FCS Nation Radio Releases Week 1 Top 25 Poll

Week 0 Is in the Books. Now the Real Fun Begins.

FCS Nation Top 25 – Week 1 (2026)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 31, 2026

1. Montana State

2. South Dakota State

3. Montana

4. Tarleton State

5. UC Davis

6. North Dakota

7. Youngstown State

8. Illinois State

9. Lehigh

10. Rhode Island

11. Tennessee Tech

12. South Dakota

13. Austin Peay

14. Yale

15. Stephen F. Austin

16. Idaho State

17. Lamar

18. South Carolina State

19. Alabama State

20. William & Mary

21. Central Arkansas

22. Cal Poly

23. Wofford

24. Northern Arizona

25. Western Carolina

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Week 0 gave us our first real football of the 2026 season, and while the top of the FCS Nation Top 25 remains untouched, the rest of the rankings didn't make it through opening weekend quite so comfortably.

Montana State remains No. 1, and that's exactly where the defending national champions belong until somebody gives us a reason to move them. South Dakota State holds at No. 2, Montana remains No. 3, and Tarleton State and UC Davis round out an unchanged Top 5.

In fact, the entire Top 10 remains exactly where we had it in the preseason. North Dakota stays at No. 6, Youngstown State at No. 7, defending national runner-up Illinois State at No. 8, Lehigh at No. 9 and Rhode Island at No. 10. No overreactions here.

But once you get outside that Top 10? That's where Week 0 started leaving fingerprints.

Tennessee Tech climbs one spot to No. 11, while South Dakota makes one of the week's biggest moves, jumping four spots from No. 16 to No. 12.

Austin Peay moves up to No. 13, followed by Yale at No. 14 and Stephen F. Austin at No. 15.

And yes, we're still keeping a close eye on Yale. The Bulldogs entered the season at No. 15 after a historic 2025 campaign that delivered an Ivy League championship and the conference's first automatic berth into the FCS Playoffs. They move up another spot this week as the landscape around them begins to shift.

Idaho State jumps three spots from No. 19 to No. 16, while Lamar makes an even bigger climb, moving from No. 21 to No. 17.

South Carolina State slides slightly from No. 20 to No. 18, and Alabama State makes its own move up the board, climbing six spots from No. 25 to No. 19.

That brings us to No. 20.

And this is where the Week 1 poll starts looking a whole lot different than the preseason edition.

William & Mary enters the FCS Nation Top 25 at No. 20, followed by Central Arkansas at No. 21 and Cal Poly at No. 22. Wofford checks in at No. 23, Northern Arizona enters at No. 24 and Western Carolina grabs the final seat at No. 25.

Six newcomers. Six teams that weren't part of our preseason Top 25 now have a number next to their name.

And, naturally, that means somebody had to leave.

Southern Illinois, Villanova, Abilene Christian, UT Martin, East Tennessee State and Southeastern Louisiana all fall out of the Top 25 after beginning the season ranked.

That's the beauty, and brutality, of finally having actual football to evaluate.

Preseason rankings are built on returning production, offseason additions, expectations and what we believe a team can become.

Suddenly there are receipts.

We're still only one week into this thing, so nobody is writing the final chapter on August 31. One result doesn't erase an entire offseason of expectations, just like one impressive Saturday doesn't automatically make somebody a national championship contender.

But the information is starting to come in.

The Top 10 survived the first wave completely untouched. The middle of the poll is already shifting. Six new teams have crashed the party.

And now Week 1 arrives with an even bigger slate and even more opportunities for somebody to make us look brilliant, or make us explain ourselves next Monday.

Montana State still owns the throne. But now we've actually started playing football.

Welcome to Week 1.