2026 Week 7 /r/FCS Poll Results: #1 South Dakota State, #2 Tarleton, #3 Lehigh, #4 Youngstown State, #5 Stephen F. Austin

[u/Perryapsis]

2026 Week 7 /r/FCS Poll Results

Also available in image form!

Rank	Team	Conference	Record (FCS only)	Points	Δ from Last Week	Rank - Just Top 25 Votes
1	South Dakota State Jackrabbits	MVFC	5-1 (5-0)	574 (22)	---	1
2	Tarleton Texans	UAC	6-0 (5-0)	545 (3)	+1	2
3	Lehigh Mountain Hawks	Patriot	6-0	481	+1	3
4	Youngstown State Penguins	MVFC	5-2 (5-1)	480	+4	5 (-1)
5	Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks	Southland	6-0 (5-0)	479	-1	4 (+1)
6	Montana State Bobcats	Big Sky	5-1 (4-1)	478	---	6
7	Montana Grizzlies	Big Sky	5-2 (5-1)	398	-5	7
8	South Dakota Coyotes	MVFC	5-2 (5-1)	384	+2	8
9	Northern Arizona Lumberjacks	Big Sky	5-2 (5-1)	373	+4	9
10	Lamar Cardinals	Southland	5-1 (5-0)	317	+1	10
11	Harvard Crimson	Ivy League	4-0	308	+1	11
12	Austin Peay Governors	UAC	5-2 (5-1)	295	-3	12
13	North Dakota Fighting Hawks	MVFC	5-2 (5-1)	265	-6	13
14	Illinois State Redbirds	MVFC	4-2 (2-2)	255	---	14
15	Campbell Fighting Camels	CAA	5-1 (5-0)	233	+1	15
16	Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles	SoCon	5-1	217	+2	16
17	UC Davis Aggies	Big Sky	4-2 (4-1)	197	---	17
18	Colgate Raiders	Patriot	4-2 (4-1)	148	+3	18
19	ETSU Buccaneers	SoCon	5-2 (4-1)	143	+4	19
20	Mercer Bears	SoCon	5-2 (5-1)	141	---	20
21	Northern Iowa Panthers	MVFC	3-2 (3-1)	132	NEW	21
22	Idaho State Bengals	Big Sky	4-2 (3-2)	110	-7	22
23	Morgan State Bears	MEAC	5-1 (4-0)	66	NEW	23
24	Monmouth Hawks	CAA	4-2 (4-1)	63	+1	24
25	Stony Brook Seawolves	CAA	4-2 (4-1)	59	NEW	25

Dropped from the Top 25: Richmond, Jackson State, South Carolina State

Others receiving votes: Yale (47), Richmond (37), Princeton (10), Bryant (8), Alabama A&M (8), Jackson State (8), North Alabama (7), Cal Poly (2)

The full list of responses can be found here. Congratulations to /u/noahpaz88 for having the Top 25 submission that best correlated with the final /r/FCS poll this week!

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Breakdown of Rankings by Conference

Conference	Teams in Top 25	Average Rank of Top 25	Average Points Total
MVFC	6	10.2	209.0
Big Sky	5	12.2	111.7
UAC	2	7.0	106.1
Southland	2	7.5	80.4
Patriot	2	10.5	66.6
SoCon	3	18.3	51.0
Ivy League	1	11.0	46.4
CAA	3	21.3	28.5
MEAC	1	23.0	11.5
SWAC	0	0.0	1.8

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As a reminder, the /r/FCS poll is also now part of the Massey College Football Ranking Composite. Results of this poll will update under the column with header 'RDT'.

[u/Perryapsis]

Note the point totals between ranks 3 and 6. It literally could not be closer!

[u/Wyden_long]

It’s so weird seeing us in the top 10. If we’d beaten Montana St. you could argue we’d be number 1. Just crazy to think about.

[u/Slow-Raccoon-9832 → u/Wyden_long]

NAU has played the highest schedule too according to massey

[u/Poopsterwaloo → u/Slow-Raccoon-9832]

I’m assuming Massey is just fcs games for sos? NAU isn’t far behind ysu in the sagarin but I know that includes FBS games (which playing Kentucky helps ysu in that case)

[u/PositiveElection2141]

So no Jury Duty then?

[u/Perryapsis → u/PositiveElection2141]

I wasn't picked, so I got out early enough to run the poll on time.

[u/TallManStan]

3-6 being separated by a grand total of three votes reminds me just how wild of a place the FCS is; four teams from four different conferences with wildly different resumes and pedigrees are ostensibly tied with each other. You could probably do blind tests of almost any statistic between those four and come out with different orders each time.

Also, is this the first time Morgan State has ever been ranked in these polls? I feel like they've been near the bottom of the FCS every year I've been watching (which is admittedly not super long).

[u/tdpdcpa]

Introducing, Threehigh!

[u/PositiveElection2141 → u/tdpdcpa]

We’re so Lehigh in the rankings, all the way up to Threehigh, reaching new Leheights, soaring way up Lehigh, feeling like we’re complete-Lehigh

[u/Aggressive-Run-792 → u/tdpdcpa]

Careful now, get to second place and now you’re starting to get Twohigh.

[u/Electromotivation → u/Aggressive-Run-792]

Now I’m pronouncing LeHigh like LeBron.. LeGM, etc

No I can’t take out the trash right now, I am LeHigh,

[u/Zloggt]

…look, I’m sorry, but somebody tell me why we are ranking Harvard so high?

They deserve to be Top 20, Top 15 even! But I seriously question what drives voters to put them closer to the Top Ten when, imo, their resume isn’t nearly as well-rounded as the others above them…

[u/tdpdcpa → u/Zloggt]

To me, the thought process was that they’re undefeated and I rate their win over Colgate really highly (because I rate Colgate highly).

Of the 4 teams they’ve beaten, 3 are .500 or better (meaning they’d be over .500 if they never played Harvard); New Hampshire is the lone exception.

[u/Birddogtx]

Top 10 Cardiac Cardinals!

[u/damnyoutuesday]

Can whoever is submitting their poll as "redherringfcs" please contact us via mod mail? Thank you

[u/redherringfcs → u/damnyoutuesday]

sorry not sure how mod mail works, but ill try to figure it out

[u/ScorchIsPFG]

Monmouth hasn’t looked like a top 25 team so idk why they keep squeaking their way back in

[u/hman1500 → u/ScorchIsPFG]

Someone has to be in there.

[u/Electromotivation → u/hman1500]

Richmond? Can’t score but decent d

[u/Cyclopher6971]

When was the last time neither Montana team was in the top 5?

[u/Adamscottd → u/Cyclopher6971]

I don’t have data on the r/FCS poll, but in the media poll the last time neither school was top 5 was week 8 of 2021, when Montana State was #6 and Montana was #11

[u/PositiveElection2141 → u/Cyclopher6971]

2019 when you both lost to Suc State in back to back weeks maybe?

[u/GeneralAcorn → u/PositiveElection2141]

Pain.

[u/Low_Distance_7195 → u/GeneralAcorn]

Especially given how spectacular Sac State always performed in the playoffs

[u/join_the_creed → u/Cyclopher6971]

2019 I'd have to believe. Maybe early 2022?

[u/hman1500]

Montana dropping below Montana State for losing to a ranked team is interesting

[u/GeneralAcorn → u/hman1500]

Transitive property went 1-1 this weekend.

[u/peepeepoopoo546]

Lamar people know that the UIW trap game is scary and should not be taken lightly. UIW would beat some of these ramked teams, their record does not show it. Those San Antonio catholics always come marching back in the 4th quarter for some reason.

[u/peepeepoopoo546 → u/peepeepoopoo546]

I am not a UIW fan but i will assume this is why some folks ranked SFA lower because of a close game with a team with a poor record.

[u/Soccerfun101 → u/peepeepoopoo546]

The bigger reason is that Tarleton has two stronger wins (Bowling Green and Austin Peay) than whatever SFA's best win is (thus far, I'd say UIW. Otherwise, it's ACU). Tarleton had closer games in their early common opponents with SFA (PVAM and McNeese) which would have in my mind outweighed SFA's close game vs UIW.
I've flipflopped between SFA and Tarleton week-to-week and will probably continue to do so. If Tarleton plays games close and SFA beats Lamar, then I may switch their positions.

[u/42dylan → u/peepeepoopoo546]

Mine is indictment on the south land itself

[u/mackincheezy7]

CPiGuy no offense but I think your computer needs fixed

[u/_Rooster_ → u/mackincheezy7]

They said it should make sense at the end of the season.

[u/ThatguyfromBaltimore]

This has to be the first time Morgan's ever been ranked in this poll, right?

[u/coincidental_boner]

Can someone explain the justification for NAU below the Griz? They’ve played essentially the same schedule with the head to head in favor of NAU. Doesn’t make much sense to me.

[u/TheNigerianHyperion → u/coincidental_boner]

It's an open poll. Treat it like the Pro Bowl, not the All-Pro. If something doesn't track logically, that's probably because it doesn't track logically. Fan poll.

[u/RonSwanson069 → u/coincidental_boner]

Probably just comes down to the Griz beating ranked UC Davis on road by 40 points, and NAU’s ranked road win being Idaho State by 7, despite keeping it close against MSU.

[u/coincidental_boner → u/RonSwanson069]

What win do the Griz have that outweighs NAU beating them and Idaho State? That doesn’t make sense to me. NAU has two ranked wins, and the Griz have one. And then NAU has a win over the Griz, which should outweigh any margin of victory considerations. It’s just not logical

[u/Ok-Description7073 → u/coincidental_boner]

Rankings aren’t just about record and resume. Talent and forward projections matter.

[u/coincidental_boner → u/Ok-Description7073]

Forward projection of what? Pennington might be the frontrunner for Big Sky MVP. NAU is through the toughest part of their schedule. I have way fewer questions about them than I do about the Cats or Griz. I don’t think there’s any reason to have the Griz above them right now other than vibes or preseason rankings.

[u/Ok-Description7073 → u/coincidental_boner]

That’s an assessment that you are in the minority on. The only place NAU has a shot at either Montana school is in that dome. Seriously, UM and MSU would be favored on neutral fields and at home against NAU. NAU pulled out all the stops, got all the calls and all the breaks, and won the game by one score in their place. They were also outgained on less plays.

People are prisoners of the moment. The best comparison here is 22 EWU. Eric Barriere was an EWash legend and he led the Eags to a one score win over an injured Griz in Cheney. Come playoff seeding time, the common opinion was that EWU deserved to be seeded and that UM did not because of that head to head. UM beat EWash in that playoff rematch by 3 scores and had the game won by the end of the 3rd quarter. Before scoring with under 10 seconds, it was 57-35 Griz. Barriere was better than Pennington - he won the Payton that year.

At the end of the day, none of this is going to matter come December and the fakes will once again be revealed, just as they are every December.

[u/Radioactive_M950 → u/Ok-Description7073]

“Got all the calls.” Montana committed blatant penalties. At least one YouTube highlight thumbnail is a facemask by Montana, clear as day. We didn’t get lucky, we played clean, they played dirty and lost.

[u/coincidental_boner → u/Ok-Description7073]

What sense does that make? NAU should have to go on the road to Missoula in the playoffs because you think that they wouldn’t be favored if the game is elsewhere? That’s a self fulfilling prophecy and circular logic.

Also, the only reason NAU was out gained by the Griz is because they had the kick return TD.

[u/Ok-Description7073 → u/coincidental_boner]

UM would deserve it because they are a better team. Just like they were the better team in 22. Again, this talk will all look silly in December. UCD and NAU might have years where they get favorable schedules or a big win, but they without fail fizz out (home or away) once things get serious. UM and MSU don’t have that history. NAU will have some puzzling loss before this season is over. They always do.

People always try to force this UCD/NAU/ISU narrative, but, at the end of the day, this conference runs through the state of Montana with very little exception. People can pretend otherwise all they want. It’s easy to do that in October.

[u/coincidental_boner → u/Ok-Description7073]

How many road playoff wins do the Griz have over the last decade? Zero. Why do they deserve to have home field in the playoffs more than NAU? It’s not forcing a narrative to say that there’s no basis for ranking NAU below the Griz except name recognition. You haven’t given a single reason except that you believe the Griz are subjectively better. That’s ridiculous.

[u/Ok-Description7073 → u/coincidental_boner]

It’s not “name recognition.” It’s talent that’s proven itself on the big stage. This same core made the semifinals last season. NAU hasn’t made a semifinal in its history. That’s not “subjectively” better, the Griz ARE better, and a 5 point home win where NAU pulls out a hook and ladder on the 3rd play from scrimmage, houses a kick, and gets 2 3rd & long bailout PIs is not going to get me to pretend otherwise. Not to mention that the Griz were missing 6 defensive starters and had 2 more playing at probably 80%. Several of those are expected to return before postseason.

The Griz retain the same core that made a semifinal last season. They are 5-1 FCS with their one loss being a road loss where it objectively could’ve gone either way. They have a 40 point road win over a ranked opponent. Again, rankings are not just about resume. MSU’s resume isn’t #5, they’re still this high because they retain a core who won a championship last season and lost their FCS game while injured. Similar logic and understanding helps the Griz.

I’ll go back to this question. Who do you think would be favored on a neutral field? Nobody is going NAU.