WACO, Texas – The American Football Coaches Association released its final Top 25 Poll for the 2017 season on Monday (Dec. 18). Fort Hays State remained in the top 10 in the final poll, taking the No. 8 spot in the poll at season’s end. The Tigers went into the NCAA Division II Playoffs undefeated and ranked No. 4 in the nation before finishing the year at 11-1.
The two teams from Super Region 3 that advanced further than FHSU in the NCAA Playoffs, Ferris State and Harding, jumped over FHSU in the final poll. Ferris State (11-2) was No. 10 going into the playoffs and finished at No. 5, while Harding (11-4) was unranked and made a run all the way to the national semifinals to finish at No. 6.
West Florida, the national runner-up and champion of Super Region 2, finished No. 2 in the final poll after entering the playoffs unranked. The Argonauts finished the year 11-4. Texas A&M-Commerce, this year’s Division II national champion, entered the playoffs at No. 8 in the nation and jumped all the way to No. 1. The Lions finished at 14-1 overall.
Fort Hays State saw its best season in program history come to a close in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs in a 31-21 loss at home to Ferris State. The Tigers recorded their best regular season ever by going 11-0 (topping the 7-0 season by the 1917 team that did not play a postseason), running the table in an 11-game MIAA schedule. That produced their first-ever MIAA Championship in football.
Six of the seven teams in the NCAA Playoffs from Super Region 3 finished in the Top 25 of the poll. Outside of Ferris State, Harding, and Fort Hays State, Ashland finished at No. 10, Indianapolis finished at No. 13, and Northwest Missouri State finished at No. 16.
Below is the final AFCA Division II Poll for 2017.
| Rank | School (1st Votes) | Record | Pts. | Previous | Post-season Results | Head Coach |
| 1. | Texas A&M-Commerce (33) | 14-1 | 825 | 8 | D. West Florida, 37-27, in national championship | Colby Carthel |
| 2. | West Florida | 11-4 | 774 | NR | Lost to No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce, 37-27, in national championship | Pete Shinnick |
| 3. | Indiana (Pa.) | 13-1 | 730 | 3 | Lost to West Florida, 27-17, in semifinals | Paul Tortorella |
| 4. | Minnesota St. | 13-1 | 707 | 1 | Lost to No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce, 31-21, in quarterfinals | Todd Hoffner |
| 5. | Ferris St. (Mich.) | 11-2 | 612 | 10 | Lost to Harding (Ark.), 16-14, in quarterfinals | Tony Annese |
| 6. | Harding (Ark.) | 11-4 | 574 | NR | Lost to No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce, 31-17, in semifinals | Paul Simmons |
| 7. | Central Washington | 11-1 | 566 | 7 | Lost to No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce, 34-31, in second round | Ian Shoemaker |
| 8. | Fort Hays St. (Kan.) | 11-1 | 533 | 4 | Lost to No. 10 Ferris St. (Mich.), 31-21, in second round | Chris Brown |
| 9. | Assumption (Mass.) | 11-2 | 511 | 15 | Lost to No. 3 Indiana (Pa.), 27-22, in quarterfinals | Bob Chesney |
| 10. | Ashland (Ohio) | 11-2 | 493 | 9 | Lost to Harding (Ark.), 34-24, in second round | Lee Owens |
| 11. | Midwestern St. (Texas) | 10-1 | 472 | 5 | Lost to No. 1 Minnesota St., 63-21, in second round | Bill Maskill |
| 12. | West Alabama | 10-3 | 456 | 17 | Lost to West Florida, 28-21, in quarterfinals | Brett Gilliland |
| 13. | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 11-1 | 409 | 6 | Lost to Harding (Ark.), 27-24, in first round | Bob Bartolomeo |
| 14. | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 10-1 | 396 | 2 | Lost to Findlay (Ohio), 29-17, in first round | Monte Cater |
| 15. | Winona St. (Minn.) | 10-2 | 287 | 12 | Lost to No. 8 Texas A&M-Commerce, 20-6, in first round | Tom Sawyer |
| 16. | Northwest Missouri St. | 9-3 | 272 | 13 | Lost to No. 9 Ashland (Ohio), 21-18, in first round | Rich Wright |
| 17. | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 9-3 | 238 | 20 | Lost to No. 1 Minnesota St., 16-13 OT, in first round | John Wristen |
| 18. | Virginia St. | 10-1 | 233 | 11 | Lost to West Georgia, 35-9, in first round | Reggie Barlow |
| 19. | West Georgia | 9-4 | 230 | NR | Lost to West Florida, 17-14, in second round | David Dean |
| 20. | Sioux Falls (S.D.) | 9-3 | 229 | 18 | Lost to No. 5 Midwestern St. (Texas), 24-20, in first round | Jon Anderson |
| 21. | Delta St. (Miss.) | 9-4 | 212 | NR | Lost to No. 17 West Alabama, 27-20, in second round | Todd Cooley |
| 22. | Findlay (Ohio) | 10-3 | 186 | NR | Lost to No. 15 Assumption (Mass.), 45-26, in second round | Rob Keys |
| 23. | Bowie St. (Md.) | 9-2 | 176 | 14 | Lost to Delta St. (Miss.), 45-35, in first round | Damon Wilson |
| 24. | Wingate (N.C.) | 9-2 | 159 | 16 | Lost to West Florida, 31-0, in first round | Joe Reich |
| 25. | Shippensburg (Pa.) | 10-2 | 101 | 19 | Lost to West Chester (Pa.), 27-6, in first round | Mark Maciejewski |