South Dakota State Preseason No. 1 For Second Straight Year
August 12, 2024
Coming off their second straight FCS national title, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits are the preseason No. 1 team in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. SDSU went 15-0 in 2023 and dominated Montana in the national championship game to give first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers his first national title. The Jackrabbits begin their title defense on August 31 against Oklahoma State.
North Dakota State will start the 2024 season at No. 2. Under new head coach Tim Polasek, the Bison start their season at Colorado. Last year’s runner-up, Montana, comes in at No. 3. The Grizz will look to go one step further in 2024, with their season kicking off against Missouri State. Montana State and South Dakota round out the top five. There is only one top 25 matchup in the first full week of action with No. 6 Villanova playing host to No. 23 Youngstown State on August 29.
Rank School (1st votes) 2023 Rec. Pts. 2023 Rank Season Opener Head Coach
1 South Dakota St. (25) 15-0 649 1 Aug. 31 at Oklahoma St. Jimmy Rogers
2 North Dakota St. 11-4 614 3 Aug. 29 at Colorado Tim Polasek
3 Montana 13-2 576 2 Aug. 31 vs. Missouri St. Bobby Hauck
4 Montana St. 8-4 518 8 Aug. 24 at New Mexico Brent Vigen
5 South Dakota 10-3 512 4t Aug. 29 vs. Northern St. Bob Nielson
6 Villanova 10-3 502 9 Aug. 29 vs. No. 23 Youngstown St. Mark Ferrante
7 Idaho 9-4 473 4t Aug. 31 at Oregon Jason Eck
8 Chattanooga 8-5 403 17 Aug. 31 at Tennessee Rusty Wright
9 Furman 10-3 392 6 Aug. 31 at Ole Miss Clay Hendrix
10 Sacramento St. 8-5 382 15 Aug. 29 at San Jose St. Andy Thompson
11 Southern Illinois 8-5 370 13 Aug. 31 at BYU Nick Hill
12 Richmond 9-4 353 22 Aug. 31 at Virginia Russ Huesman
13 Central Arkansas 7-4 339 NR Aug. 31 at Arkansas St. Nathan Brown
14 UAlbany 11-4 275 7 Aug. 31 vs. LIU Greg Gattuso
15 UIW 9-2 259 14 Aug. 31 vs. Northern Colorado Clint Killough
16 William & Mary 6-5 196 NR Aug. 29 vs. VMI Mike London
17 UC Davis 7-4 164 NR Aug. 31 at California Tim Plough
18 Lafayette 9-3 157 19 Aug. 29 at Buffalo John Troxell
19 Western Carolina 7-4 144 NR Aug. 29 at NC State Kerwin Bell
20 Illinois St. 6-5 143 NR Aug. 31 at Iowa Brock Spack
21 Tarleton 8-3 137 NR Aug. 24 vs. McNeese Todd Whitten
22 North Dakota 7-5 131 16 Aug. 31 at Iowa St. Bubba Schweigert
23 Youngstown St. 8-5 97 21 Aug. 29 at No. 6 Villanova Doug Phillips
24 Nicholls 6-5 91 NR Aug. 31 at Louisiana Tech Tim Rebowe
25 Florida A&M (1) 12-1 71 10 Aug. 24 vs. Norfolk St. James Colzie III
*– Ranking in final AFCA FCS Coaches Poll of 2023
Others Receiving Votes: Weber St., 66; North Carolina Central, 53; Eastern Illinois, 50; UT Martin, 38; Austin Peay, 35; Northern Iowa, 33; Harvard, 32; Yale, 31; Mercer, 27; Holy Cross, 20; Howard, 20; Alabama St., 17; Northern Arizona, 17; Elon, 16; Alcorn St., 9; Duquesne, 7; North Carolina A&T, 6; Fordham, 5; Gardner-Webb, 4; Indiana St., 3; Missouri St., 3; Butler, 2; Eastern Kentucky, 2; Southeast Missouri St., 2; Eastern Washington, 1; Murray St., 1; Samford, 1; Utah Tech, 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 » »
Coming off their second straight FCS national title, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits are the preseason No. 1 team in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. SDSU went 15-0 in 2023 and dominated Montana in the national championship game to give first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers his first national title. The Jackrabbits begin their title defense on August 31 against Oklahoma State.
North Dakota State will start the 2024 season at No. 2. Under new head coach Tim Polasek, the Bison start their season at Colorado. Last year’s runner-up, Montana, comes in at No. 3. The Grizz will look to go one step further in 2024, with their season kicking off against Missouri State. Montana State and South Dakota round out the top five. There is only one top 25 matchup in the first full week of action with No. 6 Villanova playing host to No. 23 Youngstown State on August 29.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2023 Rec. | Pts. | 2023 Rank | Season Opener | Head Coach | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Dakota St. (25) | 15-0 | 649 | 1 | Aug. 31 at Oklahoma St. | Jimmy Rogers | |
| 2 | North Dakota St. | 11-4 | 614 | 3 | Aug. 29 at Colorado | Tim Polasek | |
| 3 | Montana | 13-2 | 576 | 2 | Aug. 31 vs. Missouri St. | Bobby Hauck | |
| 4 | Montana St. | 8-4 | 518 | 8 | Aug. 24 at New Mexico | Brent Vigen | |
| 5 | South Dakota | 10-3 | 512 | 4t | Aug. 29 vs. Northern St. | Bob Nielson | |
| 6 | Villanova | 10-3 | 502 | 9 | Aug. 29 vs. No. 23 Youngstown St. | Mark Ferrante | |
| 7 | Idaho | 9-4 | 473 | 4t | Aug. 31 at Oregon | Jason Eck | |
| 8 | Chattanooga | 8-5 | 403 | 17 | Aug. 31 at Tennessee | Rusty Wright | |
| 9 | Furman | 10-3 | 392 | 6 | Aug. 31 at Ole Miss | Clay Hendrix | |
| 10 | Sacramento St. | 8-5 | 382 | 15 | Aug. 29 at San Jose St. | Andy Thompson | |
| 11 | Southern Illinois | 8-5 | 370 | 13 | Aug. 31 at BYU | Nick Hill | |
| 12 | Richmond | 9-4 | 353 | 22 | Aug. 31 at Virginia | Russ Huesman | |
| 13 | Central Arkansas | 7-4 | 339 | NR | Aug. 31 at Arkansas St. | Nathan Brown | |
| 14 | UAlbany | 11-4 | 275 | 7 | Aug. 31 vs. LIU | Greg Gattuso | |
| 15 | UIW | 9-2 | 259 | 14 | Aug. 31 vs. Northern Colorado | Clint Killough | |
| 16 | William & Mary | 6-5 | 196 | NR | Aug. 29 vs. VMI | Mike London | |
| 17 | UC Davis | 7-4 | 164 | NR | Aug. 31 at California | Tim Plough | |
| 18 | Lafayette | 9-3 | 157 | 19 | Aug. 29 at Buffalo | John Troxell | |
| 19 | Western Carolina | 7-4 | 144 | NR | Aug. 29 at NC State | Kerwin Bell | |
| 20 | Illinois St. | 6-5 | 143 | NR | Aug. 31 at Iowa | Brock Spack | |
| 21 | Tarleton | 8-3 | 137 | NR | Aug. 24 vs. McNeese | Todd Whitten | |
| 22 | North Dakota | 7-5 | 131 | 16 | Aug. 31 at Iowa St. | Bubba Schweigert | |
| 23 | Youngstown St. | 8-5 | 97 | 21 | Aug. 29 at No. 6 Villanova | Doug Phillips | |
| 24 | Nicholls | 6-5 | 91 | NR | Aug. 31 at Louisiana Tech | Tim Rebowe | |
| 25 | Florida A&M (1) | 12-1 | 71 | 10 | Aug. 24 vs. Norfolk St. | James Colzie III |
*– Ranking in final AFCA FCS Coaches Poll of 2023
Others Receiving Votes: Weber St., 66; North Carolina Central, 53; Eastern Illinois, 50; UT Martin, 38; Austin Peay, 35; Northern Iowa, 33; Harvard, 32; Yale, 31; Mercer, 27; Holy Cross, 20; Howard, 20; Alabama St., 17; Northern Arizona, 17; Elon, 16; Alcorn St., 9; Duquesne, 7; North Carolina A&T, 6; Fordham, 5; Gardner-Webb, 4; Indiana St., 3; Missouri St., 3; Butler, 2; Eastern Kentucky, 2; Southeast Missouri St., 2; Eastern Washington, 1; Murray St., 1; Samford, 1; Utah Tech, 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.
