KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the eighth-straight poll, the Northwestern College football team is the unanimous No.1 ranked team in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Coaches’ Poll, taking all 18 first-place votes. The eighth poll also sets a new program record for most consecutive NAIA polls inside the top-25 at 73-straight polls.
Northwestern has now been ranked inside the top-5 for the 33rd-straight poll, and ninth-straight poll (including preseason poll) ranked No. 1 in the nation. The 73-straight polls inside the top-25 sets a new record that was set at 72 from Oct. 25, 2005 to Sept. 12, 2011.
Dordt moves up two spots after their 49-0 win over Briar Cliff, now sitting No. 23 in the NAIA.
This week’s edition of the NAIA top-25 comes following the first regular season win over the Morningside Mustangs with a 34-20 win at De Valois Stadium in heavy snowfall. The Red Raiders dominated the second half, holding Morningside scoreless in the third and fourth quarters. The program record win streak continues at 22-straight games and counting.
For the first time in a few weeks, there’s a new look to the NAIA top-5 following the Northwestern-Morningside game. Northwestern remains at No. 1 and Grand View (8-0) at No. 2, while Indiana Wesleyan (8-0) and Marian (Ind.) (8-0) both slide up a spot to No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. The Mustangs (8-1) dropped from No. 3 to No. 5 in this week’s poll.
| RANK | LAST TIME | SCHOOL [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] | RECORD | POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Northwestern (Iowa) [18] | 9-0 | 418 |
| 2 | 2 | Grand View (Iowa) | 8-0 | 402 |
| 3 | 4 | Indiana Wesleyan | 8-0 | 383 |
| 4 | 5 | Marian (Ind.) | 8-0 | 370 |
| 5 | 3 | Morningside (Iowa) | 8-1 | 350 |
| 6 | 6 | Keiser (Fla.) | 6-2 | 340 |
| 7 | 8 | College of Idaho | 8-1 | 316 |
| 8 | 9 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 6-1 | 312 |
| 9 | 10 | Bethel (Tenn.) | 8-1 | 279 |
| 10 | 12 | Evangel (Mo.) | 9-0 | 257 |
| 11 | 7 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 6-2 | 254 |
| 12 | 11 | Carroll (Mont.) | 7-1 | 252 |
| 13 | 13 | Montana Western | 7-1 | 249 |
| 14 | 14 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 7-2 | 198 |
| 15 | 15 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 5-3 | 186 |
| 16 | 16 | Texas Wesleyan | 7-1 | 176 |
| 17 | 17 | St. Thomas (Fla.) | 6-3 | 157 |
| 18 | 18 | Dickinson State (N.D.) | 7-1 | 136 |
| 19 | 20 | OUAZ (Ariz.) | 8-1 | 127 |
| 20 | 19 | Concordia (Mich.) | 6-2 | 122 |
| 21 | 21 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 6-2 | 103 |
| 22 | 23 | Montana Tech | 5-3 | 70 |
| 23 | 25 | Dordt (Iowa) | 6-2 | 56 |
| 24 | 24 | Southwestern (Kan.) | 7-2 | 44 |
| 25 | 21 | Baker (Kan.) | 6-2 | 26 |
