The Northwest Missouri State University Bearcat football team is ranked No. 2 in the AFCA Division II Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
It marks the fifth straight season under head coach
Rich Wright that the Bearcats will begin the year ranked among the top six teams in the nation.
Northwest's AFCA Preseason Ranking Since 2017
No. 2 - 2022
No. 4 - 2021
No. 6 - 2019
No. 5 - 2018
No. 1 - 2017
Ferris State earned all 30 first-place votes and will begin the season at No. 1.
Nebraska-Kearney is ranked No. 14 and both Washburn and Pittsburg State are receiving votes to represent the MIAA in the preseason poll.
Northwest will open the 2022 season at home Sept. 1 against Fort Hays State University. Kick is set for 7 p.m. at Bearcat Stadium.
2022 American Football Coaches Association Preseason Division II Coaches' Poll – August 15, 2022
| Rank |
School (1st votes) |
2021 Rec. |
Pts. |
2021 Rank |
Season Opener |
Head Coach |
| 1 |
Ferris St. (Mich.) (30) |
14-0 |
750 |
1 |
Sept. 1 vs. Central Washington |
Tony Annese |
| 2 |
Northwest Missouri St. |
11-2 |
661 |
4 |
Sept. 1 vs. Fort Hays St. (Kan.) |
Rich Wright |
| 3 |
Valdosta St. (Ga.) |
12-2 |
656 |
2 |
Sept. 1 vs. Keiser (Fla.) |
Tremaine Jackson |
| 4 |
Colorado School of Mines |
12-2 |
654 |
3 |
Sept. 1 at No. 5 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) |
Brandon Moore |
| 5 |
Grand Valley St. (Mich.) |
10-2 |
596 |
7 |
Sept. 1 vs. No. 4 Colorado School of Mines |
Matt Mitchell |
| 6 |
Shepherd (W.Va.) |
13-2 |
550 |
5 |
Sept. 1 at Southern Connecticut St. |
Ernie McCook |
| 7 |
Angelo St. (Tex.) |
11-3 |
494 |
11 |
Sept. 1 vs. Chadron St. (Neb.) |
Jeff Girsch |
| 8 |
Bowie St. (Md.) |
12-2 |
479 |
6 |
Sept. 3 vs. No. 20 New Haven (Conn.) |
Kyle Jackson |
| 9 |
Harding (Ark.) |
11-2 |
467 |
10 |
Sept. 1 at East Central (Okla.) |
Paul Simmons |
| 10 |
Notre Dame (Ohio) |
11-2 |
465 |
9 |
Sept. 1 at Ashland (Ohio) |
Garrett Mack |
| 11 |
West Florida |
9-2 |
452 |
12 |
Sept. 3 vs. Warner (Fla.) |
Pete Shinnick |
| 12 |
West Georgia |
9-3 |
373 |
13 |
Sept. 1 vs. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) |
David Dean |
| 13 |
Kutztown (Pa.) |
11-2 |
359 |
8 |
Sept. 3 at Assumption (Mass.) |
Jim Clements |
| 14 |
Nebraska-Kearney |
10-3 |
318 |
15 |
Sept. 1 at Missouri Southern |
Josh Lynn |
| 15 |
Newberry (S.C.) |
10-3 |
250 |
17 |
Sept. 3 vs. Allen (S.C.) |
Todd Knight |
| 16 |
New Haven (Conn.) |
10-2 |
243 |
14 |
Sept. 3 at No. 11 Bowie St. (Md.) |
Chris Pincince |
| 17 |
Western Colorado |
10-2 |
226 |
16 |
Sept. 3 at West Texas A&M |
Jas Bains |
| 18 |
Albany St. (Ga.) |
10-2 |
160 |
18 |
Sept. 3 vs. Mississippi College |
Gabe Giardina |
| 19t. |
Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) |
8-3 |
154 |
NR |
Sept. 3 vs. Virginia St. |
Mike Jacobs |
| 19t. |
Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) |
9-2 |
154 |
23 |
Sept. 1 at Oklahoma Baptist |
Todd Knight |
| 21 |
California (Pa.) |
9-1 |
143 |
21 |
Sept. 1 vs. Fairmont St. (W.Va.) |
Gary Dunn |
| 22 |
Bemidji St. (Minn.) |
10-3 |
137 |
19 |
Sept. 1 vs. Minnesota St. |
Brent Bolte |
| 23 |
Slippery Rock (Pa.) |
9-3 |
131 |
20 |
Sept. 3 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.) |
Shawn Lutz |
| 24 |
Midwestern St. (Tex.) |
7-3 |
112 |
NR |
Sept. 3 vs. Colorado St.-Pueblo |
Bill Maskill |
| 25 |
Augustana (S.D.) |
9-3 |
99 |
NR |
Sept. 1 at Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.) |
Jerry Olszewski |
*–
Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2021
Others Receiving Votes: Frostburg St. (Md.), 97; Indiana (Pa.), 79; Indianapolis (Ind.), 65; Washburn (Kan.), 59; Findlay (Ohio), 52; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 46; Tiffin (Ohio), 34; Minnesota-Duluth, 32; Henderson St. (Ark.), 31; Central Washington, 25; Bentley (Mass.), 24; Minnesota St., 23; Ashland (Ohio), 22; West Texas A&M, 15; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 14; Truman St. (Mo.), 13; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 7; Southeastern Oklahoma St., 7; Delta St. (Miss.), 5; Ohio Dominican, 4; Virginia Union, 4; West Alabama, 3; Shaw (N.C.), 2; Chadron St. (Neb.), 1; Colorado Mesa, 1; UT-Permian Basin (Texas), 1; West Chester (Pa.), 1.
