Nov. 14, 2010

Contact: Chad Waller, NAIA Director of Sports Information & Media Services, cwaller@naia.org

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the 26^th straight ranking, Sioux Falls (S.D.) is tabbed No. 1 in the final regular season edition of the NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25, the national office announced Sunday. The Cougars have owned the top-ranking since the 2008 Postseason Top 25 (Jan. 12, 2009). With a 10-0 record, Sioux Falls garnered 16 first-place votes and 417 total points.

The official pairings for the NAIA Football Championship Series will be announced live by Victory Sports Network as a video-streaming broadcast. The free broadcast begins at 1:30 p.m. CST on Sunday and can be accessed by clicking here, or going to www.victorysportsnetwork.com.

Walsh (Ohio), St. Francis (Ill.) and Langston (Okla.) all fell out of the poll this week. Replacing the trio is No. 20 Cumberlands (Ky.), No. 24 Southern Nazarene (Okla.) and No. 25 Webber International (Fla.). All three of these programs were ranked at least once previously this season.

Sioux Falls has not only dominated the polls recently, but owns a 39-game winning streak. That mark is the longest in any division of collegiate football (NCAA or NAIA) and is three shy from tying the NAIA record of 42-straight wins set by Texas A&I. Since 2000, the Cougars have boasted the No. 1 ranking on 55 occasions, which is the most of any team during that span. Completely its fifth straight perfect regular season, Sioux Falls will likely host a First Round game on Nov. 20 in the Football Championship Series. The Cougars have won back-to-back national titles and five consecutive Great Plains Athletic Conference championships.

For the eighth-straight poll, Carroll (Mont.) checks in at the No. 2 position. The Fighting Saints gathered 401 total points and one first-place vote. Carroll heads into the postseason with a 10-0 record, which marks the fourth-consecutive season with a perfect regular season mark. The Fighting Saints have also won 11 straight Frontier Conference championships.

No. 3 Saint Xavier (Ill.) posted 388 total points and one first-place nod to hold at No. 3 for the eighth-straight poll. They have been in the top five for the past 15 polls, dating back to last year. St. Xavier holds the most wins in the NAIA this year (11-0) and has now notched the double-digit win total in four of the past five seasons. With a Mid-States Football Association Mideast league title, the Cougars have won the last two hardwares.

Winners of the Heart of America Athletic Conference, No. 4 MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) brings in 370 total points. The Pioneers are 10-0 this year and have not played since Nov. 6. MidAmerica Nazarene has been ranked in the fourth spot for the last five weeks.

Lindenwood (Mo.) sits in the fifth position with 351 total points. The Lions have locked down that spot in each of the last five polls. With a 9-1 record, Lindenwood is looking to get back to the postseason for the fourth straight year.

The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) claims four schools in the Top 25: Sioux Falls, No. 7 Morningside (Iowa), No. 15 Northwestern (Iowa) and No. 22 Midland (Neb.). The Mid-States Football Association Mideast lands a trio of schools in the poll.

The poll was voted upon by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and independents. For the entire schedule of the 2010 Coaches’ Top 25 Poll, click here.

For more information on NAIA football, please click here.

NOTES: Since 2000, Sioux Falls has been ranked at the No. 1 position on 55 occasions, the most of any team during that time -- Carroll is next with 53 mentions at No. 1, Georgetown (Ky.) is third with 14, Northwestern Oklahoma State with 11 and St. Francis with three… There are five teams that finished the regular season with an undefeated record – last year, there were six schools that went through the regular season undefeated… No. 1 Sioux Falls (S.D.) holds the record for consecutive No. 1 rankings at 26 straight polls (since 1997 when both divisions merged) … The last loss for No. 1 Sioux Falls occurred in the 2007 title game on Dec. 15 against Carroll (Mont.)… Overall, No. 1 Sioux Falls has been ranked in the top-five spots in the last 116 straight polls dating back to the 2001 season… Sioux Falls was ranked No. 1 for the entire 2009 season (14 polls), which marks the first time for a team to do so since Carroll in 2005… Sioux Falls has now been ranked No. 1 in 38 out of the last 51 polls dating back to 2007… Carroll and Sioux Falls have dominated the top of the polls with either team being ranked No. 1 since the 2006 Postseason Top 25 Poll (Jan. 18, 2007) – Saint Francis (Ind.) was the last team outside of those two programs to earn the No. 1 spot back on Nov. 12, 2006 – a streak of 53 polls… Carroll has now been ranked in the top five in the last 76 straight polls dating back to Jan. 17, 2005 (2004 Postseason Top 25 Poll)… St. Francis boasts the longest consecutive stretch of being named in the Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – 140 straight mentions – the last time St. Francis was not mentioned in the Top 25 was Oct. 19, 1999… After St. Francis, Carroll is the next team in line with 127 straight Top-25 rankings, while Sioux Falls stands at 126 straight mentions.

2010 NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – (Nov. 14)

Others receiving votes:

Benedictine College (Kan.) 16; Walsh University (Ohio) 16; Sterling College (Kan.) 11; University of St. Francis (Ill.) 8; Campbellsville University (Ky.) 8; Baker University (Kan.) 6; Union College (Ky.) 1

^ Ranking indicated in Top 25 Poll (Nov. 8, 2010)
* Record reflects the school submission of their statistics in DakStats