News/Commentary

FCS Coaches' Poll: NDSU starts 2025 at No. 1

August 11, 2025 by AFCA.com

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. 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.  

See: Congrove Computer Rankings

Learn more at AFCA.com.

Rank School (1st votes) W-L Points LW
1 North Dakota St. (26) 14-2 650 1
2 Montana St. 15-1 612 2
3 South Dakota St. 12-3 581 3
4 UIW 11-3 541 6
5 South Dakota 11-3 521 4
6 Illinois St. 10-4 466 9
7 UC Davis 11-3 456 5
8 Tarleton St. 10-4 454 12
9 Montana 9-5 447 13
10 Rhode Island 11-3 416 11
11 Mercer 11-3 396 7
12 Idaho 10-4 371 8
13 Villanova 10-4 338 10
14 Sacramento St. 3-9 265 NR
15 Lehigh 9-4 207 22
16 ACU 9-5 203 15
17 Jackson St. 12-2 200 14
18 Northern Arizona 8-5 168 21
19 Western Carolina 7-5 147 NR
20 Southern Illinois 4-8 132 NR
21 Monmouth (N.J.) 6-6 116 NR
22t. Richmond 10-3 111 17
22t. Tennessee Tech 7-5 111 NR
24 Stephen F. Austin 7-5 82 NR
25 Stony Brook 8-4 69 NR

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.