Red Raiders Move Up To 10th In Final Poll

Northwestern moved into the top 10 in the final NAIA Football Coaches’ poll released by the national office earlier today.

Ranked 11th in the last coaches’ poll, the Red Raiders moved up one spot and into the top 10 for the first time since the 2015 season. This is the highest national ranking for the Red Raiders since holding the No.9 spot in the Sept.14 poll in 2015. Northwestern finished second in the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) regular season with a 7-1 record, 9-1 overall. They are one of two teams from the GPAC in the top 25 (Morningside-3).

The top five teams are unchanged from last week as Saint Francis (Ind.) earned all 15 first place votes and earned the No.1 ranking in every poll this season. Reinhardt (Ga.) is second, followed by Morningside, Lindsey Wilson and Southern Oregon. All five of those teams, along with No.7 Langston, are unbeaten.

RANK	PREVIOUS	SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES)	2017 RECORD	TOTAL POINTS
1	1	Saint Francis (Ind.) (15)	10-0	340
2	2	Reinhardt (Ga.)	9-0	324
3	3	Morningside (Iowa)	11-0	317
4	4	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	10-0	300
5	5	Southern Oregon	10-0	289
6	7	Baker (Kan.)	10-1	268
7	8	Langston (Okla.)	10-0	266
8	9	Saint Xavier (Ill.)	9-1	252
9	10	Southeastern (Fla.)	8-1	227
10	11	Northwestern (Iowa)	9-1	216
11	6	Grand View (Iowa)	9-2	208
12	T12	Georgetown (Ky.)	8-1	197
13	T12	Dickinson State (N.D.)	9-1	187
14	14	Concordia (Mich.)	9-1	178
15	15	Benedictine (Kan.)	9-2	164
16	16	Sterling (Kan.)	9-2	143
17	17	Tabor (Kan.)	8-2	128
18	20	SAGU (Texas)	8-2	114
19	19	Marian (Ind.)	7-3	106
20	18	Campbellsville (Ky.)	7-2	79
21	24	Kansas Wesleyan	8-3	69
22	RV	Faulkner (Ala.)	7-3	54
23	RV	Dakota State (S.D.)	8-3	38
24	NR	Oklahoma Panhandle State	7-3	31
25	23	Evangel (Mo.)	7-4	22