2021 NCAA Division II football rankings

2021 NCAA Division II football rankings
Season	2022
Postseason	Single-elimination
Preseason No. 1	West Florida
National champions	Ferris State
Conference with most teams in final AFCA poll	PSAC (4)
	NCAA Division II football rankings ← 2019 2022 →

The 2021 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II football rankings consists primarily of The AFCA Coaches' Poll, determined by coaches part of NCAA Division II football programs. The following weekly polls determine the top 25 teams at the NCAA Division II level of college football for the 2022 season.

Legend

		Increase in ranking
		Decrease in ranking
		Not ranked previous week or no change
		Selected for College Football Playoff
(#–#)		Win–loss record
(Italics)		Number of first place votes
т		Tied with team above or below also with this symbol

American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll

	Preseason Aug 16^[1]	Week 1 Sep 7^[2]	Week 2 Sep 13^[3]	Week 3 Sep 20^[4]	Week 4 Sep 27^[5]	Week 5 Oct 4^[6]	Week 6 Oct 11^[7]	Week 7 Oct 18^[8]	Week 8 Oct 25^[9]	Week 9 Nov 1^[10]	Week 10 Nov 8^[11]	Week 11 Nov 15^[12]	Week 12 (Final) Dec 20^[13]
1.	West Florida (26)	West Florida (1–0) (28)	West Florida (2–0) (29)	West Florida (3–0) (30)	West Florida (3–0) (30)	West Florida (4–0) (30)	West Florida (5–0) (30)	Ferris State (6–0) (23)	Ferris State (7–0) (26)	Ferris State (8–0) (24)	Ferris State (9–0) (25)	Ferris State (10–0) (30)	Ferris State (14–0) (30)	1.
2.	Minnesota State (2)	Ferris State (1–0) (1)	Ferris State (2–0) (1)	NW Missouri State (2–0)	NW Missouri State (3–0)	NW Missouri State (4–0)	NW Missouri State (5–0)	Valdosta State (6–0) (7)	Valdosta State (7–0) (4)	Valdosta State (8–0) (6)	Valdosta State (9–0) (5)	West Florida (9–1)	Valdosta State (12–2)	2.
3.	Ferris State	Minnesota State (1–0)	NW Missouri State (1–0)	Ferris State (3–0)	Ferris State (4–0)	Ferris State (5–0)	Ferris State (5–0)	Colorado Mines (7–0)	West Georgia (7–1)	California (PA) (8–0)	West Florida (8–1)	NW Missouri State (9–1)	Colorado Mines (12–2)	3.
4.	NW Missouri State (1)	NW Missouri State (1–0)	Valdosta State (2–0)	Valdosta State (3–0)	Valdosta State (3–0)	Valdosta State (4–0)	Valdosta State (5–0)	West Georgia (6–1)	California (PA) (7–0)	West Florida (7–1)	NW Missouri State (8–1)	Grand Valley State (9–1)	NW Missouri State (11–2)	4.
5.	Slippery Rock	Valdosta State (1–0)	Lenoir-Rhyne (1–0)	Colorado Mines (3–0)	Colorado Mines (4–0)	Colorado Mines (5–0)	Colorado Mines (6–0)	California (PA) (6–0)	West Florida (6–1)	Ouachita Baptist (8–1)	Grand Valley State (8–1)	Valdosta State (9–1)	Shepherd (13–2)	5.
6.	Lenoir–Rhyne т	Lenoir-Rhyne (1–0) (1)	Slippery Rock (2–0)	Slippery Rock (3–0)	Notre Dame (OH) (4–0)	Slippery Rock (5–0)	Slippery Rock (6–0)	West Florida (5–1)	Ouachita Baptist (7–1)	NW Missouri State (7–1)	Notre Dame (OH) (9–1)	Notre Dame (OH) (10–1)	Bowie State (12–2)	6.
7.	Valdosta State т	Texas A&M–Commerce (1–0)	Colorado Mines (2–0)	Notre Dame (OH) (3–0)	Slippery Rock (4–0)	Grand Valley State (4–0)	Grand Valley State (5–0)	Ouachita Baptist (6–1)	Grand Valley State (6–1)	Grand Valley State (7–1)	Harding (9–1)	Harding (10–1)	Grand Valley State (10–2)	7.
8.	Texas A&M–Commerce	Slippery Rock (1–0)	Notre Dame (OH) (2–0)	Ouachita Baptist (3–0)	Grand Valley State (3–0)	Wingate (4–0)	Wingate (5–0)	Grand Valley State (5–1)	NW Missouri State (6–1)	Notre Dame (OH) (8–1)	Shepherd (9–1)	Shepherd (10–1)	Kutztown (11–2)	8.
9.	Notre Dame (OH)	Colorado Mines (1–0)	Ouachita Baptist (2–0)	Grand Valley State (2–0)	West Georgia (4–0)	Henderson State (5–0)	Henderson State (6–0)	Notre Dame (OH) (6–1)	Notre Dame (OH) (7–1)	Bentley (8–0)	Colorado Mines (9–1)	Colorado Mines (10–1)	Notre Dame (OH) (11–2)	9.
10.	Colorado Mines	Notre Dame (OH) (1–0)	Grand Valley State (1–0)	Shepherd (3–0)	Wingate (3–0)	West Alabama (5–0)	West Alabama (6–0)	NW Missouri State (5–1)	Harding (7–1)	Harding (8–1)	Slippery Rock (9–1)	Bowie State (10–1)	Harding (11–2)	10.
11.	Ouachita Baptist	Ouachita Baptist (1–0)	Shepherd (2–0)	Minnesota–Duluth (3–0)	Midwestern State (4–0)	Minnesota State (4–1)	Ouachita Baptist (5–1)	Shepherd (6–1)	Bentley (7–0)	Shepherd (8–1)	West Georgia (7–2)	Western Colorado (10–1)	Angelo State (11–3)	11.
12.	CSU Pueblo	Indianapolis (1–0)	Indianapolis (2–0)	Tiffin (3–0)	Nebraska-Kearney (4–0)	Ouachita Baptist (4–1)	West Georgia (5–1)	Harding (6–1)	Shepherd (7–1)	West Georgia (7–2)	Bowie State (9–1)	Kutztown (10–1)	West Florida (9–2)	12.
13.	Central Missouri	Shepherd (1–0)	Minnesota–Duluth (2–0)	Wingate (3–0)	Henderson State (4–0)	West Georgia (4–1)	California (PA) (6–0)	Bentley (7–0)	Bowie State (7–1)	Colorado Mines (8–1)	Henderson State (9–1)	West Georgia (8–2)	West Georgia (9–3)	13.
14.	Indianapolis	Grand Valley State (0–0)	IUP (1–0)	West Georgia (3–0)	Augustana (SD) (4–0)	Notre Dame (OH) (4–1)	Notre Dame (OH) (5–1)	Bowie State (6–1)	Colorado Mines (7–1)	Bowie State (8–1)	Western Colorado (9–1)	California (PA) (9–1)	New Haven (10–2)	14.
15.	Shepeherd	IUP (0–0)	Tiffin (2–0)	Midwestern State (3–0)	West Alabama (4–0)	California (PA) (5–0)	Shepherd (5–1)	West Alabama (6–1)	Slippery Rock (7–1)	Slippery Rock (8–1)	California (PA) (8–1)	Frostburg State (10–1)	Nebraska-Kearney (10–3)	15.
16.	Grand Valley State	Tiffin (1–0)	Wingate (2–0)	Nebraska-Kearney (3–0)	Lenoir-Rhyne (2–1)	Bowie State (4–1) т	Bowie State (5–1)	Minnesota–Duluth (6–1)	Wingate (6–1)	Henderson State (8–1)	Kutztown (9–1)	Albany State (9–1)	Western Colorado (10–2)	16.
17.	IUP	Harding (1–0)	Angelo State (2–0)	Lenoir-Rhyne (1–1)	Minnesota State (3–1)	Shepherd (4–1) т	Bentley (6–0)	Slippery Rock (6–1)	Nebraska-Kearney (7–1)	Augustana (SD) (8–1)	Frostburg State (9–1)	Ouachita Baptist (9–2)	Newberry (10–3)	17.
18.	Bowie State	Kutztown (1–0)	West Georgia (2–0)	Henderson State (3–0)	Truman (4–0)	Bentley (5–0)	Minnesota–Duluth (5–1)	Wingate (5–1)	Henderson State (7–1)	Western Colorado (8–1)	Albany State (9–1)	New Haven (9–1)	Albany State (10–2)	18.
19.	Tiffin	CSU Pueblo (0–1)	Minnesota State (1–1)	Indianapolis (2–1)	Ouachita Baptist (3–1)	Minnesota–Duluth (4–1)	Midwestern State (5–1)	Midwestern State (5–1)	Augustana (SD) (7–1)	Kutztown (8–1)	New Haven (8–1)	Slippery Rock (9–2)	Bemidji State (10–3)	19.
20.	Kutztown	Minnesota–Duluth (1–0)	Midwestern State (2–0)	Minnesota State (2–1)	Bowie State (3–1)	Midwestern State (4–1)	Harding (5–1)	Henderson State (6–1)	Western Colorado (7–1)	Frostburg State (8–1)	Ouachita Baptist (8–2)	Bentley (9–1)	Slippery Rock (9–3)	20.
21.	Lindenwood	Wingate (1–0)	Texas A&M–Commerce (1–1)	West Alabama (3–0)	Shepherd (3–1)	Harding (4–1)	Nebraska–Kearney (5–1)	Nebraska-Kearney (6–1)	Kutztown (7–1)	Midwestern State (6–2)	Bentley (8–1)	Nebraska-Kearney (9–2)	California (PA) (9–1)	21.
22.	Harding	Angelo State (1–0)	Delta State (2–0)	Augustana (SD) (3–0)	Minnesota–Duluth (3–1)	Nebraska-Kearney (4–1)	Augustana (SD) (5–1)	Augustana (SD) (6–1)	Colorado Mesa (6–1)	Albany State (8–1)	Nebraska-Kearney (8–2)	Henderson State (9–2)	Frostburg State (10–1)	22.
23.	Minnesota–Duluth	Pittsburg State (1–0)	Nebraska-Kearney (2–0)	Bowie State (2–1)	Harding (3–1)	Frostburg State (5–0)	Wayne State (NE) (5–1)	IUP (5–1)	Frostburg State (7–1)	West Alabama (7–2)	Minnesota–Duluth(8–2)	Minnesota–Duluth (9–2)	Ouachita Baptist (9–2)	23.
24.	Carson-Newman т	West Georgia (1–0)	Bowie State (1–1)	IUP (1–1)	Bentley (4–0)	Chowan (5–0)	Western Colorado (5–1)	Western Colorado (6–1)	Midwestern State (5–2)	New Haven (7–1)	Washburn (8–2)	Washburn (9–2)	Bentley (9–2)	24.
25.	Wingate т	Bowie State (0–1)	Henderson State (2–0)	Delta State (2–1)	California (PA) (4–0) т	Augustana (SD) (4–1)	Kutztown (5–1)	Kutztown (6–1)	Albany State (7–1)	Nebraska-Kearney (7–2)	Augustana (SD) (8–2)	Augustana (SD) (9–2)	Washburn (9–3)	25.
26.					IUP (2–1) т									26.
	Preseason Aug 16^[1]	Week 1 Sep 7^[2]	Week 2 Sep 13^[3]	Week 3 Sep 20^[4]	Week 4 Sep 27^[5]	Week 5 Oct 4^[6]	Week 6 Oct 11^[7]	Week 7 Oct 18^[8]	Week 8 Oct 25^[9]	Week 9 Nov 1^[10]	Week 10 Nov 8^[11]	Week 11 Nov 15^[12]	Week 12 (Final) Dec 20^[13]
		Dropped: 13 Central Missouri 21 Lindenwood 24 Carson-Newman	Dropped: 17 Harding 18 Kutztown 19 CSU Pueblo 23 Pittsburg State	Dropped: 17 Angelo State 21 Texas A&M–Commerce	Dropped: 12 Tiffin 19 Indianapolis 25 Delta State	Dropped: 16 Lenoir-Rhyne 18 Truman 25т IUP	Dropped: 11 Minnesota State 23 Frostburg State 24 Chowan	Dropped: 23 Wayne State (NE)	Dropped: 15 West Alabama 16 Minnesota–Duluth 23 IUP	Dropped: 16 Wingate 22 Colorado Mesa	Dropped: 21 Midwestern State 23 West Alabama	Dropped: None	Dropped: 22 Henderson State 23 Minnesota–Duluth 25 Augustana (SD)

References

^ "2019 National Champion West Florida begins 2021 at No. 1". afca.com. AFCA. August 16, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
^ "[D2 Poll] West Florida downs FCS-member McNeese to stay No. 1". afca.com. AFCA. September 7, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
^ "[D2 Poll] Nebraska-Kearney jumps into the AFCA D2 Top 25 for the first time since 2011". afca.com. AFCA. September 13, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
^ "[D2 Poll] Augustana jumps into the AFCA D2 Top 25 for the first time since 2016". afca.com. AFCA. September 20, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2023.
^ "[D2 Poll] West Georgia jumps into the AFCA D2 Coaches' Top 10". afca.com. AFCA. September 27, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
^ "[D2 POLL] Frostburg State and Chowan enter the AFCA D2 Coaches' Poll for the first time". afca.com. AFCA. October 4, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
^ "[D2 Poll] Northwest Missouri State comes from behind to beat rival Pittsburg State". afca.com. AFCA. October 11, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
^ "[D2 Poll] Ferris State moves to No. 1 in AFCA Top 25". afca.com. AFCA. October 18, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
^ "[D2 Poll] Colorado Mesa enters AFCA Poll for first time since 2018". afca.com. AFCA. October 25, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
^ "[D2 Poll] California (Pa.) rises to No. 3 in AFCA POLL". afca.com. AFCA. November 1, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
^ "[D2 Poll] Washburn enters AFCA Top 25 for the first time since 2013". afca.com. AFCA. November 8, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
^ "[D2 Poll] Ferris State ends regular season at No. 1". afca.com. AFCA. November 15, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
^ "Ferris State ends the 2021 season at No. 1". afca.com. AFCA. December 20, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.

[1] "2019 National Champion West Florida begins 2021 at No. 1". afca.com. AFCA. August 16, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2023.

[2] "[D2 Poll] West Florida downs FCS-member McNeese to stay No. 1". afca.com. AFCA. September 7, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2023.

[3] "[D2 Poll] Nebraska-Kearney jumps into the AFCA D2 Top 25 for the first time since 2011". afca.com. AFCA. September 13, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2023.

[4] "[D2 Poll] Augustana jumps into the AFCA D2 Top 25 for the first time since 2016". afca.com. AFCA. September 20, 2022. Retrieved June 5, 2023.

[5] "[D2 Poll] West Georgia jumps into the AFCA D2 Coaches' Top 10". afca.com. AFCA. September 27, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.

[6] "[D2 POLL] Frostburg State and Chowan enter the AFCA D2 Coaches' Poll for the first time". afca.com. AFCA. October 4, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.

[7] "[D2 Poll] Northwest Missouri State comes from behind to beat rival Pittsburg State". afca.com. AFCA. October 11, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.

[8] "[D2 Poll] Ferris State moves to No. 1 in AFCA Top 25". afca.com. AFCA. October 18, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2023.

[9] "[D2 Poll] Colorado Mesa enters AFCA Poll for first time since 2018". afca.com. AFCA. October 25, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.

[10] "[D2 Poll] California (Pa.) rises to No. 3 in AFCA POLL". afca.com. AFCA. November 1, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.

[11] "[D2 Poll] Washburn enters AFCA Top 25 for the first time since 2013". afca.com. AFCA. November 8, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.

[12] "[D2 Poll] Ferris State ends regular season at No. 1". afca.com. AFCA. November 15, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.

[13] "Ferris State ends the 2021 season at No. 1". afca.com. AFCA. December 20, 2021. Retrieved June 6, 2023.

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