The Northwest Missouri State University football team is ranked No. 22 in the AFCA NCAA Division II Coaches Preseason Top 25 Poll.

The Bearcats will square off with No. 13-ranked Minnesota State in one of two top-25 matchups in the opening week of play. Northwest and Minnesota State will tangle Thursday, Aug. 29, at 6 p.m. at Bearcat Stadium. The other top-25 matchup will feature No. 3 Ferris State traveling to No. 6 Pittsburg State on Aug. 31.

The MIAA begins the season with three ranked squads in the top 25 with Central Missouri at No. 2, Pittsburg State at No. 6 and Northwest at No. 22. Emporia State and Fort Hays State are each receiving votes in the preseason poll.

Harding (Ark.) will begin the 2024 season at No. 1 in the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl. The Bison went undefeated in 2023 en route to the program's first Division II national championship. They will start defense of that title on September 5 vs. Southern Nazarene (Okla.). Central Missouri, who lost to Harding in the second round of last year's playoffs, has the No. 2 spot. This is the Mules highest ever ranking in the preseason AFCA poll.
    
Conference rivals Ferris State (Mich.) and Grand Valley State (Mich.) earned the third and fourth spots, respectively, with each receiving a first-place vote. Rounding out the top 5 is the runner-up from last season's national championship game, the Colorado School of Mines. The Orediggers went 14-1 in 2023 and will look to start 2024 1-0 against West Texas A&M on September 5.