FCS Nation Radio Releases Week 7 Top 25 Poll
FCS Nation Top 25 – Week 7 (2026)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 12, 2026
South Dakota State
Tarleton State
Youngstown State
Montana State
Northern Arizona
Montana
Lehigh
Stephen F. Austin
South Dakota
Lamar
Austin Peay
UC Davis
Campbell
North Dakota
Illinois State
East Tennessee State
Tennessee Tech
Stony Brook
Harvard
Yale
Mercer
Northern Iowa
Idaho State
Morgan State
North Alabama
A new Top 5. A new No. 2. And Northern Arizona is making some serious noise. 👀
South Dakota State holds onto the No. 1 spot in the FCS Nation Top 25, but nearly everything behind the Jackrabbits has changed.
Tarleton State climbs to No. 2 after delivering a statement victory over Austin Peay. Youngstown State continues its remarkable rise, moving into the Top 3, while Montana State rebounds to No. 4.
And then there's Northern Arizona.
The Lumberjacks have climbed nine spots in just two weeks, going from No. 14 to No. 5 in the country.
Meanwhile, Montana slides from No. 2 to No. 6, North Dakota takes a significant tumble and several new programs enter the national conversation.
Seven weeks into the season, the race for national positioning is getting interesting.
South Dakota State stays No. 1.
The Jackrabbits remain the team to beat in the FCS Nation poll. After taking over the top spot last week, South Dakota State maintains its position ahead of a rapidly changing group of contenders.
The real question now is how long the Jackrabbits can hold off the competition.
Tarleton State is undefeated and climbing. Youngstown State has surged into the Top 3. Montana State is back inside the Top 5.
South Dakota State still has the top spot, but the separation between the nation's leading contenders is becoming one of the biggest storylines of October.
Tarleton State is 6-0 and now No. 2.
The Texans had an opportunity to prove themselves against one of the better teams in the country.
They delivered.
Tarleton State traveled to Clarksville for a highly anticipated UAC showdown against Austin Peay and walked away with a 40-32 victory, improving to 6-0.
Quarterback Kaden Anderson threw for 347 yards, while Miequle Brock contributed 106 rushing yards. Tarleton built a 23-3 lead in the first half and held off a late push from the Governors to secure one of the program's biggest Division I victories.
The Texans didn't just beat a ranked opponent. They went on the road and snapped Austin Peay's 10-game home winning streak. That's a statement.
Tarleton moves from No. 3 to No. 2 in the FCS Nation Top 25, its highest ranking yet. At this point, the Texans have earned their place among the country's legitimate national championship contenders.
Youngstown State is officially a Top 3 team.
Three weeks ago, Youngstown State was ranked No. 12 in our poll. Now the Penguins are No. 3. That's a nine-spot climb in three weeks.
Youngstown State has steadily built one of the most compelling résumés in the country, and the voters are taking notice. The Penguins entered October with momentum after knocking off South Dakota and Southern Illinois in consecutive weeks. Those victories helped establish Youngstown State as a serious factor in the Missouri Valley Football Conference race.
Now, the Penguins have moved past several of the preseason favorites and into the national Top 3. The climb has been impressive. But staying there will be an entirely different challenge.
Northern Arizona crashes the Top 5.
Nobody in this week's Top 5 has made a bigger two-week jump than Northern Arizona.
The Lumberjacks were ranked No. 14 in Week 6. Now they're No. 5. That's nine spots in a single week.
Northern Arizona has quickly gone from a team hovering outside the national elite to one sitting ahead of Montana, Lehigh, Stephen F. Austin and South Dakota.
That's a significant shift in the national picture. The Big Sky Conference already features Montana State and Montana among its leading contenders, but Northern Arizona has forced its way into the conversation. The Lumberjacks are no longer simply a team to keep an eye on. They're a Top 5 program in the FCS Nation poll.
Montana State climbs back to No. 4. Montana falls to No. 6.
The Big Sky picture continues to evolve. One week after Montana State's 19-game winning streak came to an end against Idaho, the Bobcats move from No. 6 to No. 4.
It's a reminder that one loss, even a dramatic one, doesn't erase the résumé of the defending national champions.
Montana State remains firmly in the national championship conversation. Montana, meanwhile, moves in the opposite direction. The Grizzlies entered last week ranked No. 2 but fall four spots to No. 6, dropping outside the Top 5.
With Northern Arizona now sitting at No. 5, the Big Sky has three teams inside the nation's Top 6. The conference race is shaping up to be one of the most consequential battles in the FCS, both for league positioning and the eventual playoff picture.
North Dakota takes one of the week's biggest tumbles.
North Dakota was No. 4 in last week's FCS Nation poll.
This week, the Fighting Hawks are No. 14. That's a 10-spot drop, one of the most significant movements anywhere in the rankings.
UND had been steadily climbing throughout the early portion of the season, reaching the Top 5 after an impressive start. Now the Fighting Hawks find themselves outside the Top 10 entirely.
In a Missouri Valley Football Conference featuring South Dakota State, Youngstown State, South Dakota and Illinois State, there is very little room for error.
North Dakota still has an opportunity to rebuild its national standing, but the road back into the Top 10 won't be easy.
Lamar enters the Top 10. Austin Peay slips to No. 11.
There's a new team inside the Top 10. Lamar moves from No. 11 to No. 10, continuing its climb in the national rankings.
The Cardinals have quietly established themselves as one of the stronger programs in the country and now have a place among the nation's 10 highest-ranked teams.
Austin Peay, meanwhile, falls one spot to No. 11 following its 40-32 loss to Tarleton State. The Governors certainly didn't go quietly. Quarterback Chris Parson threw for 231 yards and rushed for another 102, while Denver Harper finished with 106 receiving yards. Austin Peay battled back from a 20-point deficit and remained within striking distance late in the fourth quarter.
The loss doesn't eliminate the Governors from the national picture, but it does create separation between Austin Peay and an undefeated Tarleton State team now sitting at No. 2.
Mercer, Northern Iowa and Morgan State in the rankings.
The bottom of the poll gets a fresh look this week. Mercer enters at No. 21, Northern Iowa checks in at No. 22 and Morgan State arrives at No. 24.
For Morgan State, a place in the national rankings represents an opportunity to bring more attention to the MEAC as the conference season develops.
Northern Iowa adds another Missouri Valley program to the Top 25, while Mercer gives the Southern Conference another nationally ranked presence alongside East Tennessee State.
Yale also makes a move, climbing five spots from No. 25 to No. 20, while Harvard remains at No. 19. Idaho State drops from No. 15 to No. 23, and Campbell holds steady at No. 13.
The teams that occupied the bottom of the poll just a week ago are facing a very different national landscape.
South Carolina State, Colgate, Richmond and Jackson State are all absent from the first 24 positions of this week's rankings.
October is separating the contenders.
Seven weeks into the season, the FCS Nation Top 25 looks dramatically different than it did just a few weeks ago.
South Dakota State remains No. 1.
Tarleton State is undefeated and has climbed to No. 2.
Youngstown State has gone from No. 12 to No. 3 in three weeks.
Northern Arizona has jumped nine spots in one week to enter the Top 5.
Montana State is back at No. 4, Montana is outside the Top 5 and North Dakota has fallen 10 spots. The conference races are heating up. The playoff picture is beginning to take shape. And every week seems to bring another shakeup.
The calendar says October. The rankings say things are just getting started. 👀
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