Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll: Jackrabbits Hold No. 1

Each week, throughout the college football season, alumni, fans, media and the teams themselves look to the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll to see who is rising and moving within the national rankings. This is the first regular-season poll.

Mixed results to open the 2024 season have led to mixed results in the first regular-season Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll on Monday.

That may signal a particularly competitive season is underway.

The top four teams earned first-place votes in the FCS national media rankings, with South Dakota State claiming 36 of the 56 overall and maintaining the No. 1 spot for the 23rd straight poll since 2022.

The two-time defending national champion Jackrabbits had their 29-game winning streak end with a 44-20 loss at Oklahoma State, while No. 2 North Dakota State also fell against a Big 12 squad, Colorado, 31-26.

Montana State is off to a 2-0 start, which includes the FCS level’s only win over an FBS opponent (New Mexico). The Bobcats moved up to No. 3, one spot above the rival Montana Grizzlies, while Villanova also jumped one spot over South Dakota to No. 5.

A national media panel selects the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.

(For more on the college football weekend, here is our FCS Football Week 1 Review)

Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll

1. South Dakota State (0-1, 0–0 MVFC), 1,363 points (36 of 56 first-place votes)

Previous Ranking: 1; Week 1: 44-20 loss at Oklahoma State; Week 2: No. 12 UIW

2. North Dakota State (0-1, 0-0 MVFC), 1,330 (11)

Previous Ranking: 2; Week 1: 31-26 loss at Colorado; Week 2: Tennessee State

3. Montana State (2-0, 0-0 Big Sky), 1,288 (8)

Previous Ranking: 4; Week 0: 35-31 win at New Mexico; Week 1: 31-7 win at Utah Tech; Week 2: Maine

4. Montana (1-0, 0-0 Big Sky), 1,239 (1)

Previous Ranking: 3; Week 1: 29-24 win over Missouri State; Week 2: at No. 23 North Dakota

5. Villanova (1-0, 0-0 CAA), 1,144

Previous Ranking: 6; Week 1: 24-17 win over then-No. 25 Youngstown State; Week 2: at Colgate

6. South Dakota (1-0, 0-0 MVFC), 1,128

Previous Ranking: 5; Week 1: 45-3 win over Northern State; Week 2: at Wisconsin

7. Idaho (0-1, 0-0 Big Sky), 1,098

Previous Ranking: 7; Week 1: 24-14 loss at Oregon; Week 2: at Wyoming

8. Sacramento State (0-1, 0-0 Big Sky), 881

Previous Ranking: 8; Week 1: 42-24 loss at San Jose State; Week 2: at Fresno State

9. Central Arkansas (0-1, 0-0 UAC), 850

Previous Ranking: 11; Week 1: 34-31 loss at Arkansas State; Week 2: at Lindenwood

10. Southern Illinois (0-1, 0-0 MVFC), 807

Previous Ranking: 10; Week 1: 41-13 loss at BYU; Week 2: at Austin Peay

11. Chattanooga (0-1, 0-0 SoCon), 738

Previous Ranking: 9; Week 1: 69-3 loss at Tennessee; Week 2: at Georgia State

12. UIW (1-0, 0-0 Southland), 698

Previous Ranking: 14; Week 1: 28-7 win over Northern Colorado; Week 2: at No. 1 South Dakota State

13. William & Mary (1-0, 0-0 CAA), 666

Previous Ranking: 15; Week 1: 41-7 win over VMI; Week 2: at Coastal Carolina

14. Richmond (0-1, 0-0 CAA), 658

Previous Ranking: 13; Week 1: 34-13 loss at Virginia; Week 2: Wofford

15. Furman (0-1, 0-0 SoCon), 523

Previous Ranking: 12; Week 1: 76-0 loss at Ole Miss; Week 2: Charleston Southern

16. UAlbany (1-0, 0-0 CAA), 502

Previous Ranking: 16; Week 1: 27-21 win over LIU; Week 2: at West Virginia

17. Western Carolina (0-1, 0-0 SoCon), 459

Previous Ranking: 20; Week 1: 38-21 loss at NC State; Week 2: Campbell

18. UC Davis (0-1, 0-0 Big Sky), 437

Previous Ranking: 18; Week 1: 31-13 loss at California; Week 2: Texas A&M-Commerce

19. Lafayette (0-1, 0-0 Patriot), 332

Previous Ranking: 17; Week 1: 30-13 loss at Buffalo; Week 2: at Monmouth

20. Tarleton State (1-1, 0-0 UAC), 308

Previous Ranking: 21; Week 0: 26-23 win over McNeese; Week 1: 45-3 loss at Baylor; Week 2: at HCU

21. Illinois State (0-1, 0-0 MVFC), 295

Previous Ranking: 19; Week 1: 40-0 loss at Iowa; Week 2: at North Alabama

22. Nicholls (0-1, 0-0 Southland), 204

Previous Ranking: 23; Week 1: 25-17 loss at Louisiana Tech; Week 2: at LSU

23. North Dakota (0-1, 0-0 MVFC), 175

Previous Ranking: 24; Week 1: 21-3 loss at Iowa State; Week 2: No. 4 Montana

24. Weber State (0-1, 0-0 Big Sky), 171

Previous Ranking: 22; Week 1: 35-3 loss at Washington; Week 2: Portland State

25. Youngstown State (0-1, 0-0 MVFC), 133

Previous Ranking: 25; Week 1: 24-17 loss at then-No. 6 Villanova; Week 2: Valparaiso

Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Elon (0-1, 0-0 CAA) 120; Mercer (1-0, 0-0 SoCon) 117; Florida A&M (2-0, 0-0 SWAC) 99; UT Martin (0-1, 0-0 Big South-OVC) 98; Abilene Christian (0-1, 0-0 UAC) 74; North Carolina Central (1-0, 0-0 MEAC) 73; Eastern Illinois (0-1, 0-0 Big South-OVC) 59; Eastern Washington (1-0, 0-0 Big Sky) 41; Northern Iowa (1-0, 0-0 MVFC) 29; Austin Peay (0-1, 0-0 UAC) 19; Alabama State (0-1, 0-0 SWAC) 10; Rhode Island (1-0, 0-0 CAA) 9; Southeast Missouri (1-1, 0-0 Big South-OVC) 8; Harvard (0-0, 0-0 Ivy) 4; Lamar (0-1, 0-0 Southland) 4; West Georgia (1-0, 0-0 UAC) 2

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Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Voters – Stats Perform: Craig Haley, Gary Reasons. Big Sky Conference: Doug Kelly, Tyson Rodgers, Larry Weir. Big South-OVC Football Association: Mike Bradd, Kyle Schwartz, Mark Simpson. CAA Football: Roger Brown, Matt Harmon, Rob Washburn. Ivy League: JJ Klein, Craig Larson. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: Kendrick Lewis, Alysse Scripter. Missouri Valley Football Conference: Dom Izzo, Mike Kern, Randy Reinhardt. Northeast Conference: Sarah Boissonneault, Brian Cleary. Patriot League: Eric Malanoski, Ryan Sakamoto. Pioneer Football League: Cody Bush, Larry Hansgen. Southern Conference: Scott Keeler, Andrew Miller, Ralan Wardlaw. Southland Conference: Matthew Bonnette, James Dixon, James Hill. Southwestern Athletic Conference: Ronnie Johnson, Joshua Padilla. United Athletic Conference: Brian Morgan, Benjamin Ray, Jake Withee. National Representatives: Sean Anderson, Stan Becton, Zack Carlton, Gene Clemons, Riley Corcoran, Joe DeLeone, Steven J. Gaither, Sam Herder, Emory Hunt, Kyle Kensing, Brandon Lawrence, Zach McKinnell, Brian McLaughlin, Jon Passman, Omar Rashon Borja, Ryan Roberts, Kent Schmidt, Phil Sokol, Reggie Thomas, Ralph Ventre, Jamie Williams.

Photo Credits: Brian Morse (Montana State); Associated Press (South Dakota State)

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