KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Morningside Mustangs defeated the Ravens of Benedictine College (2) in the 2018 National Championship earning their first national title and the top spot in the preseason edition of the 2019 Coaches’ Top 25 poll.
The Mustangs, finishing the 2018 season with a perfect 15-0 record claim all 16 first place votes. The Benedictine Ravens claim the No. 2 spot, prior to the 2018 post-season poll, the last time the Ravens were as high as No. 2 in the poll was on Sept. 24, 2002.
Northwestern starts the season ranked 11th, and Dordt is in at 24.
Coming off a 2018 season when they finished with a 9-2 overall record and tied for 12th in the final poll, the Red Raiders begin the 2019 campaign ranked 11th in the AFCA rating. They join GPAC rivals, Morningside (1) and Dordt (24), in the poll. Morningside won the 2018 national title with a 15-0 record and is joined in the top five by Benedictine (Kan.), Saint Francis (Ind.), Kansas Wesleyan and Saint Xavier (Ill.).
The Red Raiders open preseason camp on Monday, August 12 under the direction of Matt McCarty, who begins his fourth season as the head of the program. McCarty returns 19 starters (9 offense, 6 defense, 4 special teams) and will play Valley City State (N.D.) in its season opener on Sept. 7 at Korver Field.
The Defenders posted a 7-3 record last season and were no. 23 in the final NAIA Poll released at the conclusion of the 2018 season.
Dordt will open the 2019 season on August 29 at home against Keiser (Florida) in a 7:00 kickoff. The Defenders will play an 11-game schedule in 2019 and are home for two games to start the year with Waldorf on the schedule for a September 7 date. Dordt opens the GPAC slate the following weekend on the road against Morningside on September 14.
| RANK | PREVIOUS | SCHOOL | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Morningside (Iowa) [16] | 15-0 | 366 |
| 2 | 2 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 13-2 | 352 |
| 3 | 2 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 10-3 | 338 |
| 4 | 4 | Kansas Wesleyan | 13-1 | 307 |
| 5 | 7 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 9-4 | 300 |
| 6 | 6 | Concordia (Mich.) | 10-3 | 280 |
| 7 | 9 | Marian (Ind.) | 10-1 | 278 |
| 8 | 5 | Baker (Kan.) | 9-3 | 268 |
| 9 | 8 | Dickinson State (N.D.) | 9-3 | 230 |
| 10 | 11 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 9-2 | 224 |
| 11 | 12 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 9-2 | 214 |
| 12 | 15 | Grand View (Iowa) | 8-3 | 185 |
| 13 | 18 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 7-3 | 182 |
| 14 | 14 | Langston (Okla.) | 9-2 | 171 |
| 15 | 22 | College of Idaho | 6-5 | 164 |
| 16 | 12 | Bethel (Tenn.) | 10-2 | 161 |
| 17 | 10 | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 10-1 | 157 |
| 18 | 17 | Evangel (Mo.) | 9-2 | 136 |
| 19 | 21 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 7-3 | 88 |
| 20 | NR | Southern Oregon | 6-4 | 82 |
| 21 | 19 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 7-3 | 78 |
| 22 | 20 | Ottawa (Kan.) | 8-2 | 70 |
| 23 | 16 | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | 8-4 | 66 |
| 24 | 23 | Dordt (Iowa) | 7-3 | 32 |
| 25 | NR | Montana Western | 6-4 | 27 |
Dropped from the Top 25: Oklahoma Panhandle State, Evangel (Mo.)
Others Receiving Votes: Siena Heights (Mich.) 25, Cumberland (Tenn.) 22, William Penn (Iowa) 20, Eastern Oregon 18, Montana Tech 9, Ottawa (Ariz.) 9, Arizona Christian 6, Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 5, Ave Maria (Fla.) 5, Valley City State (N.D.) 1, Tabor (Kan.) 1, Avila (Mo.), Campbellsville (Ky.) 1
