KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The last Coaches' Top 25 of the 2026 NAIA Football season has The College of Idaho unanimous at No. 1, a week before the STADIONIC NAIA Football becomes a Top 15 and in the hands of the 2026 NAIA Football National Selection Committee (NSC).
Four teams in the poll share an NAIA-best seven wins, including No. 2 Benedictine (Kan.), at 7-1, along with St. Thomas (Fla.), who represented the biggest jump this week to No. 4 after a decisive win over Keiser (Fla.), to get to 7-0. Seventh-ranked Friends (Kan.) is also 7-0, while Louisiana Christian, the only other seven-win team, moved up a spot to No. 14.
Along with Benedictine, Grand View (Iowa) marched up a spot to No. 5. Three teams – Southwestern (Kan.), Cumberlands (Ky.), and Taylor (Ind.) – moved into the Top 25 at Nos. 23, 24, and 25.
The Ottawa University football team is receiving votes in the poll. OU enters after defeating no. 24 Evangel University in overtime on Oct. 17 at AdventHealth Field. The Braves return to the gridiron on Saturday, Oct. 24 in Hillsboro, Kan. against Tabor College. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.
Next week's poll is slated for Tuesday afternoon (Oct. 27), accompanied by the first ARC ratings of the 2026 season.
| TREND |
RANK |
LAST |
INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] |
RECORD |
| ? |
1 |
1 |
College of Idaho [13] |
6-0 |
| ? |
2 |
3 |
Benedictine (Kan.) |
7-1 |
| ? |
3 |
4 |
Grand View (Iowa) |
6-1 |
| ? |
4 |
9 |
St. Thomas (Fla.) |
7-0 |
| ? |
5 |
5 |
Montana Tech |
6-1 |
| ? |
6 |
6 |
Morningside (Iowa) |
6-1 |
| ? |
7 |
7 |
Friends (Kan.) |
7-0 |
| ? |
8 |
8 |
Marian (Ind.) |
6-1 |
| ? |
9 |
10 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
6-1 |
| ? |
10 |
2 |
Keiser (Fla.) |
4-2 |
| ? |
11 |
11 |
Carroll (Mont.) |
6-1 |
| ? |
T-12 |
13 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
6-1 |
| ? |
T-12 |
14 |
Dordt (Iowa) |
5-2 |
| ? |
14 |
15 |
Louisiana Christian |
7-1 |
| ? |
15 |
17 |
Georgetown (Ky.) |
4-2 |
| ? |
16 |
18 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
5-2 |
| ? |
17 |
12 |
McPherson (Kan.) |
6-1 |
| ? |
18 |
19 |
Midland (Neb.) |
6-1 |
| ? |
19 |
20 |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
6-2 |
| ? |
20 |
22 |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
5-1 |
| ? |
21 |
23 |
Baker (Kan.) |
5-1 |
| ? |
22 |
16 |
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) |
5-1 |
| ? |
23 |
RV |
Southwestern (Kan.) |
6-1 |
| ? |
24 |
RV |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
5-2 |
| ? |
25 |
RV |
Taylor (Ind.) |
5-2 |
Dropped out of the Top 25: Cumberland (Tenn.), Evangel (Mo.), William Penn (Iowa)
Receiving Votes: Cumberland (Tenn.), Dakota State (S.D.), Eastern Oregon, Evangel (Mo.), Kansas Wesleyan, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), Ottawa (Kan.), OUAZ (Ariz.), William Penn (Iowa)
