News/Commentary

FCS Coaches' Poll: South Dakota Takes Down No. 1 NDSU

November 25, 2024 by AFCA.com

South Dakota earned a lot of firsts on Saturday. First, they erased an 11-point deficit in the final four minutes of the game to beat then-No. 1 North Dakota State, 29-28. With the win, the Coyotes won a share of the program’s first-ever Missouri Valley Football Conference title and beat NDSU at home for the first time since 2002. It was also their first win over a No. 1-ranked opponent since beating Eastern Washington in 2011. South Dakota moves up one spot to No. 3 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, while the Bison drop to No. 4.  

Montana State ends the regular season as the new No. 1 team in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. This is the first time since the AFCA took over administration of the poll in 2018 that the Bobcats have been ranked in the top spot. They are also the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA FCS playoffs and received a first-round bye, along with seven of the top 10 teams in the poll. The only exceptions were No. 7 Richmond, who hosts Lehigh, and No. 10 Illinois State, who travels to No. 16 Southeast Missouri State, in the first round. 

There are three other top 25 matchups in the first round. No. 13 Montana will play host to No. 19 Tennessee State, who is making their first appearance in the playoffs since 2013. No. 17 ACU is in the FCS playoffs for the first time and will host No. 22 Northern Arizona, who last appeared in 2017. The final top 25 matchup has No. 20 UT Martin traveling to No. 24 New Hampshire.

SEE: FCS Preview

See: Congrove Computer Rankings (Top 129)

Learn more at AFCA.com.

Rank School (1st votes) W-L Points LW
1 Montana St. (23) 12-0 622 2
2 South Dakota St. (2) 10-2 593 3
3 South Dakota 9-2 571 4
4 North Dakota St. 10-2 554 1
5 UC Davis 10-2 522 5
6 UIW 10-2 495 6
7 Richmond 10-2 453 7
8 Idaho 9-3 443 8
9 Mercer 10-2 427 9
10 Illinois St. 9-3 392 13
11 Villanova 9-3 360 14
12 Rhode Island 10-2 351 15
13 Montana 8-4 304 10
14 Tarleton St. 9-3 290 16
15 Jackson St. 10-2 266 17
16 Southeast Missouri St. 9-3 236 11
17 ACU 8-4 220 12
18 South Carolina St. 9-2 194 21t
19 Tennessee St. 9-3 150 25
20 UT Martin 8-4 128 24
21 Missouri St. 8-4 124 18
22 Northern Arizona 8-4 100 NR
23 North Carolina Central 8-3 54 NR
24 New Hampshire 8-4 47 NR
25 Duquesne 8-3 46 19

Dropped Out: Stony Brook (20), Harvard (21t), Butler (23)

Others Receiving Votes: Stony Brook, 44; Eastern Kentucky, 32; Drake, 29; Lehigh, 19; Dartmouth, 16; Harvard, 16; Central Connecticut St., 12; Chattanooga, 6; Butler, 4; Southeastern Louisiana, 4; Columbia, 2.