern Arizona K.C. Keeler
2 James Madison (9) 7-1 667 3 Sept. 4 vs. Morehead St. Curt Cignetti
3 North Dakota St. 7-3 633 5 Sept. 4 vs. Albany Matt Entz
4 South Dakota St. (1) 8-2 620 2 Sept. 3 at Colorado St. John Stiegelmeier
5 Delaware 7-1 567 4 Sept. 2 at Maine Danny Rocco
6 Weber St. 5-1 552 8 Sept. 2 at Utah Jay Hill
7 North Dakota 5-2 475 6 Sept. 4 at Idaho St. Bubba Schweigert
8 Jacksonville St. 10-3 437 7 Sept. 1 vs. UAB John Grass
9 Montana 2-0 436 NR Sept. 4 at Washington Bobby Hauck
10 Southern Illinois 6-4 418 9 Sept. 2 at Southeast Missouri Nick Hill
11 Montana St. 0-0 383 NR Sept. 4 at Wyoming Brent Vigen
12 Monmouth (N.J.) 3-1 382 10 Sept. 4 at Middle Tennessee Kevin Callahan
13 Central Arkansas 0-0 363 NR Sept. 4 at Arkansas St. Nathan Brown
14 Eastern Washington 5-2 287 11 Sept. 2 at UNLV Aaron Best
15 Villanova 2-2 284 18 Sept. 4 at Lehigh Mark Ferrante
16 Northern Iowa 3-4 268 NR Sept. 4 at Iowa St. Mark Farley
17 Southeastern Louisiana 4-3 267 21 Sept. 4 vs. North Alabama Frank Scelfo
18 Chattanooga 3-2 204 NR Sept. 2 vs. No. 25 Austin Peay Rusty Wright
19 VMI 6-2 167 12 Sept. 4 vs. Davidson Scott Wachenheim
20 Kennesaw St. 4-1 165 15 Sept. 2 vs. Reinhardt Brian Bohannon
21 UC Davis 3-2 135 16 Sept. 2 at Tulsa Dan Hawkins
22 Richmond 3-1 104 14 Sept. 4 vs. Howard Russ Huesman
23 Nicholls 4-3 88 23 Sept. 4 at Memphis Tim Rebowe
24 North Carolina A&T 0-0 75 NR Sept. 4 at Furman Sam Washington
25 Austin Peay 4-5 65 NR Sept. 2 at No. 18 Chattanooga Scotty Walden
*– Ranking in final AFCA FCS Coaches Spring Poll of 2021
Others Receiving Votes: Murray St., 62; Missouri St., 39; Sacramento St., 39; New Hampshire, 31; Alabama A&M, 29; Samford, 18; Holy Cross, 16; Southern, 15; Alcorn St., 14; Florida A&M, 13; Stephen F. Austin, 11; East Tennessee St., 10; Jackson St., 10; Morehead St., 9; Princeton, 9; South Carolina St., 9; Furman, 7; Charleston Southern, 6; Youngstown St., 6; Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 5; Harvard, 4; Rhode Island, 4; Davidson, 3; Yale, 3; Sacred Heart, 2; Eastern Kentucky, 1; Norfolk St., 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out insider.afca.com 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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Just three months after claiming their first national title, Sam Houston is the preseason No. 1 team in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Bearkats won a great national championship game, 23-21, over South Dakota State on May 16 and are now three weeks away from opening their title defense against Northern Arizona. Sam Houston received 18 first-place votes while No. 2 James Madison received nine. North Dakota State checks in at No. 3 while spring national runner-up South Dakota State is No. 4 and received the final first-place vote. Delaware rounds out the Top 5.
RELATED ARTICLE: [FCS POLL] Sam Houston Claims the No. 1 Spot in Final AFCA FCS Spring Top 25 Poll
There is only one Top 25 matchup in the first full weekend of games as No. 18 Chattanooga plays host to No. 25 Austin Peay. The Mocs went 3-2 in the spring while Austin Peay played a mixed schedule of fall and spring games and finished with a 4-5 mark. Of the preseason Top 25 teams, No. 8 Jacksonville State is the first to play as the Gamecocks will face UAB on Wednesday, September 1.
American Football Coaches Association FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – August 16, 2021
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2021 Spring Rec. | Pts. | 2021 Spring Rank | Season Opener | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sam Houston (18) | 10-0 | 682 | 1 | Sept. 2 Northern Arizona | K.C. Keeler |
| 2 | James Madison (9) | 7-1 | 667 | 3 | Sept. 4 vs. Morehead St. | Curt Cignetti |
| 3 | North Dakota St. | 7-3 | 633 | 5 | Sept. 4 vs. Albany | Matt Entz |
| 4 | South Dakota St. (1) | 8-2 | 620 | 2 | Sept. 3 at Colorado St. | John Stiegelmeier |
| 5 | Delaware | 7-1 | 567 | 4 | Sept. 2 at Maine | Danny Rocco |
| 6 | Weber St. | 5-1 | 552 | 8 | Sept. 2 at Utah | Jay Hill |
| 7 | North Dakota | 5-2 | 475 | 6 | Sept. 4 at Idaho St. | Bubba Schweigert |
| 8 | Jacksonville St. | 10-3 | 437 | 7 | Sept. 1 vs. UAB | John Grass |
| 9 | Montana | 2-0 | 436 | NR | Sept. 4 at Washington | Bobby Hauck |
| 10 | Southern Illinois | 6-4 | 418 | 9 | Sept. 2 at Southeast Missouri | Nick Hill |
| 11 | Montana St. | 0-0 | 383 | NR | Sept. 4 at Wyoming | Brent Vigen |
| 12 | Monmouth (N.J.) | 3-1 | 382 | 10 | Sept. 4 at Middle Tennessee | Kevin Callahan |
| 13 | Central Arkansas | 0-0 | 363 | NR | Sept. 4 at Arkansas St. | Nathan Brown |
| 14 | Eastern Washington | 5-2 | 287 | 11 | Sept. 2 at UNLV | Aaron Best |
| 15 | Villanova | 2-2 | 284 | 18 | Sept. 4 at Lehigh | Mark Ferrante |
| 16 | Northern Iowa | 3-4 | 268 | NR | Sept. 4 at Iowa St. | Mark Farley |
| 17 | Southeastern Louisiana | 4-3 | 267 | 21 | Sept. 4 vs. North Alabama | Frank Scelfo |
| 18 | Chattanooga | 3-2 | 204 | NR | Sept. 2 vs. No. 25 Austin Peay | Rusty Wright |
| 19 | VMI | 6-2 | 167 | 12 | Sept. 4 vs. Davidson | Scott Wachenheim |
| 20 | Kennesaw St. | 4-1 | 165 | 15 | Sept. 2 vs. Reinhardt | Brian Bohannon |
| 21 | UC Davis | 3-2 | 135 | 16 | Sept. 2 at Tulsa | Dan Hawkins |
| 22 | Richmond | 3-1 | 104 | 14 | Sept. 4 vs. Howard | Russ Huesman |
| 23 | Nicholls | 4-3 | 88 | 23 | Sept. 4 at Memphis | Tim Rebowe |
| 24 | North Carolina A&T | 0-0 | 75 | NR | Sept. 4 at Furman | Sam Washington |
| 25 | Austin Peay | 4-5 | 65 | NR | Sept. 2 at No. 18 Chattanooga | Scotty Walden |
*– Ranking in final AFCA FCS Coaches Spring Poll of 2021
Others Receiving Votes: Murray St., 62; Missouri St., 39; Sacramento St., 39; New Hampshire, 31; Alabama A&M, 29; Samford, 18; Holy Cross, 16; Southern, 15; Alcorn St., 14; Florida A&M, 13; Stephen F. Austin, 11; East Tennessee St., 10; Jackson St., 10; Morehead St., 9; Princeton, 9; South Carolina St., 9; Furman, 7; Charleston Southern, 6; Youngstown St., 6; Arkansas-Pine Bluff, 5; Harvard, 4; Rhode Island, 4; Davidson, 3; Yale, 3; Sacred Heart, 2; Eastern Kentucky, 1; Norfolk St., 1.
For more information about the AFCA, visit www.AFCA.com. For more interesting articles, check out insider.afca.com 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.
