Every week throughout the college football season, fans, alumni, media and the teams themselves turn to the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll to see who is rising and moving in the national rankings. The new poll follows the Week 7 games.
The reign of purple.
Tarleton State rose to No. 1 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll – the first-ever national ranking for a football program that played its first game in 1904.
The purple-clad Texans improved to 7-0 with a 49-35 victory over Central Arkansas on Saturday night, hours after then No. 1 South Dakota State lost to North Dakota. Coach Todd Whitten’s team, one of three undefeated teams in the FCS, received 49 of 57 first-place votes in the national media poll.
Their victory in the United Athletic Conference ensured a winning season for the Texans – something they have achieved every year since joining the FCS in 2020.
Stephen F. Austin (7-0), who like Tarleton wears his school’s purple and white colors, sits in second place ahead of defending FCS champion Montana State (6-1). Harvard (5-0), the other undefeated, is 15th.
The Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll is released every Monday during the regular season and one day after the FCS championship game (January 11 in Nashville, Tennessee). A vote for first place is worth 25 points, a vote for second place 24 points, up to one point for a vote for 25th place.
Stats Conducts FCS Top 25 Poll (Oct. 19)
1. Tarleton State (7-0, 2-0 UAC)
Points: 1,417 (49 of 57 first-place votes); Previous ranking: 2; Week 7: 49-35 victory against Central Arkansas; Week 8: October 24 at West Georgia (2 p.m. ET, ESPN+)
2. Stephen F. Austin (7-0, 4-0 Southland)
Points: 1,331 (4); Previous ranking: 3; Week 7: 56-0 win at Nicholls; Week 8: Oct. 24 vs. No. 23 Southeast Louisiana (6 p.m., ESPN+)
3. Montana State (6-1, 3-1 Big Sky)
Points: 1,285 (3); Previous ranking: 5; Week 7: 56-20 victory at Eastern Washington; Week 8: October 24 vs. No. 22 Weber State (3 p.m., ESPN+/Scripps)
4. Youngstown State (6-2, 4-1 MVFC)
Points: 1,234 (1); Previous ranking: 6; Week 7: 35-22 win over No. 19 Northern Iowa; Week 8: No game
5. South Dakota State (5-2, 2-1 MVFC)
Points: 1,181; Previous ranking: 1; Week 7: 21-10 loss at then-No. 11 North Dakota; Week 8: Oct. 24 vs. Murray State (3 p.m., ESPN+/MidCo Sports 2)
6. North Dakota (6-2, 3-1 MVFC)
Points: 1,123; Previous ranking: 11; Week 7: 21-10 win over No. 1 South Dakota State; Week 8: October 24 at No. 8 South Dakota (2 p.m., ESPN+/MidCo Sports)
7. Northern Arizona (6-2, 4-1 Big Sky)
Points: 1,082; Previous ranking: 8; Week 7: 38-25 win over Portland State; Week 8: No game
8. South Dakota (6-2, 3-1 MVFC)
Points: 1,049; Previous ranking: 9; Week 7: 48-20 win at Murray State; Week 8: October 24 against No. 6 North Dakota (2 p.m., ESPN+/MidCo Sports)
9. Austin Peay (6-2, 2-1 UAC)
Points: 916; Previous ranking: 12; Week 7: 24-10 victory at West Georgia; Week 8: October 24 at North Alabama (7 p.m., ESPN+)
10. Illinois State (5-2, 1-2 MVFC)
Points: 823; Previous ranking: 13; Week 7: Southern Illinois wins 35-14; Week 8: October 24 against Indiana State (3 p.m., ESPN+)
11. Lehigh (6-1, 4-0 Patriot)
Points: 809; Previous ranking: 4; Week 7: 48-38 loss at Cornell; Week 8: October 24 at Villanova (3:30 p.m., ESPN+)
12. Tennessee Tech (6-1, 3-1 South)
Points: 803; Previous ranking: 15; Week 7: 49-20 win over Eastern Kentucky; Week 8: October 24 at La Citadelle (2 p.m., ESPN+)
13. Campbell (6-1, 3-0 AAC)
Points: 721; Previous ranking: 16; Week 7: 24-20 win over Towson; Week 8: October 24 at Maine (1 p.m., FloSports/FOX 22)
14. Montana (5-3, 3-2 Big Sky)
Points: 682; Previous ranking: 7; Week 7: 42-35 loss to Idaho; Week 8: No game
15. Harvard (5-0, 2-0 Ivy)
Points: 670; Previous ranking: 17; Week 7: 30-7 victory against Holy Cross; Week 8: October 24 against Princeton (3 p.m., ESPN+)
16. Lamar (5-2, 3-1 Southland)
Points: 592; Previous ranking: 10; Week 7: 34-31 loss in Southeast Louisiana; Week 8: October 24 vs. Houston Christian (4 p.m., ESPN+)
17. Mercer (6-2, 3-1 South)
Points: 544; Previous ranking: 18; Week 7: 31-21 victory at Samford; Week 8: No game
18. ETSU (5-2, 3-0 South)
Points: 441; Previous ranking: 20; Week 7: No game; Week 8: October 24 at VMI (1:30 p.m., ESPN+)
19. Monmouth (5-2, 4-0 CAA)
Points: 335; Previous ranking: 23; Week 7: 42-21 victory at New Hampshire; Week 8: October 24 at Hampton (2 p.m., FloSports/MNMT)
20. UC Davis (4-3, 2-2 Big Sky)
Points: 284; Previous ranking: 14; Week 7: 38-17 loss at Southern Utah; Week 8: Oct. 24 vs. Northern Colorado (7 p.m., ESPN+/KMAX/KQCA My 58)
21. Northern Iowa (3-3, 2-1 MVFC)
Points: 266; Previous ranking: 19; Week 7: 35-22 defeat at then-No. 6 Youngstown State; Week 8: October 24 at Southern Illinois (2 p.m., ESPN+)
22. Weber State (5-3, 4-1 Big Sky)
Points: 179; Previous ranking: NR; Week 7: 27-20 win over No. 22 Idaho State; Week 8: October 24 at No. 3 Montana State (3 p.m., ESPN+/Scripps)
23. Southeast Louisiana (4-3, 2-2 Southland)
Points: 118; Previous ranking: NR; Week 7: 34-31 victory against No. 10 Lamar; Week 8: October 24 at No. 2 Stephen F. Austin (6 p.m., ESPN+)
24. Jackson State (6-1, 3-1 SWAC)
Points: 116; Previous ranking: NR; Week 7: 27-17 win over Florida A&M; Week 8: October 24 at Bethune-Cookman (3 p.m., ESPN+)
25. Richmond (5-2, 3-1 Patriot)
Points: 106; Previous ranking: NR; Week 7: No game; Week 8: October 24 against Colgate (2 p.m., ESPN+)
Abandoned : Idaho State (21), Colgate (22), Morgan State (24), Yale (25)
Other receiving points (schools listed on two or more ballots)
Abilene Christian (4-4, 3-0 UAC): 86; Princeton (4-1, 2-0 Ivy): 62; Idaho State (4-3, 1-3 Big Sky): 57; West Florida (4-2, 2-2 UAC): 45; Cornell (3-2, 1-1 Lierre): 39; South Carolina State (5-2, 0-0 MEAC): 35; Colgate (4-3, 3-1 Patriot): 18; Houston Christian (4-3, 3-1 Southland): 14; Morgan State (5-2, 0-0 MEAC): 12; Wofford (5-3, 3-2 South): 10; Alabama A&M (6-2, 3-1 SWAC): 9; Bryant (5-2, 3-0 CAA) 9; UAlbany (4-3, 2-1 CAA): 5; Rhode Island (4-3, 1-2 CAA): 2
Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Voting Panel
Statistics performed: Craig Haley. Big Sky Conference: Riley Corcoran, Tyson Rodgers, Larry Weir. CAA Football: Roger Brown, Matt Harmon, Rob Washburn. Ivy League: JJ Klein, Craig Larson. Middle East Sports Conference: Isaiah Green, Kendrick Lewis. Missouri Valley Football Conference: Kyle Grooms, Tom Miller, Randy Reinhardt. Northeast Conference: Sarah Boissonneault, Brian Cleary. Ohio Valley Conference: Mike Bradd, Kyle Schwartz, Mark Simpson. Patriot League: Bob Black, Eric Malanoski, Ryan Sakamoto. Pioneer Football League: Cody Bush, Larry Hansgen. Southern Conference: Scott Keeler, Andrew Miller, Ralan Wardlaw. Southland Conference: Matthew Bonnette, James Dixon, Anthony Goss. Southwestern Athletic Conference: Curtis Ford, Ronnie Johnson. United Athletic Conference: Claire Johnson, Benjamin Ray, Jake Withee. National representatives: Sean Anderson, Stan Becton, Taylor Blue, Zack Carlton, Gene Clemons, Joe DeLeone, Matt Dixon, Steven J. Gaither, Sam Herder, Emory Hunt, Kyle Kensing, Brandon Lawrence, Zach McKinnell, Jon Passman, Omar Rashon Borja, Ryan Roberts, Timothy Rosario, Kent Schmidt, Phil Sokol, Reggie Thomas, Ralph Ventre, Jamie Williams.
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