The 2024 preseason FCS college football polls have been released, and the South Dakota State Jackrabbits top the rankings.
South Dakota State received 25 first-place votes in the FCS Coaches Poll and 52 first-place votes in the Stats Perform Top 25 Poll. The Jackrabbits are followed by the North Dakota State Bison in both polls.
Top-ranked South Dakota State opens its 2024 campaign on the road against the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Saturday, Aug. 31 (2:00pm ET, ESPN). Second-ranked North Dakota State opens its schedule two days earlier on Thursday, Aug. 29 at the Colorado Buffaloes, and the game will be nationally televised by ESPN at 8:00pm ET.
The top seven teams are exactly the same in both preseason polls. Following South Dakota State and North Dakota State are Montana (3), Montana State (4), South Dakota (5), Villanova (6), and Idaho (7).
Listed below is the preseason FCS Coaches Poll and preseason Stats Perform Top 25 Poll (first place votes in parentheses).
1. South Dakota State (25)
2. North Dakota State
3. Montana
4. Montana State
5. South Dakota
6. Villanova
7. Idaho
8. Chattanooga
9. Furman
10. Sacramento State
11. Southern Illinois
12. Richmond
13. Central Arkansas
14. UAlbany
15. UIW
16. William & Mary
17. UC Davis
18. Lafayette
19. Western Carolina
20. Illinois State
21. Tarleton State
22. North Dakota
23. Youngstown State
24. Nicholls
25. Florida A&M (1)
Others receiving votes: Weber State 66, North Carolina Central 53, Eastern Illinois 50, UT Martin 38, Austin Peay 35, Northern Iowa 33, Harvard 32, Yale 31, Mercer 27, Holy Cross 20, Howard 20, Alabama State 17, Northern Arizona 17, Elon 16, Alcorn State 9, Duquesne 7, North Carolina A&T 6, Fordham 5, Gardner-Webb 4, Indiana State 3, Missouri State 3, Butler 2, Eastern Kentucky 2, Southeast Missouri 2, Eastern Washington 1, Murray State 1, Samford 1, Utah Tech 1.
1. South Dakota State (52)
2. North Dakota State (3)
3. Montana
4. Montana State (1)
5. South Dakota
6. Villanova
7. Idaho
8. Sacramento State
9. Chattanooga
10. Southern Illinois
11. Central Arkansas
12. Furman
13. Richmond
14. UIW
15. William & Mary
16. Albany
17. Lafayette
18. UC Davis
19. Illinois State
20. Western Carolina
21. Tarleton State
22. Weber State
23. Nicholls
24. North Dakota
25. Youngstown State
Others receiving votes: Elon 174, UT Martin 169, Eastern Illinois 139, Mercer 98, Florida A&M 65, North Carolina Central 52, Austin Peay 51, Alabama State 17, Holy Cross 17, Eastern Washington 14, Duquesne 8, Drake 8, Samford 6, Harvard 6, UNI 4.
Even if Villanova & Montana State are not in top 25 I will continue to cheer them on.
Western Illinois Leathernecks is my favorite team that not in top 25 however I always wish them very best as always.
Ranking past the top 5 is kind of a waste of time
Obviously, there’s one coach out there with 100% delusion. Florida A&M is not even a Top 25 team, let alone #1.
The quarterfinal qualifiers from 2023 hold merited ranks in the Top 15 leftover Place Polls from the last postseason.
The STATS Media Poll reflects the empirical consequences of these Teams beating their above average Foes for 4 strait Months in 2023.