KANSAS CITY, Mo. – After winning its first-ever red banner in program history the Blue Raiders start the 2021 season in the No. 1 spot of the 2021 NAIA Coaches’ Postseason Top 25 poll. Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) finished last season with a record of 11-0 defeating Northwestern (Iowa) in the NAIA FCS National Championship Game. Rounding out the top five this week was Northwestern (Iowa), Morningside (Iowa), Keiser (Fla.) and Grand View (Iowa).
Northwestern was one of two teams to garner 400+ points in the preseason poll, tallying 402 points. Defending national champions Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) claimed the top spot in the preseason poll and received 18 first-place votes and garnered 418 points.
Northwestern opens the season against the Saints of Presentation College (S.D.) who hail from the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) in Aberdeen, S.D. on August 28. GPAC play commences for the Raiders on September 4 as Northwestern is set to play host to Hastings. The game will celebrate the senior class as well as marking the first home contest of the season.
The 2021 preseason polls saw two other GPAC institutions crack the top-30, including Morningside, who came in at No. 3 and Dordt who is ranked No. 14 to begin the 2021 season. The coveted contests between the two preseason ranked GPAC members are set at the latter half of the Raiders’ schedule. Dordt comes to town October 30, with Morningside set to visit Orange City the following weekend, November 6. Both kickoffs are scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
2021 NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – Preseason (August 2)
| RANK | POSTSEASON POLL | SCHOOL [1ST PLACE VOTES] | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) [18] | 11-0 | 418 |
| 2 | 2 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 11-2 | 402 |
| 3 | 3 | Morningside (Iowa) | 10-1 | 386 |
| 4 | 4 | Keiser (Fla.) | 9-1 | 366 |
| 5 | 5 | Grand View (Iowa) | 7-1 | 356 |
| 6 | 6 | Concordia (Mich.) | 6-1 | 338 |
| 7 | 7 | Baker (Kan.) | 7-1 | 317 |
| 8 | 8 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 9-1 | 310 |
| 9 | 10 | Marian (Ind.) | 5-2 | 286 |
| 10 | 9 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 8-1 | 279 |
| 11 | 11 | Dickinson State (N.D.) | 9-1 | 244 |
| 12 | 12 | Bethel (Kan.) | 9-2 | 232 |
| 13 | 13 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 6-2 | 220 |
| 14 | 15 | Dordt (Iowa) | 8-3 | 188 |
| 15 | 14 | Arizona Christian | 9-2 | 184 |
| 16 | 17 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 2-2 | 180 |
| 17 | 16 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 8-2 | 174 |
| 18 | 21 | Eastern Oregon | 3-1 | 143 |
| 19 | 18 | College of Idaho | 3-1 | 131 |
| 20 | 20 | Roosevelt (Ill.) | 6-1 | 110 |
| 21 | 19 | Avila (Mo.) | 8-1 | 90 |
| 22 | RV | Southeastern (Fla.) | 8-1 | 53 |
| 23 | 23 | Ottawa (Ariz.) | 4-1 | 44 |
| 24 | 25 | Kansas Wesleyan | 8-2 | 43 |
| 25 | 24 | Southwestern (Kan.) | 7-2 | 37 |
Receiving Votes: Montana Western 30, Carroll (Mont.) 24, Valley City State (N.D.) 14, Saint Xavier (Ill.) 5
