KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the first time in program history, defending national champion Southern Oregon is the top team in the 2015 NAIA Football Coaches’ Spring Top 25 Poll, the national office announced Monday. The Raiders, who took down Marian (Ind.), 55-31, to win their first-ever crown, received 10 of the possible 11 first-place votes and 236 total points.
The No. 1 ranking is Southern Oregon’s second all-time – and second-consecutive – dating back to the Postseason Poll on Dec. 22, 2014.
From the GPAC Morningside (Iowa) is third with 214 points. The Mustangs begin their quest of being ranked among the top five in every poll for the third year in-a-row. They were No. 1 a season ago from Sept. 22, 2014 – Nov. 10, 2014. Morningside reached the 2014 NAIA Football Championship Series (FCS) semifinals for the third-consecutive year, while finishing 12-2.
Morningside holds the longest active streak of top 10 rankings, having been ranked among the top 10 teams for 48-straight polls dating back to Sept. 19, 2011.
Northwestern College remained at the 12 spot with 133 points after finishing last season at 9-2, and Doane stayed put at #22 as well.
| RANK | LAST TIME^ | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2014 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Southern Oregon (10) | 13-2 | 236 |
| 2 | 2 | Marian (Ind.) (1) | 11-3 | 227 |
| 3 | 3 | Morningside (Iowa) | 12-2 | 214 |
| 4 | 4 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 10-3 | 209 |
| 5 | 5 | Carroll (Mont.) | 10-2 | 206 |
| 6 | 6 | Grand View (Iowa) | 11-2 | 191 |
| 7 | 7 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 10-3 | 181 |
| 8 | 8 | Missouri Valley | 9-4 | 172 |
| 9 | 9 | MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) | 9-2 | 162 |
| 10 | 10 | Faulkner (Ala.) | 9-3 | 153 |
| 11 | 11 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 8-3 | 150 |
| 12 | 12 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 9-2 | 133 |
| 13 | 15 | Eastern Oregon | 8-3 | 119 |
| 14 | 13 | Ottawa (Kan.) | 9-3 | 116 |
| 15 | 14 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 7-4 | 115 |
| 16 | 17 | Baker (Kan.) | 8-3 | 101 |
| 17 | 16 | Valley City State (N.D.) | 9-2 | 84 |
| 18 | 19 | William Penn (Iowa) | 7-4 | 78 |
| 19 | 18 | Langston (Okla.) | 7-5 | 75 |
| 20 | 20 | Robert Morris (Ill.) | 8-3 | 72 |
| 21 | 21 | Friends (Kan.) | 8-3 | 59 |
| 22 | 22 | Doane (Neb.) | 7-3 | 45 |
| 23 | 23 | Webber International (Fla.) | 8-3 | 31 |
| 24 | 24 | Tabor (Kan.) | 7-4 | 30 |
| 25 | 25 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 7-4 | 12 |
