FCS Nation Radio Releases Week 9 Top 25 Poll
FCS Nation Top 25 – Week 9 (2026)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 26, 2026
Tarleton State
Montana State
South Dakota State
Youngstown State
South Dakota
Northern Arizona
Stephen F. Austin
North Dakota
Austin Peay
Campbell
Montana
East Tennessee State
Tennessee Tech
Lamar
Illinois State
Harvard
Mercer
Monmouth
Weber State
Richmond
UC Davis
UAlbany
Chattanooga
Southeastern Louisiana
Lehigh
The top four teams remain unchanged, but don't let that fool you. Week 9 brought plenty of movement to the FCS Nation Top 25, and the biggest shakeup came from the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Tarleton State holds onto the No. 1 ranking for the second consecutive week, followed by Montana State, South Dakota State and Youngstown State. But South Dakota has officially crashed the Top 5, climbing two spots to No. 5 and pushing Northern Arizona and Stephen F. Austin down a position.
Elsewhere, Lehigh suffered the biggest drop of the week, falling 13 spots from No. 12 to No. 25. Monmouth continues its rise, UC Davis moves back up the rankings, and UAlbany and Chattanooga make their first appearances in this week's poll.
With November approaching, the separation between national championship contenders, playoff hopefuls and teams fighting to stay ranked is becoming increasingly clear.
And if the last few weeks have taught us anything, it's that nobody's position is safe.
South Dakota crashes the Top 5 after overtime thriller against North Dakota
If there was one team that earned its way into the Top 5 this weekend, it was South Dakota.
The Coyotes climbed from No. 7 to No. 5 after surviving a dramatic 26-23 overtime victory over North Dakota in Vermillion, extending their winning streak to four games. And this one was anything but easy.
South Dakota jumped out to a 20-3 halftime lead before North Dakota stormed back with 17 unanswered second-half points to force overtime. But after the Fighting Hawks settled for a field goal, quarterback Austyn Modrzewski connected with Brayden White for the game-winning 14-yard touchdown.
The victory moves South Dakota to 7-2 overall and 4-1 in Missouri Valley play, with another quality win strengthening its national résumé
Meanwhile, North Dakota remains at No. 8 despite the loss. And that raises an interesting question: How much should a three-point overtime loss to a Top 5 team actually hurt you? Apparently, not much in this week's poll.
With South Dakota State at No. 3, Youngstown State at No. 4, South Dakota at No. 5 and North Dakota at No. 8, the Missouri Valley now occupies four of the nation's top eight spots. Good luck navigating that conference in November.
Tarleton State stays No. 1, while the Top 4 holds firm
For the second consecutive week, Tarleton State sits atop the FCS Nation Top 25. The Texans strengthened their case with a 49-6 demolition of West Georgia, continuing to build on a résumé that already includes an FBS victory and a statement road win at Austin Peay.
Montana State remains No. 2 after defeating Weber State 38–33, while South Dakota State stays at No. 3 following a 42–9 victory over Murray State.
Youngstown State rounds out the Top 4 after an open week.
The order hasn't changed, but the debate certainly hasn't disappeared. Tarleton continues to pile up wins, Montana State looks increasingly dangerous, and South Dakota State remains one of the country's most established contenders. And with South Dakota now joining the conversation at No. 5, the national championship picture is getting crowded.
Northern Arizona and Stephen F. Austin slide despite no major setbacks
Not every drop in the rankings comes after a loss, sometimes you just get passed. Northern Arizona moves from No. 5 to No. 6 following an open week, while Stephen F. Austin slips from No. 6 to No. 7 despite defeating Southeastern Louisiana 45-24. SFA improved to 8-0 with the victory, its best start in program history.
So why are both teams moving backward? South Dakota simply made a stronger statement with a Top 10 victory. That doesn't diminish what either Lumberjacks program has accomplished. Northern Arizona remains one of the Big Sky's most dangerous teams, and Stephen F. Austin continues to make a compelling case for a higher ranking.
In fact, an undefeated SFA sitting at No. 7 might be one of the more interesting debates in this entire poll. How much should an unbeaten record matter compared with strength of schedule and quality victories? That's a conversation worth having.
Lehigh tumbles 13 spots as the Patriot League picture changes
Nobody took a bigger hit in the Week 9 poll than Lehigh.
The Mountain Hawks fall from No. 12 all the way to No. 25 following a 24-18 loss to Villanova, their second consecutive defeat. Just two weeks ago, Lehigh was undefeated and firmly positioned among the nation's top contenders. Now the Mountain Hawks are fighting to maintain their place in the rankings. The Villanova loss also leaves Lehigh tied with Richmond atop the Patriot League standings at 4-1.
Richmond, meanwhile, climbs from No. 21 to No. 20 after defeating Colgate 13-6. Two teams competing for the same conference championship are now moving in opposite directions nationally. And with November approaching, those conference races are beginning to carry serious playoff implications.
Monmouth, UC Davis and ETSU climb as the middle of the poll gets crowded
Some of the most interesting movement this week comes from teams outside the Top 10.
Monmouth climbs from No. 20 to No. 18 after a dominant 49-13 victory over Hampton. UC Davis moves up two spots to No. 21 following a 33-6 win against Northern Colorado. East Tennessee State also jumps from No. 13 to No. 12 after shutting out VMI 38-0, while Tennessee Tech moves up to No. 13 after defeating The Citadel 28-13.
And don't overlook Campbell. The Camels remain at No. 10 following a convincing 35-6 victory over Maine, improving to 4-0 in CAA play.
Campbell has become one of the more intriguing stories in the FCS this season, and with several CAA programs beginning to gain national attention, the conference race deserves a much closer look.
UAlbany and Chattanooga enter the rankings, while Northern Iowa and Colgate exit
Two programs join this week's Top 25, and both have earned some attention. UAlbany enters at No. 22 after traveling to Rhode Island and delivering a 38-21 victory, snapping the Rams' 17-game home winning streak.
Running back Rahshan La Mons led the way with 196 rushing yards and three touchdowns, helping the Great Danes improve to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in CAA play.
Chattanooga also makes its way into the rankings at No. 23 following an impressive 41-18 road victory over Western Carolina. The Mocs are now 4-1 in Southern Conference play and have positioned themselves firmly in the conference championship conversation.
Their arrival comes at the expense of Northern Iowa and Colgate. UNI drops out after a 20-17 loss to Southern Illinois, while Colgate exits following its defeat against Richmond.
With the playoff picture beginning to take shape, every conference victory matters, and the difference between being ranked and watching from the outside is getting smaller by the week.
November is coming, and the pressure is only getting bigger
Nine weeks into the season, the FCS Nation Top 25 is beginning to tell a much clearer story. Tarleton State remains the team to beat in our poll. Montana State and South Dakota State aren't going anywhere. Youngstown State continues to hold its position among the nation's elite, and South Dakota has forced its way into the Top 5.
But the most interesting part might be what's happening underneath them.
Stephen F. Austin is undefeated and sitting at No. 7. North Dakota remains in the Top 10 despite another difficult conference loss. Campbell is making noise in the CAA, while teams like UAlbany and Chattanooga are beginning to demand national recognition.
And Lehigh's fall from No. 12 to No. 25 is a reminder of how quickly things can change. The regular season is approaching its final stretch, and the margin for error is shrinking.
Who's actually built the strongest championship résumé? Which teams are being overlooked? And who is about to make a November run that nobody sees coming? The FCS Nation Top 25 might look relatively stable at the top, but the race underneath is anything but settled.
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