WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State Football continued its ascent in the AFCA Division II Poll on Monday (Oct. 2). The Tigers moved up from No. 14 to No. 11 in the latest edition. Fort Hays State moved to 5-0 on the season this past Saturday with a hard-fought 38-35 win at Lindenwood, remaining in a tie for first place in the MIAA with the nation’s top ranked team, Northwest Missouri State.

The Tigers continue to set a new mark for the program’s highest ranking in the AFCA Poll (which began in 2000) the past four weeks. The Tigers entered the poll for the first time ever at No. 21 on September 11, moved to No. 18 on September 18, then jumped to No. 14 on September 25. The Tigers jumped three more spots this week and host Pittsburg State for Homecoming this Saturday (Oct. 7) in Hays at 7 pm.

Fort Hays State and two-time defending national champion Northwest Missouri State remain the only two MIAA schools in the top 25 of the poll. Northwest Missouri survived a scare from Central Missouri this past Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, scoring a touchdown with seven seconds left to defeat UCM 24-20 and run its win streak to 35 games dating back to the start of the 2015 season. Just one game back of Fort Hays State and Northwest Missouri is Washburn at 4-1, the highest receiving votes team from the MIAA in the poll. Washburn is the fourth-highest team receiving votes. Central Missouri is also receiving votes.

Below is the AFCA Division II Poll for October 2, 2017.

Rank School (1st votes) Record Pts. Prev.
1. Northwest Missouri St. (34) 5-0 850 1
2. Texas A&M-Commerce 4-0 783 2
3. Shepherd (W.Va.) 4-0 770 3
4. Indiana (Pa.) 5-0 740 4
5. Minnesota St. 5-0 711 6
6. Sioux Falls (S.D.) 5-0 679 7
7. Indianapolis (Ind.) 5-0 616 10
8. Grand Valley St. (Mich.) 4-1 569 9
9. Delta St. (Miss.) 5-0 541 13
10. Midwestern St. (Texas) 3-0 540 12
11. Fort Hays State (Kan.) 5-0 487 14
12. Slippery Rock (Pa.) 5-0 421 18
13. Central Washington 5-0 416 16
14. Colorado St.-Pueblo 4-1 391 17
15. Ferris St. (Mich.) 3-1 356 15
16. California (Pa.) 4-1 312 5
17. Humboldt St. (Calif.) 4-0 303 19
18. Ashland (Ohio) 4-1 257 20
19. Bowie St. (Md.) 5-0 241 21
20. Assumption (Mass.) 5-0 237 22
21. Colorado Mesa 4-1 211 8
22. Winona St. (Minn.) 5-0 163 25
23. Southeastern Oklahoma St. 5-0 105 NR
24. Arkansas Tech 4-1 95 11
25. West Georgia 4-1 54 NR

Others Receiving Votes: Shippensburg (Pa.), 42; West Alabama, 35; Wingate (N.C.), 34; Washburn (Kan.), 18; Ouachita Baptist (Ark.), 17; Catawba (N.C.), 13; Central Missouri, 12; Virginia St., 11; Eastern New Mexico, 7; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 4; West Chester (Pa.), 4; Notre Dame (Ohio), 3; LIU-Post (N.Y.), 1; McKendree (Ill.), 1.