FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 17, 2025
AFCA CONTACT: Vince Thompson, Director of Media Relations, 254-754-9900
Ferris State end regular season at No. 1
WACO, TEX.– Ferris State started the 2025 season at No. 1 in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl, and that's how they finished the regular season. The Bulldogs beat Davenport, 44-23, to move to 11-0 and will host Northwood in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. Ferris State is 30-12 all-time in the playoffs with three national championships in 2021, 2022 and 2024.
Twenty-two of the 25 teams in the AFCA poll earned a spot in the playoffs. Along with Ferris State, No. 2 Harding, No. 3 Kutztown and No. 13 Albany State were seeded No. 1 in their respective regions. Harding, who won the Great American Conference, will host No. 14 Northwest Missouri State in the first round. Kutztown, winners of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, drew Bentley, the Northeast-10 champions. Albany State, who beat No. 23 Benedict for the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title, will host Valdosta State, who ran the table in the Gulf South Conference to earn a spot in the playoffs after starting the season 2-4.
Some other notable matchups in the first round include No. 4 Colorado State-Pueblo, who won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, hosting No. 10 UT Permian Basin while No. 5 Central Washington, winners of the Lone Star Conference, will host No. 15 Western Colorado. No. 6 Pittsburg State won the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association and will host No. 22 Chadron State, while No. 7 Minnesota-Duluth, who won the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, must travel to No. 18 Ashland.
No. 11 Johnson C. Smith beat No. 17 Virginia Union, 45-21, to win its first Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association title since 1969, and will host No. 24 Frostburg State, who shared the Mountain East Conference crown.
2025 AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl – November 17, 2025
| Rank |
School (1st votes) |
Rec. |
Pts. |
Prev. |
Week 12 |
Next Game |
| 1 |
Ferris St. (30) |
11-0 |
774 |
1 |
D. Davenport, 44-23 |
Nov. 22 vs. Northwood |
| 2 |
Harding (1) |
11-0 |
745 |
2 |
D. Arkansas Tech, 47-13 |
Nov. 22 vs. No. 14 Northwest Missouri St. |
| 3 |
Kutztown |
11-0 |
711 |
4 |
D. Indiana (Pa.), 28-23 |
Nov. 22 vs. Bentley |
| 4 |
Colorado St.-Pueblo |
10-1 |
669 |
5 |
D. No. 22 Chadron St., 30-27 2OT |
Nov. 22 vs. No. 10 UT Permian Basin |
| 5 |
Central Washington |
10-1 |
652 |
6 |
D. No. 24 Western Oregon, 19-17 |
Nov. 22 vs. No. 15 Western Colorado |
| 6 |
Pittsburg St. |
9-2 |
597 |
7 |
D. No. 12 Northwest Missouri St., 27-14 |
Nov. 22 vs. No. 22 Chadron St. |
| 7 |
Minnesota-Duluth |
10-1 |
553 |
11 |
D. Minot St., 33-7 |
Nov. 22 at No. 18 Ashland |
| 8 |
UIndy |
10-1 |
549 |
10 |
D. Upper Iowa, 28-21 |
Nov. 22 vs. Truman St. |
| 9 |
West Florida |
9-1 |
534 |
3 |
Lost to Valdosta St., 47-44 OT |
Nov. 22 vs. North Greenville |
| 10 |
UT Permian Basin |
9-2 |
459 |
15 |
D. Sul Ross St., 74-10 |
Nov. 22 at No. 4 Colorado St.-Pueblo |
| 11 |
Johnson C. Smith |
10-1 |
451 |
16 |
D. No. 9 Virginia Union, 45-21 |
Nov. 22 vs. No. 24 Frostburg St. |
| 12 |
Findlay |
10-1 |
398 |
8 |
Lost to Tiffin, 23-21 |
Nov. 22 vs. No. 21 Minnesota St. |
| 13 |
Albany St. |
10-1 |
393 |
17 |
D. No. 23 Benedict, 22-16 |
Nov. 22 vs. Valdosta St. |
| 14 |
Northwest Missouri St. |
9-2 |
351 |
12 |
Lost to No. 7 Pittsburg St., 27-14 |
Nov. 22 at No. 2 Harding |
| 15 |
Western Colorado |
9-2 |
330 |
18 |
D. Colorado Mesa, 42-28 |
Nov. 22 at No. 5 Central Washington |
| 16 |
Newberry |
9-1 |
310 |
19 |
Idle |
Nov. 22 vs. Kentucky St. |
| 17 |
Virginia Union |
9-2 |
307 |
9 |
Lost to No. 16 Johnson C. Smith, 45-21 |
Nov. 22 vs. California (Pa.) |
| 18 |
Ashland |
9-2 |
253 |
20 |
D. Lake Erie, 34-14 |
Nov. 22 vs. No. 7 Minnesota-Duluth |
| 19 |
Augustana (S.D.) |
9-2 |
207 |
13 |
Lost to Wayne St. (Neb.), 38-31 |
Season Complete |
| 20 |
Grand Valley St. |
7-3 |
199 |
21 |
D. Roosevelt, 69-13 |
Season Complete |
| 21 |
Minnesota St. |
8-3 |
132 |
14 |
Lost to MSU Moorhead, 31-23 |
Nov. 22 at No. 12 Findlay |
| 22 |
Chadron St. |
8-3 |
94 |
22 |
Lost to No. 5 Colorado St.-Pueblo, 30-27 2OT |
Nov. 22 at No. 6 Pittsburg St. |
| 23 |
Benedict |
9-2 |
80 |
23 |
Lost to No. 17 Albany St., 22-16 |
Nov. 22 at Wingate |
| 24 |
Frostburg St. |
9-2 |
72 |
NR |
D. Fairmont St., 35-18 |
Nov. 22 at No. 11 Johnson C. Smith |
| 25 |
Western Oregon |
8-3 |
63 |
24 |
Lost to No. 6 Central Washington, 19-17 |
Season Complete |
Dropped Out: UNC Pembroke (25)
Others Receiving Votes: Wingate, 59; California (Pa.), 27; Assumption, 25; Delta St., 15; Indiana (Pa.), 12; Kentucky St., 12; Charleston, 9; Valdosta St., 9; Northwood, 8; Upper Iowa, 7; Slippery Rock, 3; West Texas A&M, 2; Henderson St., 1; Southern Arkansas, 1; Truman St., 1; UNC Pembroke, 1.
Below is the D2Football.com Top 25 poll as of the conclusion of the regular season. This will be the final Top 25 poll released until the after the national championship game.
| Rank |
Team |
Record |
Previous Rank |
| 1 |
Ferris State |
11-0 |
1 |
| 2 |
Harding |
11-0 |
2 |
| 3 |
Kutztown |
11-0 |
3 |
| 4 |
Pittsburg State |
9-2 |
5 |
| 5 |
Central Washington |
10-1 |
6 |
| 6 |
CSU Pueblo |
10-1 |
7 |
| 7 |
Minnesota Duluth |
10-1 |
8 |
| 8 |
West Florida |
9-1 |
4 |
| 9 |
Northwest Missouri State |
9-2 |
9 |
| 10 |
Indianapolis |
9-1 |
11 |
| 11 |
UT Permian Basin |
9-2 |
13 |
| 12 |
Findlay |
10-1 |
10 |
| 13 |
Johnson C Smith |
10-1 |
16 |
| 14 |
Newberry |
9-1 |
17 |
| 15 |
Albany State |
10-1 |
18 |
| 16 |
Wingate |
9-2 |
21 |
| 17 |
Chadron State |
8-3 |
19 |
| 18 |
Western Colorado |
9-2 |
22 |
| 19 |
Virginia Union |
9-2 |
12 |
| 20 |
Ashland |
9-2 |
23 |
| 21 |
Minnesota State |
8-3 |
14 |
| 22 |
Augustana |
9-2 |
15 |
| 23 |
Grand Valley State |
7-3 |
25 |
| 24 |
Northwood |
9-2 |
NR |
| 25 |
IUP |
7-3 |
24 |
