Grand Forks, N.D. -- The North Dakota football team reached new heights in the national rankings that came out on Monday. The Fighting Hawks moved up two spots in the STATS FCS Top 25 poll to No. 17, while vaulting up to No. 12 in the FCS Coaches Top 25 poll.
Both of the Fighting Hawks' rankings are the highest the program has been in those respective polls since joining the Football Championship Subdivision in 2008. The four-spot jump by UND (6-2, 5-0 BSC) in the coaches' poll was only equaled by No. 13 Villanova, who also improved to 6-2 last week. UND moved up two spots in the STATS FCS poll.
The Fighting Hawks will put a six-game winning streak and unblemished record in Big Sky play on the line against another league unbeaten in Weber State (5-2, 4-0 BSC) on Saturday. Kickoff against the Wildcats is set for 1:05 p.m. CT.
| STATS FCS Top 25 Poll |
| Rk. |
School (1st-place votes) |
Record |
Pts. |
PR |
| 1. |
Sam Houston State (120) |
7-0 |
3990 |
1 |
| 2. |
Jacksonville State (16) |
6-1 |
3810 |
2 |
| 3. |
Eastern Washington (18) |
6-1 |
3680 |
3 |
| 4. |
North Dakota State (6) |
6-1 |
3579 |
4 |
| 5. |
Citadel (3) |
7-0 |
3341 |
5 |
| 6. |
Richmond |
7-1 |
3186 |
6 |
| 7. |
South Dakota State |
5-2 |
3153 |
7 |
| 8. |
James Madison |
6-1 |
3037 |
8 |
| 9. |
Charleston Southern |
4-2 |
2714 |
9 |
| 10. |
Chattanooga |
7-1 |
2678 |
11 |
| 11. |
Villanova |
6-2 |
2046 |
16 |
| 12. |
North Carolina A&T |
6-1 |
2038 |
14 |
| 13. |
Western Illinois |
5-2 |
1814 |
12 |
| 14. |
Cal Poly |
5-2 |
1716 |
17 |
| 15. |
Youngstown State |
5-2 |
1645 |
13 |
|
16.
|
Montana |
5-2 |
1582 |
10 |
|
17.
|
North Dakota |
6-2 |
1515 |
19 |
|
18.
|
Coastal Carolina |
5-2 |
1426 |
17 |
|
19.
|
Central Arkansas |
6-1 |
1372 |
20 |
|
20.
|
Samford |
6-1 |
1094 |
21 |
|
21.
|
Grambling State |
5-1 |
722 |
22 |
|
22.
|
Stony Brook |
5-2 |
692 |
24 |
|
23.
|
Eastern Illinois |
5-3 |
528 |
15 |
|
24.
|
Harvard |
5-1 |
260 |
NR |
|
25.
|
Tennessee State |
5-2 |
236 |
25 |
| Others receiving votes: Sacred Heart (198), Lehigh (174), New Hampshire (170), Weber State (117), UNI (106), South Dakota (102), Albany (52), Fordham (40), Montana State (27), North Carolina Central (21), Maine (20), Northern Arizona (17), Penn (15), San Diego (15), Wofford (13), Liberty (8), Illinois State (7), Southeastern Louisiana (7), Wagner (6), Saint Francis U (3), UT Martin (1), McNeese (1), Kennesaw State (1). |
| FCS Coaches Top 25 Poll |
| Rk. |
School (1st-place votes) |
Record |
Pts. |
PR |
| 1. |
Sam Houston State |
7-0 |
646 |
1 |
| 2. |
Jacksonville State |
6-1 |
620 |
2 |
| 3. |
Eastern Washington |
6-1 |
585 |
3 |
| 4. |
North Dakota State |
6-1 |
574 |
4 |
| 5. |
James Madison |
6-1 |
533 |
5 |
| 6. |
Richmond |
7-1 |
507 |
7 |
| 7. |
The Citadel |
7-0 |
503 |
6 |
| 8. |
Chattanooga |
7-1 |
457 |
8 |
| 9. |
Charleston Southern |
4-2 |
439 |
9 |
| 10. |
South Dakota State |
5-2 |
433 |
11 |
| 11. |
North Carolina A&T |
6-1 |
355 |
14 |
| 12. |
North Dakota |
6-2 |
327 |
16 |
| 13. |
Villanova |
6-2 |
296 |
17 |
| 14. |
Youngstown State |
5-2 |
282 |
12 |
| 15. |
Western Illinois |
5-2 |
276 |
13 |
|
16.
|
Montana |
5-2 |
272 |
10 |
|
17.
|
Cal Poly |
5-2 |
242 |
t18 |
|
18.
|
Central Arkansas |
6-1 |
241 |
t18 |
|
19.
|
Samford |
6-1 |
208 |
20 |
|
20.
|
Stony Brook |
5-2 |
148 |
22 |
|
21.
|
Grambling State |
5-1 |
138 |
21 |
|
22.
|
Eastern Illinois |
5-3 |
95 |
15 |
|
23.
|
Harvard |
5-1 |
74 |
23 |
|
24.
|
Lehigh |
6-2 |
41 |
NR |
|
25.
|
South Dakota |
4-3 |
34 |
NR |
| Others receiving votes: Tennessee State (26), New Hampshire, Liberty (13), Northern Iowa (12), Weber State (9), Wofford (9), Central Connecticut State (8), Northern Arizona (6), North Carolina Central (4), Sacred Heart (4) Albany (3), Fordham (3), San Diego (3), South Carolina State (2), Penn (1). |
-- UND --
