Preseason AFCA Top 25 Released – NWMSU Opens Season At #4; Mo West Receiving Votes
2021 American Football Coaches Association Preseason Division II Coaches’ Poll – August 16, 2021
| Rank | School (1st votes) | 2019 Rec. | Pts. | 2019 Rank | Season Opener | Head Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | West Florida (26) | 13-2 | 698 | 1 | Sept. 2 at McNeese (La.) | Pete Shinnick |
| 2 | Minnesota St. (2) | 14-1 | 673 | 2 | Sept. 2 vs. Northern St. (S.D.) | Todd Hoffner |
| 3 | Ferris St. (Mich.) | 12-1 | 630 | 3 | Sept. 2 vs. Findlay (Ohio) | Tony Annese |
| 4 | Northwest Missouri St. (1) | 12-2 | 575 | 7 | Sept. 2 at No. 24 Fort Hays St. (Kan.) | Rich Wright |
| 5 | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 13-1 | 544 | 6 | Sept. 2 at Wayne St. (Mich.) | Shawn Lutz |
| 6t. | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 13-1 | 540 | 4 | Sept. 4 at Virginia St. | Mike Jacobs |
| 6t. | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 10-1 | 540 | 5 | Sept. 2 vs. Savannah St. (Ga.) | Gary Goff |
| 8 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 10-3 | 520 | 11 | Sept. 2 at No. 13 Colorado St.-Pueblo | David Bailiff |
| 9 | Notre Dame (Ohio) | 12-2 | 501 | 10 | Sept. 4 vs. Ashland (Ohio) | Mickey Mental |
| 10 | Colorado School of Mines | 12-1 | 423 | 8 | Sept. 2 vs. Western Oregon | Gregg Brandon |
| 11 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 11-1 | 387 | 14 | Sept. 2 vs. Oklahoma Baptist | Todd Knight |
| 12 | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 11-2 | 327 | 12 | Sept. 2 vs. No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce | John Wristen |
| 13 | Central Missouri | 11-2 | 323 | 13 | Sept. 2 vs. Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | Jim Svoboda |
| 14 | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 9-2 | 261 | 17 | Sept. 4 at Saint Xavier (Ill.) | Chris Keevers |
| 15 | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 10-3 | 256 | 22 | Sept. 2 at Ohio Dominican | Ernie McCook |
| 16 | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 8-3 | 231 | NR | Sept. 2 vs. Edinboro (Pa.) | Matt Mitchell |
| 17 | Indiana (Pa.) | 10-2 | 220 | 21 | Sept. 11 vs. No. 20 Kutztown (Pa.) | Paul Tortorella |
| 18 | Bowie St. (Md.) | 11-1 | 210 | 18 | Sept. 4 at Delaware St. | Damon Wilson |
| 19 | Tiffin (Ohio) | 9-2 | 188 | 23 | Sept. 4 at Marian (Ind.) | Chris Reisert |
| 20 | Kutztown (Pa.) | 11-2 | 144 | 16 | Sept. 4 vs. Assumption (Mass.) | Jim Clements |
| 21 | Lindenwood (Mo.) | 9-4 | 134 | 25 | Sept. 2 vs. Angelo St. (Texas) | Jed Stugart |
| 22 | Harding (Ark.) | 10-2 | 120 | 15 | Sept. 4 vs. East Central (Okla.) | Paul Simmons |
| 23 | Minnesota-Duluth | 8-3 | 100 | NR | Sept. 2 at Upper Iowa | Curt Wiese |
| 24t. | Carson-Newman (Tenn.) | 9-3 | 95 | 20 | Sept. 2 vs. West Georgia | Mike Clowney |
| 24t. | Wingate (N.C.) | 10-2 | 95 | 16 | Sept. 2 vs. Shaw (N.C.) | Joe Reich |
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2019
Others Receiving Votes: Fort Hays St., 90; Tusculum (Tenn.), 52; Angelo St. (Texas), 49; Augustana (S.D.), 42; Ashland (Ohio), 38; West Chester (Pa.), 38; Delta St. (Miss.), 35; West Texas A&M, 26; Midwestern St. (Texas), 25; Bentley (Mass.), 24; Henderson St. (Ark.), 24; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 23; UT-Permian Basin (Texas), 23; Ohio Dominican, 20; Findlay (Ohio), 18; West Alabama, 18; California (Pa.), 17; Charleston (W.Va.), 16; Central Washington, 15; Miles (Ala.), 15; Truman St. (Mo.), 15; Oklahoma Baptist, 14; Assumption (Mass.), 9; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 8; Wayne St. (Mich.), 8; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 6; Virginia Union, 6; Chadron St. (Neb.), 4; Nebraska-Kearney, 4; Fayetteville St. (N.C.), 2; West Georgia, 2; Hillsdale (Mich.), 1; Missouri Western, 1; Virginia St., 1; Western Oregon, 1.