AFCA Division II Coaches Poll Tabs Wingate at No. 22 and Lenoir-Rhyne at No. 24 in Week One
The Wingate Bulldogs are No. 22 and the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears are No. 24 in the most recent American Football Coaches Association Division II National Poll.
The Bulldogs defeated Albany State (30-7), while the Bears took down St. Augustine (45-7) in week one of the 2023 season.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Season Opener | Next Game | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferris St. (Mich.) (27) | 1-0 | 721 | 1 | D. Mercyhurst (Pa.), 54-12 | Sept. 9 at No. 21 Ashland (Ohio) | |
| 2 | Colorado School of Mines (1) | 1-0 | 693 | 2 | D. No. 3 Grand Valley St. (Mich.), 31-28 | Sept. 9 at No. 4 Angelo St. (Tex.) | |
| 3 | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | 1-0 | 663 | 4 | D. Washburn (Kan.), 34-7 | Sept. 7 at Fort Hays St. (Kan.) | |
| 4 | Angelo St. (Tex.) | 1-0 | 616 | 5 | D. West Alabama, 38-14 | Sept. 9 vs. No. 2 Colorado School of Mines | |
| 5 | Northwest Missouri St. | 1-0 | 583 | 6 | D. Missouri Southern, 31-24 | Sept. 7 vs. No. 18 Emporia St. (Kan.) | |
| 6 | West Florida | 1-0 | 558 | 7 | D. Kentucky Wesleyan, 35-3 | Sept. 9 at McKendree (Ill.) | |
| 7 | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 0-1 | 536 | 3 | Lost to No. 2 Colorado Mines, 31-28 | Sept. 9 vs. No. 25 Colorado St.-Pueblo | |
| 8 | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 1-0 | 510 | 8 | D. Southwestern Oklahoma St., 38-14 | Sept. 9 vs. Northwestern Oklahoma St. | |
| 9 | Minnesota St. | 1-0 | 505 | 9 | D. Sioux Falls (S.D.), 54-26 | Sept. 9 vs. Wayne St. (Neb.) | |
| 10 | Delta St. (Miss.) | 1-0 | 472 | 10 | D. Missouri S&T, 48-20 | Sept. 9 at Chowan (N.C.) | |
| 11 | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | 1-0 | 441 | 11 | D. Northern St. (S.D.), 49-13 | Sept. 9 at Southwest Minnesota St. | |
| 12 | Harding (Ark.) | 1-0 | 371 | 14 | D. Southern Nazarene (Okla.), 53-20 | Sept. 9 vs. Oklahoma Baptist | |
| 13 | Indiana (Pa.) | 1-0 | 346 | 16 | D. No. 12 Ashland (Ohio), 24-17 | Sept. 9 vs. East Stroudsburg (Pa.) | |
| 14 | Shepherd (W.Va.) | 1-0 | 341 | 13 | D. Southern Connecticut St., 27-26 | Sept. 9 at Edinboro (Pa.) | |
| 15 | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 1-0 | 309 | 15 | D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 28-17 | Sept. 9 vs. West Chester (Pa.) | |
| 16 | Benedict (S.C.) (1) | 1-0 | 274 | 17 | D. Shaw (N.C.), 52-0 | Sept. 9 at Edward Waters (Fla.) | |
| 17 | Virginia Union | 1-0 | 249 | 18 | D. Morehouse (Ga.), 45-13 | Sept. 9 at Shaw (N.C.) | |
| 18 | Emporia St. (Kan.) | 1-0 | 235 | 19 | D. Lincoln (Mo.), 56-10 | Sept. 7 at No. 5 Northwest Missouri St. | |
| 19 | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 1-0 | 170 | 20 | D. Hillsdale (Mich.), 39-20 | Sept. 16 vs. Wayne St. (Mich.) | |
| 20 | West Georgia | 1-0 | 140 | 22 | D. Limestone (S.C.), 21-19 | Sept. 9 at Texas A&M-Kingsville | |
| 21 | Ashland (Ohio) | 0-1 | 133 | 12 | Lost to No. 16 Indiana (Pa.), 24-17 | Sept. 9 vs. No. 1 Ferris St. (Mich.) | |
| 22 | Wingate (N.C.) | 1-0 | 130 | 21 | D. Albany St. (Ga.), 30-7 | Sept. 7 at Mars Hill (N.C.) | |
| 23 | Assumption (Mass.) | 1-0 | 84 | 23 | D. Kutztown (Pa.), 31-20 | Sept. 9 at Southern Connecticut St. | |
| 24 | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 1-0 | 76 | 25 | D. St. Augustine's (N.C.), 45-7 | Sept. 9 at Fayetteville St. (N.C.) | |
| 25 | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 1-0 | 62 | NR | D. Midwestern St. (Tex.), 37-8 | Sept. 9 at No. 7 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) |
Dropped Out: Newberry (S.C.) (24)
Others Receiving Votes: Newberry (S.C.), 44; Bowie St. (Md.), 38; Wayne St. (Neb.), 20; Henderson St. (Ark.), 16; Western Colorado, 15; Davenport (Mich.), 13; Central Washington, 8; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 8; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 8; Minnesota-Duluth, 7; Notre Dame (Ohio), 5; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 5; Central Oklahoma, 4; Limestone (S.C.), 4; Truman St. (Mo.), 4; Augustana (S.D.), 3; Tiffin (Ohio), 2; Tuskegee (Ala.), 2; Millersville (Pa.), 1.