2019 National Champion West Florida Begins 2021 at No. 1
August 16, 2021
Two years off the program’s first national title, West Florida begins the 2021 season at No. 1 in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. As with most teams in Division II, the Argonauts are almost two years removed from their last football game. West Florida, who received 26 first-place votes, begins their title defense on September 2 against FCS-member McNeese. The runner-up in 2019, Minnesota State, sits at No. 2 and received two first-place votes. Ferris State (Mich.), Northwest Missouri State, who earned the final first-place vote, and Slippery Rock (Pa.) round out the Top 5.
RELATED ARTICLE: [D2 POLL] Valdosta State Finishes 2019 Regular Season Perfect
There is only one Top 25 matchup during the first week of the regular season and it is a good one as No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce travels north to face No. 12 Colorado State-Pueblo. The Lions are 0-2 all-time versus CSU-Pueblo.
2021 American Football Coaches Association Preseason Division II Coaches’ Poll – August 16, 2021
Rank School (1st votes) 2019 Rec. Pts. 2019 Rank Season Opener Head Coach
1 West Florida (26) 13-2 698 1 Sept. 2 at McNeese (La.) Pete Shinnick
2 Minnesota St. (2) 14-1 673 2 Sept. 2 vs. Northern St. (S.D.) Todd Hoffner
3 Ferris St. (Mich.) 12-1 630 3 Sept. 2 vs. Findlay (Ohio) Tony Annese
4 Northwest Missouri St. (1) 12-2 575 7 Sept. 2 at No. 24 Fort Hays St. (Kan.) Rich Wright
5 Slippery Rock (Pa.) 13-1 544 6 Sept. 2 at Wayne St. (Mich.) Shawn Lutz
6t. Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 13-1 540 4 Sept. 4 at Virginia St. Mike Jacobs
6t. Valdosta St. (Ga.) 10-1 540 5 Sept. 2 vs. Savannah St. (Ga.) Gary Goff
8 Texas A&M-Commerce 10-3 520 11 Sept. 2 at No. 13 Colorado St.-Pueblo David Bailiff
9 Notre Dame (Ohio) 12-2 501 10 Sept. 4 vs. Ashland (Ohio) Mickey Mental
10 Colorado School of Mines 12-1 423 8 Sept. 2 vs. Western Oregon Gregg Brandon
11 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 11-1 387 14 Sept. 2 vs. Oklahoma Baptist Todd Knight
12 Colorado St.-Pueblo 11-2 327 12 Sept. 2 vs. No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce John Wristen
13 Central Missouri 11-2 323 13 Sept. 2 vs. Pittsburg St. (Kan.) Jim Svoboda
14 Indianapolis (Ind.) 9-2 261 17 Sept. 4 at Saint Xavier (Ill.) Chris Keevers
15 Shepherd (W.Va.) 10-3 256 22 Sept. 2 at Ohio Dominican Ernie McCook
16 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 8-3 231 NR Sept. 2 vs. Edinboro (Pa.) Matt Mitchell
17 Indiana (Pa.) 10-2 220 21 Sept. 11 vs. No. 20 Kutztown (Pa.) Paul Tortorella
18 Bowie St. (Md.) 11-1 210 18 Sept. 4 at Delaware St. Damon Wilson
19 Tiffin (Ohio) 9-2 188 23 Sept. 4 at Marian (Ind.) Chris Reisert
20 Kutztown (Pa.) 11-2 144 16 Sept. 4 vs. Assumption (Mass.) Jim Clements
21 Lindenwood (Mo.) 9-4 134 25 Sept. 2 vs. Angelo St. (Texas) Jed Stugart
22 Harding (Ark.) 10-2 120 15 Sept. 4 vs. East Central (Okla.) Paul Simmons
23 Minnesota-Duluth 8-3 100 NR Sept. 2 at Upper Iowa Curt Wiese
24t. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) 9-3 95 20 Sept. 2 vs. West Georgia Mike Clowney
24t. Wingate (N.C.) 10-2 95 16 Sept. 2 vs. Shaw (N.C.) Joe Reich
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2019
Others Receiving Votes: Fort Hays St., 90; Tusculum (Tenn.), 52; Angelo St. (Texas), 49; Augustana (S.D.), 42; Ashland (Ohio), 38; West Chester (Pa.), 38; Delta St. (Miss.), 35; West Texas A&M, 26; Midwestern St. (Texas), 25; Bentley (Mass.), 24; Henderson St. (Ark.), 24; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 23; UT-Permian Basin (Texas), 23; Ohio Dominican, 20; Findlay (Ohio), 18; West Alabama, 18; California (Pa.), 17; Charleston (W.Va.), 16; Central Washington, 15; Miles (Ala.), 15; Truman St. (Mo.), 15; Oklahoma Baptist, 14; Assumption (Mass.), 9; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 8; Wayne St. (Mich.), 8; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 6; Virginia Union, 6; Chadron St. (Neb.), 4; Nebraska-Kearney, 4; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 2; West Georgia, 2; Hillsdale (Mich.), 1; Missouri Western, 1; Virginia St., 1; Western Oregon, 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.
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Two years off the program’s first national title, West Florida begins the 2021 season at No. 1 in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. As with most teams in Division II, the Argonauts are almost two years removed from their last football game. West Florida, who received 26 first-place votes, begins their title defense on September 2 against FCS-member McNeese. The runner-up in 2019, Minnesota State, sits at No. 2 and received two first-place votes. Ferris State (Mich.), Northwest Missouri State, who earned the final first-place vote, and Slippery Rock (Pa.) round out the Top 5.
RELATED ARTICLE: [D2 POLL] Valdosta State Finishes 2019 Regular Season Perfect
There is only one Top 25 matchup during the first week of the regular season and it is a good one as No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce travels north to face No. 12 Colorado State-Pueblo. The Lions are 0-2 all-time versus CSU-Pueblo.
2021 American Football Coaches Association Preseason Division II Coaches’ Poll – August 16, 2021
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2019 Rec. | Pts. | 2019 Rank | Season Opener | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Florida (26) | 13-2 | 698 | 1 | Sept. 2 at McNeese (La.) | Pete Shinnick |
| 2 | Minnesota St. (2) | 14-1 | 673 | 2 | Sept. 2 vs. Northern St. (S.D.) | Todd Hoffner |
| 3 | Ferris St. (Mich.) | 12-1 | 630 | 3 | Sept. 2 vs. Findlay (Ohio) | Tony Annese |
| 4 | Northwest Missouri St. (1) | 12-2 | 575 | 7 | Sept. 2 at No. 24 Fort Hays St. (Kan.) | Rich Wright |
| 5 | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 13-1 | 544 | 6 | Sept. 2 at Wayne St. (Mich.) | Shawn Lutz |
| 6t. | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 13-1 | 540 | 4 | Sept. 4 at Virginia St. | Mike Jacobs |
| 6t. | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 10-1 | 540 | 5 | Sept. 2 vs. Savannah St. (Ga.) | Gary Goff |
| 8 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 10-3 | 520 | 11 | Sept. 2 at No. 13 Colorado St.-Pueblo | David Bailiff |
| 9 | Notre Dame (Ohio) | 12-2 | 501 | 10 | Sept. 4 vs. Ashland (Ohio) | Mickey Mental |
| 10 | Colorado School of Mines | 12-1 | 423 | 8 | Sept. 2 vs. Western Oregon | Gregg Brandon |
| 11 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 11-1 | 387 | 14 | Sept. 2 vs. Oklahoma Baptist | Todd Knight |
| 12 | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 11-2 | 327 | 12 | Sept. 2 vs. No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce | John Wristen |
| 13 | Central Missouri | 11-2 | 323 | 13 | Sept. 2 vs. Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | Jim Svoboda |
| 14 | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 9-2 | 261 | 17 | Sept. 4 at Saint Xavier (Ill.) | Chris Keevers |
| 15 | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 10-3 | 256 | 22 | Sept. 2 at Ohio Dominican | Ernie McCook |
| 16 | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 8-3 | 231 | NR | Sept. 2 vs. Edinboro (Pa.) | Matt Mitchell |
| 17 | Indiana (Pa.) | 10-2 | 220 | 21 | Sept. 11 vs. No. 20 Kutztown (Pa.) | Paul Tortorella |
| 18 | Bowie St. (Md.) | 11-1 | 210 | 18 | Sept. 4 at Delaware St. | Damon Wilson |
| 19 | Tiffin (Ohio) | 9-2 | 188 | 23 | Sept. 4 at Marian (Ind.) | Chris Reisert |
| 20 | Kutztown (Pa.) | 11-2 | 144 | 16 | Sept. 4 vs. Assumption (Mass.) | Jim Clements |
| 21 | Lindenwood (Mo.) | 9-4 | 134 | 25 | Sept. 2 vs. Angelo St. (Texas) | Jed Stugart |
| 22 | Harding (Ark.) | 10-2 | 120 | 15 | Sept. 4 vs. East Central (Okla.) | Paul Simmons |
| 23 | Minnesota-Duluth | 8-3 | 100 | NR | Sept. 2 at Upper Iowa | Curt Wiese |
| 24t. | Carson-Newman (Tenn.) | 9-3 | 95 | 20 | Sept. 2 vs. West Georgia | Mike Clowney |
| 24t. | Wingate (N.C.) | 10-2 | 95 | 16 | Sept. 2 vs. Shaw (N.C.) | Joe Reich |
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2019
Others Receiving Votes: Fort Hays St., 90; Tusculum (Tenn.), 52; Angelo St. (Texas), 49; Augustana (S.D.), 42; Ashland (Ohio), 38; West Chester (Pa.), 38; Delta St. (Miss.), 35; West Texas A&M, 26; Midwestern St. (Texas), 25; Bentley (Mass.), 24; Henderson St. (Ark.), 24; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 23; UT-Permian Basin (Texas), 23; Ohio Dominican, 20; Findlay (Ohio), 18; West Alabama, 18; California (Pa.), 17; Charleston (W.Va.), 16; Central Washington, 15; Miles (Ala.), 15; Truman St. (Mo.), 15; Oklahoma Baptist, 14; Assumption (Mass.), 9; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 8; Wayne St. (Mich.), 8; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 6; Virginia Union, 6; Chadron St. (Neb.), 4; Nebraska-Kearney, 4; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 2; West Georgia, 2; Hillsdale (Mich.), 1; Missouri Western, 1; Virginia St., 1; Western Oregon, 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.
