Defending National Champion Ferris State Begins 2023 at No. 1
August 14, 2023
For the second straight year, Ferris State (Mich.) begins a new football season at No. 1 in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Bulldogs repeated as Division II national champions in 2022 and will look for a three-peat as they begin play against Mercyhurst (Pa.) on August 31. No. 2 is last season’s runner-up, Colorado School of Mines. The Orediggers will begin 2023 with a new head coach in Pete Sterbick and a Top 3 matchup as they play host to No. 3 Grand Valley State (Mich.).
The only other Top 25 matchup during the first weekend of action pits No. 12 Ashland (Ohio) at No. 16 Indiana (Pa.). The Eagles will be looking for payback as IUP beat Ashland in the second round of the 2022 playoffs.
Rank School (1st votes) 2022 Rec. Pts. 2022 Rank Season Opener Head Coach
1 Ferris St. (Mich.) (29) 14-1 725 1 Aug. 31 vs. Mercyhurst (Pa.) Tony Annese
2 Colorado School of Mines 13-3 642 2 Aug. 31 vs. No. 3 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) Pete Sterbick
3 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 12-1 641 3 Aug. 31 at No. 2 Colorado School of Mines Scott Wooster
4 Pittsburg St. (Kan.) 12-1 633 5 Aug. 31 vs. Washburn (Kan.) Brian Wright
5 Angelo St. (Tex.) 12-1 590 7 Aug. 31 at West Alabama Jeff Girsch
6 Northwest Missouri St. 10-3 560 8 Aug. 31 at Missouri Southern Rich Wright
7 West Florida 12-2 482 4 Sept. 1 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan Kaleb Nobles
8 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 11-1 455 10 Aug. 31 at Southwestern Oklahoma St. Todd Knight
9 Minnesota St. 10-3 450 14 Aug. 31 at Sioux Falls (S.D.) Todd Hoffner
10 Delta St. (Miss.) 11-2 438 9 Aug. 31 at Missouri S&T Todd Cooley
11 Bemidji St. (Minn.) 10-3 420 24 Aug. 31 vs. Northern St. (S.D.) Brent Bolte
12 Ashland (Ohio) 10-2 387 13 Aug. 31 at No. 16 Indiana (Pa.) Doug Geiser
13 Shepherd (W.Va.) 13-2 359 6 Sept. 2 vs. Southern Connecticut St. Ernie McCook
14 Harding (Ark.) 9-2 305 22 Aug. 31 at Southern Nazarene (Okla.) Paul Simmons
15 Slippery Rock (Pa.) 10-3 304 16 Sept. 2 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.) Shawn Lutz
16 Indiana (Pa.) 10-2 300 11 Aug. 31 vs. No. 12 Ashland (Ohio) Paul Tortorella
17 Benedict (S.C.) (1) 11-1 232 12 Sept. 2 vs. Shaw (N.C.) Chennis Berry
18 Virginia Union 9-2 200 18 Sept. 3 vs. Morehouse (Ga.) Alvin Parker
19 Emporia St. (Kan.) 9-3 187 NR Aug. 31 vs. Lincoln (Mo.) Garin Higgins
20 Indianapolis (Ind.) 9-2 149 17 Sept. 2 vs. Hillsdale (Mich.) Chris Keevers
21 Wingate (N.C.) 11-3 147 15 Aug. 31 vs. Albany St. (Ga.) Joe Reich
22 West Georgia 8-2 146 19 Aug. 31 vs. Limestone (S.C.) David Dean
23 Assumption (Mass.) 8-3 132 NR Sept. 2 vs. Kutztown (Pa.) Andy McKenzie
24 Newberry (S.C.) 9-2 131 21 Sept. 2 at Shippensburg (Pa.) Todd Knight
25 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 8-3 129 NR Sept. 2 vs. St. Augustine’s (N.C.) Mike Jacobs
Others Receiving Votes: Notre Dame (Ohio), 99; Davenport (Mich.), 69; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 56; Bowie St. (Md.), 53; Truman St. (Mo.), 31; Central Washington, 30; Limestone (S.C.), 30; Winona St. (Minn.), 23; Wayne St. (Neb.), 18; Henderson St. (Ark.), 17; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 16; Tuskegee (Ala.), 16; Morehouse (Ga.), 13; Findlay (Ohio), 12; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 11; Ohio Dominican, 10; Tiffin (Ohio), 10; California (Pa.), 9; Washburn (Kan.), 9; Charleston (W.Va.), 8; Millersville (Pa.), 8; Mars Hill (N.C.), 6; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 6; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 6; Western Colorado, 6; Kutztown (Pa.), 5; Wayne St. (Mich.), 5; Winston-Salem St. (N.C.), 5; Gannon (Pa.), 4; Central Oklahoma, 3; Central St. (Ohio), 2; New Haven (Conn.), 2; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 2; Southern Arkansas, 2; Bluefield St. (W.Va.), 1; Minnesota-Duluth, 1; Nebraska-Kearney, 1; West Alabama, 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.
« « Previous PostNext Post » »
For the second straight year, Ferris State (Mich.) begins a new football season at No. 1 in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Bulldogs repeated as Division II national champions in 2022 and will look for a three-peat as they begin play against Mercyhurst (Pa.) on August 31. No. 2 is last season’s runner-up, Colorado School of Mines. The Orediggers will begin 2023 with a new head coach in Pete Sterbick and a Top 3 matchup as they play host to No. 3 Grand Valley State (Mich.).
The only other Top 25 matchup during the first weekend of action pits No. 12 Ashland (Ohio) at No. 16 Indiana (Pa.). The Eagles will be looking for payback as IUP beat Ashland in the second round of the 2022 playoffs.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2022 Rec. | Pts. | 2022 Rank | Season Opener | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferris St. (Mich.) (29) | 14-1 | 725 | 1 | Aug. 31 vs. Mercyhurst (Pa.) | Tony Annese | |
| 2 | Colorado School of Mines | 13-3 | 642 | 2 | Aug. 31 vs. No. 3 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | Pete Sterbick | |
| 3 | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 12-1 | 641 | 3 | Aug. 31 at No. 2 Colorado School of Mines | Scott Wooster | |
| 4 | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | 12-1 | 633 | 5 | Aug. 31 vs. Washburn (Kan.) | Brian Wright | |
| 5 | Angelo St. (Tex.) | 12-1 | 590 | 7 | Aug. 31 at West Alabama | Jeff Girsch | |
| 6 | Northwest Missouri St. | 10-3 | 560 | 8 | Aug. 31 at Missouri Southern | Rich Wright | |
| 7 | West Florida | 12-2 | 482 | 4 | Sept. 1 vs. Kentucky Wesleyan | Kaleb Nobles | |
| 8 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 11-1 | 455 | 10 | Aug. 31 at Southwestern Oklahoma St. | Todd Knight | |
| 9 | Minnesota St. | 10-3 | 450 | 14 | Aug. 31 at Sioux Falls (S.D.) | Todd Hoffner | |
| 10 | Delta St. (Miss.) | 11-2 | 438 | 9 | Aug. 31 at Missouri S&T | Todd Cooley | |
| 11 | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | 10-3 | 420 | 24 | Aug. 31 vs. Northern St. (S.D.) | Brent Bolte | |
| 12 | Ashland (Ohio) | 10-2 | 387 | 13 | Aug. 31 at No. 16 Indiana (Pa.) | Doug Geiser | |
| 13 | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 13-2 | 359 | 6 | Sept. 2 vs. Southern Connecticut St. | Ernie McCook | |
| 14 | Harding (Ark.) | 9-2 | 305 | 22 | Aug. 31 at Southern Nazarene (Okla.) | Paul Simmons | |
| 15 | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 10-3 | 304 | 16 | Sept. 2 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.) | Shawn Lutz | |
| 16 | Indiana (Pa.) | 10-2 | 300 | 11 | Aug. 31 vs. No. 12 Ashland (Ohio) | Paul Tortorella | |
| 17 | Benedict (S.C.) (1) | 11-1 | 232 | 12 | Sept. 2 vs. Shaw (N.C.) | Chennis Berry | |
| 18 | Virginia Union | 9-2 | 200 | 18 | Sept. 3 vs. Morehouse (Ga.) | Alvin Parker | |
| 19 | Emporia St. (Kan.) | 9-3 | 187 | NR | Aug. 31 vs. Lincoln (Mo.) | Garin Higgins | |
| 20 | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 9-2 | 149 | 17 | Sept. 2 vs. Hillsdale (Mich.) | Chris Keevers | |
| 21 | Wingate (N.C.) | 11-3 | 147 | 15 | Aug. 31 vs. Albany St. (Ga.) | Joe Reich | |
| 22 | West Georgia | 8-2 | 146 | 19 | Aug. 31 vs. Limestone (S.C.) | David Dean | |
| 23 | Assumption (Mass.) | 8-3 | 132 | NR | Sept. 2 vs. Kutztown (Pa.) | Andy McKenzie | |
| 24 | Newberry (S.C.) | 9-2 | 131 | 21 | Sept. 2 at Shippensburg (Pa.) | Todd Knight | |
| 25 | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 8-3 | 129 | NR | Sept. 2 vs. St. Augustine’s (N.C.) | Mike Jacobs |
Others Receiving Votes: Notre Dame (Ohio), 99; Davenport (Mich.), 69; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 56; Bowie St. (Md.), 53; Truman St. (Mo.), 31; Central Washington, 30; Limestone (S.C.), 30; Winona St. (Minn.), 23; Wayne St. (Neb.), 18; Henderson St. (Ark.), 17; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 16; Tuskegee (Ala.), 16; Morehouse (Ga.), 13; Findlay (Ohio), 12; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 11; Ohio Dominican, 10; Tiffin (Ohio), 10; California (Pa.), 9; Washburn (Kan.), 9; Charleston (W.Va.), 8; Millersville (Pa.), 8; Mars Hill (N.C.), 6; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 6; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 6; Western Colorado, 6; Kutztown (Pa.), 5; Wayne St. (Mich.), 5; Winston-Salem St. (N.C.), 5; Gannon (Pa.), 4; Central Oklahoma, 3; Central St. (Ohio), 2; New Haven (Conn.), 2; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 2; Southern Arkansas, 2; Bluefield St. (W.Va.), 1; Minnesota-Duluth, 1; Nebraska-Kearney, 1; West Alabama, 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.
