KANSAS CITY, Mo. – St. Thomas (Fla.) claimed the top spot in the first edition of the STADIONIC NAIA Football National Selection Committee (NSC) Poll, released Tuesday (Oct. 27). The Bobcats (8-0) are one of just two unbeaten teams remaining in the NAIA as the regular season enters its final three weeks.
College of Idaho (7-0) joins STU as the NAIA’s only undefeated teams, at No. 2, followed by Benedictine (Kan.) at No. 3, and Montana Tech at No. 4.
Morningside (Iowa) completes the top five, with a significant Great Plains Athletic Conference showdown looming Saturday at Midland (Neb.). Both teams enter the matchup at 7-1.
Accompanying the inaugural NSC Poll, the NAIA also released its first Area Rating Committee (ARC) standings of the 2026 football season.
St. Thomas remained unbeaten with a 48-13 victory over Southeastern (Fla.) last Saturday and visits Thomas (Ga.) (1-7) this week. The Bobcats rank second in the NAIA in scoring defense (11.0) and lead the nation in rushing defense (57.0 yards per game). Isaiah Lopez has rushed for 1,101 yards and scored 120 points, while Keyon Martin has 14 pass breakups.
College of Idaho remained unbeaten with a 63-28 victory over Eastern Oregon. The Yotes rank third nationally in scoring (52.1 points per game) and second in rushing offense (291.4 yards per game). Rylie Byington has scored 17 rushing touchdowns, while quarterback Caden Young has completed 72.7 percent of his passes. The offense has converted 31 of 32 red-zone opportunities into points. College of Idaho visits Arizona Christian Saturday.
Benedictine continued its strong run with a 67-0 victory over William Woods (Mo.) last week. The Ravens average 42.4 points per game and have scored 30 rushing touchdowns. Defensively, Benedictine has collected 15 interceptions, tied for second nationally, with Isaiah Hasten accounting for five. The Ravens have also returned three punts for touchdowns this season and travel to Missouri Valley (4-3) on Saturday.
Montana Tech defeated Mayville State (N.D.) 34-20 last Saturday and hosts Rocky Mountain (Mont.) this week in a matchup of unbeaten Frontier Conference East Division teams. The Orediggers rank second nationally in total defense (228.3 yards allowed per game) and fourth in rushing defense (74.0). Levi Torgerson has 63 receptions, while Casey Kautzman has made 12 field goals. Montana Tech also leads the NAIA in average time of possession at 37:18.
Morningside posted a 61-21 victory over Concordia (Neb.) last week and travels to Midland (Neb.) on Saturday for a pivotal GPAC matchup. The Mustangs rank second nationally in total offense (566.1 yards per game) and lead the NAIA with a 60 percent third-down conversion rate. Drew Sellon has 72 receptions for 917 yards and 12 touchdowns, while Victor Atupra is tied for the national lead with six interceptions.
Marian rolled past St. Mary-of-the-Woods (Ind.) 73-6 last Saturday and visits St. Francis (Ill.) (2-6) this week. The Knights lead the NAIA in turnover margin at plus-15, with 22 takeaways against just seven giveaways. Their defense allows 14.1 points and 272.4 yards per game, while kicker Ashton Vogel has made 12 field goals. Marian has won seven consecutive games.
Indiana Wesleyan rolled past Madonna (Mich.) 86-7 last Saturday and hosts Taylor (Ind.) in a matchup of unbeaten MSFA Mideast Division teams. The Wildcats lead the NAIA in scoring (60.0 points per game) and total offense (607.8 yards per game). Arjun Lothe leads the nation with a 205.9 passing efficiency rating and has thrown 26 touchdowns, while Ryan Whitwell has rushed for 1,093 yards and 17 scores.
Grand View defeated Culver-Stockton 47-17 last Saturday and hosts William Penn (Iowa) this week in an important Heart of America North Division matchup. The Vikings rank fourth nationally in scoring defense (12.3 points allowed per game) and fifth in rushing defense (75.6 yards per game). Their defense has accumulated 357 interception return yards, the most in the NAIA, while the offense has thrown 20 touchdowns against just two interceptions.
Georgetown posted a 52-14 victory over Bethel (Tenn.) last week and hosts Cumberlands (Ky.) on Saturday. The Tigers are unbeaten in Mid-South Conference play at 3-0 and have won four consecutive games. Georgetown has surrendered just six turnovers in seven contests, while Jamarcus Robinson averages 34.6 yards per kickoff return. The Tigers have also converted 10 of 12 field-goal attempts this season.
Campbellsville returns from an open week to visit Bethel (Tenn.) on Saturday. The Tigers average 468.1 yards of offense and 39.1 points per game, with 5.9 yards per rushing attempt. Defensively, Campbellsville allows 15.4 points and 287.9 yards per contest. The Tigers have recorded 18 takeaways against just eight turnovers, giving them a plus-10 turnover margin.
Lindsey Wilson delivered a 76-0 victory over Andrew last Saturday and visits Cumberland (Tenn.) this week. Davontaye Saunders leads the NAIA with 1,228 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns and 153.5 rushing yards per game. Max Gainey leads the nation with 16 touchdown receptions and has accumulated 937 receiving yards, including five touchdown catches in last week’s victory. The Blue Raiders average 43.5 points per game.
Carroll returns to action Saturday against Southern Oregon after an open week. The Saints average 43.0 points per game, while quarterback Kaden Huot ranks second nationally with a 191.4 passing efficiency rating. Carroll’s offense averages 10.7 yards per pass attempt and converts 53 percent of its third downs. Defensively, the Saints allow 14.1 points per game and have forced 12 fumbles.
Dordt defeated Mount Marty (S.D.) 41-13 last week and hosts Waldorf (Iowa) on Saturday. The Defenders average 40.5 points and 444.1 yards per game, with receiver Kaden Harken totaling 914 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns. Linebacker Isaac Kacmarynski ranks second nationally with 95 tackles, while Dordt has scored on 33 of 34 red-zone possessions and committed just four turnovers this season.
Northwestern defeated Waldorf (Iowa) 68-10 last Saturday and visits Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) this week. Quarterback Colby Duncan has thrown for 2,255 yards and 23 touchdowns while adding 14 rushing scores. The Red Raiders rank third nationally with 27 team passing touchdowns and have scored on 40 of 42 red-zone possessions. Northwestern has won five consecutive games and sits atop the GPAC standings at 7-1.
Louisiana Christian enters an open week with eight victories and an offense averaging 49.8 points and 477.6 yards per game. The Wildcats have scored 31 rushing touchdowns and 25 passing touchdowns, while their special teams average 32.4 yards per kickoff return. Defensively, Louisiana Christian has accumulated 77 tackles for loss and four defensive touchdowns, with Jermarian Jackson forcing four fumbles. The Wildcats lead the Sooner Athletic Conference at 6-0.
A team’s ranking in the NAIA National Selection Committee (NSC) Poll does not guarantee qualification or selection to the NAIA Football Championship Series. Click here to view this week’s STADIONIC NAIA Football National Selection Committee Poll in the traditional grid format.
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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