The top seven ranked teams all recorded victories to start the season and stayed in the same spot in the American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. It took Texas A&M-Commerce two overtimes to beat conference rival Texas A&M-Kingsville, 37-36, but they gathered 21 first-place votes to keep the top spot. The Lions are followed by West Florida, Minnesota State, Indiana (Pa.) and Fort Hays State (Kan.), who round out the D2 Coaches Poll Top 5.
RELATED ARTICLE: AFCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll: Defending Champ Texas A&M Commerce Starts 2018 at No. 1
There are four Top 25 matchups in the second week of action, starting with No. 2 West Florida facing their second straight ranked opponent, No. 10 Midwestern State (Texas), in Wichita Falls, Texas. The other matchups are No. 9 Ferris State (Mich.) hosting No. 19t Findlay (Ohio), No. 14 Sioux Falls (S.D.) traveling to No. 15 Winona State (Minn.) and No. 17 Ohio Dominican hosting No. 18 Ashland (Ohio).
2018 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll – September 3, 2018
| Rank | School (1st Place Votes) | Record | Pts. | Previous Rank | Season Opener | Next Game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas A&M-Commerce (21) | 1-0 | 797 | 1 | D. Texas A&M-Kingsville, 37-36 2OT | Sept. 8 at William Jewell (Mo.) |
| 2 | West Florida (6) | 1-0 | 775 | 2 | D. No. 22 Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 19-9 | Sept. 8 at No. 10 Midwestern St. (Tex.) |
| 3 | Minnesota St. (4) | 1-0 | 753 | 3 | D. Southwest Minnesota St., 49-13 | Sept. 8 at Augustana (S.D. |
| 4 | Indiana (Pa.) (1) | 1-0 | 719 | 4 | D. No. 15 Ashland (Ohio), 21-17 | Sept. 6 vs. Millersville (Pa.) |
| 5 | Fort Hays St. (Kan.) | 1-0 | 676 | 5t | D. No. 18 Central Missouri, 20-16 | Sept. 6 at Missouri Western St. |
| 6 | Northwest Missouri St. | 1-0 | 633 | 5t | D. Missouri Western St., 28-6 | Sept. 6 at Washburn (Kan.) |
| 7 | Harding (Ark.) | 1-0 | 625 | 7 | D. Henderson St. (Ark.), 41-17 | Sept. 8 vs. Southern Arkansas |
| 8 | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 1-0 | 588 | 10 | D. No. 13 Indianapolis (Ind.), 30-7 | Sept. 8 at Delta St. (Miss.) |
| 9 | Ferris St. (Mich.) | 1-0 | 551 | 8 | D. East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 49-17 | Sept. 8 vs. No. 19t Findlay (Ohio |
| 10 | Midwestern St. (Texas) | 1-0 | 516 | 11 | D. Humboldt St. (Calif.), 55-12 | Sept. 8 vs. No. 2 West Florida |
| 11 | West Alabama | 1-0 | 466 | 12 | D. Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.), 36-32 | Sept. 6 vs. Miles (Ala.) |
| 12 | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 1-0 | 450 | 14 | D. Dixie St. (Utah), 56-14 | Sept. 8 vs. Chadron St. (Neb.) |
| 13 | West Georgia | 1-0 | 412 | 19 | D. Catawba (N.C.), 34-3 | Sept. 8 vs. Limestone (S.C.) |
| 14 | Sioux Falls (S.D.) | 1-0 | 312 | 20 | D. Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.), 27-24 | Sept. 8 at No. 15 Winona St. (Minn.) |
| 15 | Winona St. (Minn.) | 1-0 | 276 | 21 | D. Wayne St. (Neb.), 41-28 | Sept. 8 vs. No. 14 Sioux Falls (S.D.) |
| 16 | Central Washington | 0-1 | 261 | 9 | Lost to Eastern Washington, 58-13 | Sept. 8 at Western Oregon |
| 17 | Ohio Dominican | 1-0 | 229 | 23 | D. California (Pa.), 28-23 | Sept. 8 vs. No. 18 Ashland (Ohio) |
| 18 | Ashland (Ohio) | 0-1 | 216 | 15 | Lost to No. 4 Indiana (Pa.), 21-17 | Sept. 8 at No. 17 Ohio Dominican |
| 19 | Findlay (Ohio) | 1-0 | 197 | 25 | D. Kentucky Wesleyan, 69-19 | Sept. 8 at No. 9 Ferris St. (Mich.) |
| 19 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 1-0 | 197 | 24 | D. Northwestern Oklahoma St., 29-21 | Sept. 8 vs. Southwestern Oklahoma St |
| 21 | Central Missouri | 0-1 | 124 | 18 | Lost to No. 5t Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 20-16 | Sept. 6 vs. Northeastern St. (Okla.) |
| 22 | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 0-1 | 118 | 13 | Lost to No. 10 Grand Valley St. (Mich.), 30-7 | Sept. 8 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.) |
| 23 | West Chester (Pa.) | 1-0 | 114 | NR | D. Bentley (Mass.), 44-6 | Sept. 8 vs. Gannon (Pa.) |
| 24 | Minnesota-Duluth | 1-0 | 91 | NR | D. Minot St. (N.D.), 49-3 | Sept. 8 vs. Minnesota St.-Moorhead |
| 25 | Colorado Mesa | 1-0 | 82 | NR | D. South Dakota Mines, 36-33 | Sept. 8 at Eastern New Mexico |
Dropped Out: Shepherd (W.Va.) (16), Assumption (Mass.) (17), Carson-Newman (Tenn.) (22)
Others Receiving Votes: Shepherd (W.Va.), 71; Notre Dame (Ohio), 56; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 56; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 50; Colorado Mines, 47; Tarleton St. (Texas), 41; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 37; Assumption (Mass.), 36; Florida Tech, 28; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 25; Southern Arkansas, 22; Wingate (N.C.), 17; Emporia St. (Kan.), 8; Shippensburg (Pa.), 8; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 6; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 6; Washburn (Kan.), 6; Bloomsburg (Pa.), 5; Delta St. (Miss.), 5; Edinboro (Pa.), 4; California (Pa.), 3; Hillsdale (Mich.), 3; Slippery Rock (Pa.), 3; Kutztown (Pa.), 2; Southeastern Oklahoma St., 1.