North Dakota State Starts 2022 at No. 1
August 15, 2022
North Dakota State will begin the 2022 football season in familiar territory, at No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Bison won their ninth FCS national championship in January and earned 24 first-place votes. North Dakota State begins its defense of their title on September 3 vs. Drake.
A quarterfinalist from last season, Montana comes in the second spot followed by South Dakota State at No. 3, who earned the final first-place vote.
The runner-up from a year ago, Montana State, starts at No. 4 with Villanova rounding out the Top 5.
There is only one Top 25 matchup in the first full weekend of games as No. 9 Southern Illinois travels to No. 14 UIW on September 3. The Salukis and Cardinals both reached the second round of the playoffs in 2021.
Rank School (1st votes) 2021 Rec. Pts. 2021 Rank Season Opener Head Coach
1 North Dakota St. (24) 14-1 624 1 Sept. 3 vs. Drake Matt Entz
2 Montana 10-3 567 6 Sept. 3 vs. Northwestern St. Bobby Hauck
3 South Dakota St. (1) 11-4 566 5 Sept. 3 at Iowa John Stiegelmeier
4 Montana St. 12-3 560 2 Sept. 3 vs. McNeese St. Brent Vigen
5 Villanova 10-3 493 8 Sept. 2 vs. Lehigh Mark Ferrante
6 Kennesaw St. 11-2 453 10 Sept. 1 at Samford Brian Bohannon
7 Sacramento St. 9-3 452 11 Sept. 3 vs. Utah Tech Troy Taylor
8 Missouri St. 8-4 405 14 Sept. 1 at Central Arkansas Bobby Petrino
9 Southern Illinois 8-5 379 17 Sept. 3 at No. 14 UIW Nick Hill
10 Stephen F. Austin 8-4 362 18 Aug. 27 vs. Jacksonville St. Colby Carthel
11 East Tennessee St. 11-2 352 7 Sept. 1 vs. Mars Hill George Quarles
12 Eastern Washington 10-3 337 9 Sept. 3 vs. Tennessee St. Aaron Best
13 Chattanooga 6-5 294 NR Sept. 3 vs. Wofford Rusty Wright
14 UIW 10-3 277 13 Sept. 3 vs. No. 9 Southern Illinois G.J. Kinne
15 UT Martin 10-3 257 12 Sept. 1 vs. Western Illinois Jason Simpson
16 Southeastern Louisiana 9-4 254 15 Sept. 3 at Louisiana Frank Scelfo
17 Jackson St. 11-2 245 19 Sept. 4 vs. Florida A&M Deion Sanders
18 Holy Cross 10-3 184 22 Sept. 2 at Merrimack Bob Chesney
19 Delaware 5-6 172 NR Sept. 3 at Navy Ryan Carty
20 Weber St. 6-5 141 NR Sept. 1 vs. Western Oregon Jay Hill
21 Northern Iowa 6-6 119 25 Sept. 3 at Air Force Mark Farley
22 UC Davis 8-4 101 16 Sept. 3 at California Dan Hawkins
23 Mercer 7-3 78 NR Aug. 27 vs. Morehead St. Drew Cronic
24t. Rhode Island 7-4 66 NR Sept. 1 at Stony Brook Jim Fleming
24t. Richmond 6-5 66 NR Sept. 3 at Virginia Russ Huesman
Two preseason Top 25 teams begin their season a week earlier than everybody else. No. 10 Stephen F. Austin hosts Jacksonville State and No. 23 Mercer hosts Morehead State on August 27.
Others Receiving Votes: South Dakota, 49; Florida A&M, 44; Harvard, 38; South Carolina St., 38; Princeton, 29; Central Arkansas, 23; Eastern Kentucky, 18; Dartmouth, 17; Nicholls, 8; Furman, 6; North Carolina A&T, 6; William & Mary, 6; Murray St., 5; Davidson, 3; Fordham, 3; Southeast Missouri St., 3; North Dakota, 2; Utah Tech, 2; Austin Peay, 1; Elon, 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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North Dakota State will begin the 2022 football season in familiar territory, at No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Bison won their ninth FCS national championship in January and earned 24 first-place votes. North Dakota State begins its defense of their title on September 3 vs. Drake.
A quarterfinalist from last season, Montana comes in the second spot followed by South Dakota State at No. 3, who earned the final first-place vote.
The runner-up from a year ago, Montana State, starts at No. 4 with Villanova rounding out the Top 5.
There is only one Top 25 matchup in the first full weekend of games as No. 9 Southern Illinois travels to No. 14 UIW on September 3. The Salukis and Cardinals both reached the second round of the playoffs in 2021.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2021 Rec. | Pts. | 2021 Rank | Season Opener | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Dakota St. (24) | 14-1 | 624 | 1 | Sept. 3 vs. Drake | Matt Entz |
| 2 | Montana | 10-3 | 567 | 6 | Sept. 3 vs. Northwestern St. | Bobby Hauck |
| 3 | South Dakota St. (1) | 11-4 | 566 | 5 | Sept. 3 at Iowa | John Stiegelmeier |
| 4 | Montana St. | 12-3 | 560 | 2 | Sept. 3 vs. McNeese St. | Brent Vigen |
| 5 | Villanova | 10-3 | 493 | 8 | Sept. 2 vs. Lehigh | Mark Ferrante |
| 6 | Kennesaw St. | 11-2 | 453 | 10 | Sept. 1 at Samford | Brian Bohannon |
| 7 | Sacramento St. | 9-3 | 452 | 11 | Sept. 3 vs. Utah Tech | Troy Taylor |
| 8 | Missouri St. | 8-4 | 405 | 14 | Sept. 1 at Central Arkansas | Bobby Petrino |
| 9 | Southern Illinois | 8-5 | 379 | 17 | Sept. 3 at No. 14 UIW | Nick Hill |
| 10 | Stephen F. Austin | 8-4 | 362 | 18 | Aug. 27 vs. Jacksonville St. | Colby Carthel |
| 11 | East Tennessee St. | 11-2 | 352 | 7 | Sept. 1 vs. Mars Hill | George Quarles |
| 12 | Eastern Washington | 10-3 | 337 | 9 | Sept. 3 vs. Tennessee St. | Aaron Best |
| 13 | Chattanooga | 6-5 | 294 | NR | Sept. 3 vs. Wofford | Rusty Wright |
| 14 | UIW | 10-3 | 277 | 13 | Sept. 3 vs. No. 9 Southern Illinois | G.J. Kinne |
| 15 | UT Martin | 10-3 | 257 | 12 | Sept. 1 vs. Western Illinois | Jason Simpson |
| 16 | Southeastern Louisiana | 9-4 | 254 | 15 | Sept. 3 at Louisiana | Frank Scelfo |
| 17 | Jackson St. | 11-2 | 245 | 19 | Sept. 4 vs. Florida A&M | Deion Sanders |
| 18 | Holy Cross | 10-3 | 184 | 22 | Sept. 2 at Merrimack | Bob Chesney |
| 19 | Delaware | 5-6 | 172 | NR | Sept. 3 at Navy | Ryan Carty |
| 20 | Weber St. | 6-5 | 141 | NR | Sept. 1 vs. Western Oregon | Jay Hill |
| 21 | Northern Iowa | 6-6 | 119 | 25 | Sept. 3 at Air Force | Mark Farley |
| 22 | UC Davis | 8-4 | 101 | 16 | Sept. 3 at California | Dan Hawkins |
| 23 | Mercer | 7-3 | 78 | NR | Aug. 27 vs. Morehead St. | Drew Cronic |
| 24t. | Rhode Island | 7-4 | 66 | NR | Sept. 1 at Stony Brook | Jim Fleming |
| 24t. | Richmond | 6-5 | 66 | NR | Sept. 3 at Virginia | Russ Huesman |
Two preseason Top 25 teams begin their season a week earlier than everybody else. No. 10 Stephen F. Austin hosts Jacksonville State and No. 23 Mercer hosts Morehead State on August 27.
Others Receiving Votes: South Dakota, 49; Florida A&M, 44; Harvard, 38; South Carolina St., 38; Princeton, 29; Central Arkansas, 23; Eastern Kentucky, 18; Dartmouth, 17; Nicholls, 8; Furman, 6; North Carolina A&T, 6; William & Mary, 6; Murray St., 5; Davidson, 3; Fordham, 3; Southeast Missouri St., 3; North Dakota, 2; Utah Tech, 2; Austin Peay, 1; Elon, 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.
