KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Keiser (Fla.) rose to No. 1 for the first time since Nov. 17, 2024, claiming eight first-place votes in the latest STADIONIC NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Seahawks, No. 1 for the first time in 14 polls, host unbeaten Cumberlands (Ky.) on Saturday.
Montana Tech climbed to No. 2, claiming four first-place votes, followed by its next opponent College of Idaho, with one first-place vote. Indiana Wesleyan moved into the top five at No. 4, while Benedictine (Kan.) jumped four spots to No. 5 after defeating Grand View. St. Thomas (Fla.) also moved up four spots to No. 10, and outside the Top 10, McPherson (Kan.) is up three and into the top 15, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) climbed five spots to No. 17, and Midland (Neb.) entered the Top 25 at No. 18.
For a full look at this week’s top 10 teams, as well as notes from around the NAIA, come back to NAIA.org later this week for the Week 4 edition of the NAIA Football Notebook.
Keiser was idle last week but moved to No. 1 for the first time since Nov. 17, 2024. The Seahawks rank 10th in the NAIA in scoring defense, allowing 28 points through two games.
Montana Tech remained unbeaten with a 58-10 win over Southern Oregon and is allowing just 7.8 points per game. Levi Torgerson leads the NAIA with 36 receptions.
College of Idaho rolled past Montana State-Northern, 59-14, and ranks third in the NAIA at 53.0 points per game. The Yotes are also seventh in scoring defense at 11.3 points allowed per game.
Indiana Wesleyan’s Ryan Whitwell leads the NAIA in rushing yards (713), rushing touchdowns (10), all-purpose yards (733) and individual scoring (66 points). The Wildcats improved to 4-0 with a 59-17 win over Saint Xavier.
Benedictine jumped four spots after handing Grand View its first regular-season loss in nearly eight seasons, 21-17. The Ravens were also the last team to beat the Vikings in the regular season, winning 25-13 in Des Moines on Nov. 3, 2018.
| TREND | RANK | LAST | INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] | RECORD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ▲ | 1 | 2 | Keiser (Fla.) [8] | 1-1 |
| ▲ | 2 | 3 | Montana Tech [4] | 4-0 |
| ▲ | 3 | 4 | College of Idaho [1] | 3-0 |
| ▲ | 4 | 6 | Indiana Wesleyan | 4-0 |
| ▲ | 5 | 9 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 3-1 |
| ▼ | 6 | 1 | Grand View (Iowa) | 3-1 |
| ▲ | 7 | 8 | Morningside (Iowa) | 3-1 |
| ▼ | 8 | 7 | Friends (Kan.) | 4-0 |
| ▲ | 9 | 10 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 4-0 |
| ▲ | 10 | 14 | St. Thomas (Fla.) | 4-0 |
| ● | 11 | T-11 | Marian (Ind.) | 3-1 |
| ▼ | 12 | 5 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 3-1 |
| ▲ | 13 | 15 | Carroll (Mont.) | 2-1 |
| ▲ | 14 | 16 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 2-0 |
| ▲ | 15 | 18 | McPherson (Kan.) | 4-0 |
| ▼ | 16 | T-11 | Dordt (Iowa) | 1-2 |
| ▲ | 17 | 22 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 3-0 |
| ▲ | 18 | RV | Midland (Neb.) | 4-0 |
| ● | 19 | T-19 | William Penn (Iowa) | 3-1 |
| ▼ | 20 | T-19 | Louisiana Christian | 3-1 |
| ▲ | 21 | 23 | Dakota State (S.D.) | 3-1 |
| ▼ | 22 | 13 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 2-2 |
| ▲ | 23 | T-24 | Baker (Kan.) | 3-0 |
| ▼ | 24 | 17 | Evangel (Mo.) | 3-1 |
| ▼ | 25 | T-24 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 2-2 |
Dropped out of the Top 25: Montana Western.
Receiving Votes: Cumberland (Tenn.), Cumberlands (Ky.), Kansas Wesleyan, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), Montana Western, OUAZ (Ariz.), Southwestern (Kan.), Taylor (Ind.).
About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small college athletics programs dedicated to character-driven, education-based athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has balanced high-level competition with holistic student-athlete development through its commitment to The Right Way to Play®. Each year more than 87,000 NAIA student-athletes compete in college athletics, earn over $1.3 billion in financial aid, and pursue opportunities to participate in 30 national championships. naia.org | @NAIA | #TheRightWayToPlay
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