Kansas City, Missouri — The back-to-back NAIA National Champions, Morningside (Iowa) claimed the No. 1 spot in the first poll of the 2020-21 NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll. The Mustangs received 17 first place votes. Rounding out the top five this week was Marian (Ind.), Grand View (Iowa), Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) and College of Idaho.
The GPAC completed play of their season in the fall. Northwestern finished the season at 8-1, with their only loss to #1 Morningside. Dordt ended their campaign at 7-2 with their losses to Northwestern and Morningside.
Both will find out their possible playoff opponents later in the spring.
The NAIA Football National Championship has been rescheduled to occur on a Monday for the first time. The championship will remain at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium at Grambling State University and will take place on Monday, May 10, 2021
2020-21 NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll – Poll 1 (February 22)
| RANK | PREVIOUS RANK | SCHOOL [ST PLACE VOTES] | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | NR | Morningside (Iowa) [17] | 8-0 | 418 |
| 2 | NR | Marian (Ind.) | 1-0 | 396 |
| 3 | NR | Grand View (Iowa) [1] | 6-0 | 390 |
| 4 | NR | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 1-0 | 367 |
| 5 | NR | College of Idaho | 0-0 | 335 |
| 6 | NR | Keiser (Fla.) | 6-0 | 334 |
| 7 | NR | Northwestern (Iowa) | 8-1 | 309 |
| 8 | NR | Baker (Kan.) | 6-0 | 291 |
| 9 | NR | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 0-0 | 272 |
| 10 | NR | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 2-0 | 264 |
| 11 | NR | Bethel (Kan.) | 8-0 | 255 |
| 12 | NR | Dickinson State (N.D.) | 9-0 | 244 |
| 13 | NR | Concordia (Mich.) | 0-0 | 234 |
| 14 | NR | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 1-1 | 170 |
| 15 | NR | Benedictine (Kan.) | 7-2 | 147 |
| 16 | NR | Ottawa (Ariz.) (AZ) | 0-0 | 144 |
| 17 | NR | Cumberlands (Ky.) | 1-1 | 137 |
| 18 | NR | Dordt (Iowa) | 7-2 | 120 |
| 19 | NR | Georgetown (Ky.) | 1-0 | 88 |
| 20 | NR | Roosevelt (Ill.) | 2-0 | 85 |
| 21 | NR | Southwestern (Kan.) | 4-1 | 81 |
| 22 | NR | Siena Heights (Mich.) | 0-0 | 78 |
| 23 | NR | Avila (Mo.) | 5-1 | 77 |
| 24 | NR | Arizona Christian | 4-1 | 73 |
| 25 | NR | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 2-0 | 55 |
Receiving Votes: Eastern Oregon 53, Kansas Wesleyan 45, Southeastern (Fla.) 37, Valley City State (N.D.) 25, Carroll (Mont.) 20, Midland (Neb.) 14, Waldorf (Iowa) 10, Langston (Okla.) 9, Montana Western 4
