Defending National Champion Harding Preseason No. 1
August 12, 2024
Harding (Ark.) will begin the 2024 season at No. 1 in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The Bison went undefeated in 2023 en route to the program’s first Division II national championship. They will start defense of that title on September 5 vs. Southern Nazarene (Okla.). Central Missouri, who lost to Harding in the second round of last year’s playoffs, has the No. 2 spot. This is the Mules highest ever ranking in the preseason AFCA poll.
Conference rivals Ferris State (Mich.) and Grand Valley State (Mich.) earned the third and fourth spots, respectively, with each receiving a first-place vote. The Bulldogs have one of two top 25 matchups in the opening weekend as they will travel to No. 6 Pittsburg State (Kan.) on August 31. Rounding out the top 5 is the runner-up from last season’s national championship game, the Colorado School of Mines. The Orediggers went 14-1 in 2023 and will look to start 2024 1-0 against West Texas A&M on September 5.
Rank School (1st votes) 2023 Rec. Pts. 2023 Rank Season Opener Head Coach
1 Harding (Ark.) (25) 15-0 672 1 Sept. 5 vs. Southern Nazarene (Okla.) Paul Simmons
2 Central Missouri 11-2 620 6 Sept. 7 vs. Northeastern St. (Okla.) Josh Lamberson
3 Ferris St. (Mich.) (1) 8-3 590 9 Aug. 31 at No. 6 Pittsburg St. (Kan.) Tony Annese
4 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (1) 11-2 566 3 Sept. 5 vs. Central St. (Ohio) Scott Wooster
5 Colorado School of Mines 14-1 564 2 Sept. 5 vs. West Texas A&M Pete Sterbick
6 Pittsburg St. (Kan.) 11-2 540 5 Aug. 31 vs. No. 3 Ferris St. (Mich.) Tom Anthony
7 Valdosta St. (Ga.) 12-2 516 8 Aug. 31 vs. Albany St. (Ga.) Tremaine Jackson
8 Central Washington 9-4 418 17 Sept. 7 at San Diego (Calif.) Chris Fisk
9 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) 13-2 416 4 Sept. 7 vs. Bowie St. (Md.) Doug Socha
10 Kutztown (Pa.) 12-3 413 7 Sept. 5 vs. Assumption (Mass.) Jim Clements
11 Slippery Rock (Pa.) 12-2 384 10 Sept. 7 vs. New Haven (Conn.) Shawn Lutz
12 West Florida 8-4 330 23 Sept. 5 vs. McKendree (Ill.) Kaleb Nobles
13 Minnesota St. 9-3 232 21 Aug. 29 at No. 22 Northwest Missouri St. Todd Hoffner
14 Augustana (S.D.) 11-2 231 13 Sept. 5 at Mary (N.D.) Jerry Olszewski
15 Western Colorado 10-2 230 15 Sept. 7 vs. Midwestern St. (Tex.) Jas Bains
16 Indianapolis (Ind.) 9-2 216 22 Sept. 7 at Hillsdale (Mich.) Chris Keevers
17 Minnesota-Duluth 9-2 214 25 Aug. 29 at Northern Michigan Curt Wiese
18 Delta St. (Miss.) 10-2 212 11 Aug. 29 at Mars Hill (N.C.) Todd Cooley
19 Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) 9-2 209 NR Sept. 5 vs. Southwestern Oklahoma St. Todd Knight
20 Virginia Union 10-2 183 20 Aug. 31 at Kentucky St. Alvin Parker
21 Texas-Permian Basin 10-2 169 18 Aug. 31 vs. Western New Mexico Kris McCullough
22 Northwest Missouri St. 7-4 167 NR Aug. 29 vs. No. 13 Minnesota St. Rich Wright
23 Charleston (W.Va.) 10-2 102 19 Aug. 31 at Livingstone (N.C.) Quinn Sanders
24 Angelo St. (Tex.) 7-3 89 NR Aug. 29 at Fort Hays St. (Kan.) Jeff Girsch
25 Bemidji St. (Minn.) 9-3 70 16 Aug. 29 vs. Michigan Tech Brent Bolte
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2023
Others Receiving Votes: Benedict (S.C.), 64; Henderson St. (Ark.), 56; Virginia St., 54; Tiffin (Ohio), 34; Southern Arkansas, 24; Ashland (Ohio), 21; Davenport (Mich.), 21; Wingate (N.C.), 20; Emporia St. (Kan.), 18; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 17; Albany St. (Ga.), 15; Findlay (Ohio), 14; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 12; California (Pa.), 11; Oklahoma Baptist, 11; Shepherd (W.Va.), 8; New Haven (Conn.), 7; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 6; Wayne St. (Neb.), 3; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 2; Truman St. (Mo.), 2; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 1; Indiana (Pa.), 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.
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Harding (Ark.) will begin the 2024 season at No. 1 in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The Bison went undefeated in 2023 en route to the program’s first Division II national championship. They will start defense of that title on September 5 vs. Southern Nazarene (Okla.). Central Missouri, who lost to Harding in the second round of last year’s playoffs, has the No. 2 spot. This is the Mules highest ever ranking in the preseason AFCA poll.
Conference rivals Ferris State (Mich.) and Grand Valley State (Mich.) earned the third and fourth spots, respectively, with each receiving a first-place vote. The Bulldogs have one of two top 25 matchups in the opening weekend as they will travel to No. 6 Pittsburg State (Kan.) on August 31. Rounding out the top 5 is the runner-up from last season’s national championship game, the Colorado School of Mines. The Orediggers went 14-1 in 2023 and will look to start 2024 1-0 against West Texas A&M on September 5.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2023 Rec. | Pts. | 2023 Rank | Season Opener | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Harding (Ark.) (25) | 15-0 | 672 | 1 | Sept. 5 vs. Southern Nazarene (Okla.) | Paul Simmons | |
| 2 | Central Missouri | 11-2 | 620 | 6 | Sept. 7 vs. Northeastern St. (Okla.) | Josh Lamberson | |
| 3 | Ferris St. (Mich.) (1) | 8-3 | 590 | 9 | Aug. 31 at No. 6 Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | Tony Annese | |
| 4 | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (1) | 11-2 | 566 | 3 | Sept. 5 vs. Central St. (Ohio) | Scott Wooster | |
| 5 | Colorado School of Mines | 14-1 | 564 | 2 | Sept. 5 vs. West Texas A&M | Pete Sterbick | |
| 6 | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | 11-2 | 540 | 5 | Aug. 31 vs. No. 3 Ferris St. (Mich.) | Tom Anthony | |
| 7 | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 12-2 | 516 | 8 | Aug. 31 vs. Albany St. (Ga.) | Tremaine Jackson | |
| 8 | Central Washington | 9-4 | 418 | 17 | Sept. 7 at San Diego (Calif.) | Chris Fisk | |
| 9 | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 13-2 | 416 | 4 | Sept. 7 vs. Bowie St. (Md.) | Doug Socha | |
| 10 | Kutztown (Pa.) | 12-3 | 413 | 7 | Sept. 5 vs. Assumption (Mass.) | Jim Clements | |
| 11 | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 12-2 | 384 | 10 | Sept. 7 vs. New Haven (Conn.) | Shawn Lutz | |
| 12 | West Florida | 8-4 | 330 | 23 | Sept. 5 vs. McKendree (Ill.) | Kaleb Nobles | |
| 13 | Minnesota St. | 9-3 | 232 | 21 | Aug. 29 at No. 22 Northwest Missouri St. | Todd Hoffner | |
| 14 | Augustana (S.D.) | 11-2 | 231 | 13 | Sept. 5 at Mary (N.D.) | Jerry Olszewski | |
| 15 | Western Colorado | 10-2 | 230 | 15 | Sept. 7 vs. Midwestern St. (Tex.) | Jas Bains | |
| 16 | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 9-2 | 216 | 22 | Sept. 7 at Hillsdale (Mich.) | Chris Keevers | |
| 17 | Minnesota-Duluth | 9-2 | 214 | 25 | Aug. 29 at Northern Michigan | Curt Wiese | |
| 18 | Delta St. (Miss.) | 10-2 | 212 | 11 | Aug. 29 at Mars Hill (N.C.) | Todd Cooley | |
| 19 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 9-2 | 209 | NR | Sept. 5 vs. Southwestern Oklahoma St. | Todd Knight | |
| 20 | Virginia Union | 10-2 | 183 | 20 | Aug. 31 at Kentucky St. | Alvin Parker | |
| 21 | Texas-Permian Basin | 10-2 | 169 | 18 | Aug. 31 vs. Western New Mexico | Kris McCullough | |
| 22 | Northwest Missouri St. | 7-4 | 167 | NR | Aug. 29 vs. No. 13 Minnesota St. | Rich Wright | |
| 23 | Charleston (W.Va.) | 10-2 | 102 | 19 | Aug. 31 at Livingstone (N.C.) | Quinn Sanders | |
| 24 | Angelo St. (Tex.) | 7-3 | 89 | NR | Aug. 29 at Fort Hays St. (Kan.) | Jeff Girsch | |
| 25 | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | 9-3 | 70 | 16 | Aug. 29 vs. Michigan Tech | Brent Bolte |
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2023
Others Receiving Votes: Benedict (S.C.), 64; Henderson St. (Ark.), 56; Virginia St., 54; Tiffin (Ohio), 34; Southern Arkansas, 24; Ashland (Ohio), 21; Davenport (Mich.), 21; Wingate (N.C.), 20; Emporia St. (Kan.), 18; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 17; Albany St. (Ga.), 15; Findlay (Ohio), 14; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 12; California (Pa.), 11; Oklahoma Baptist, 11; Shepherd (W.Va.), 8; New Haven (Conn.), 7; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 6; Wayne St. (Neb.), 3; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 2; Truman St. (Mo.), 2; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 1; Indiana (Pa.), 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.
