KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has released its first regular season edition of the 2026 STADIONIC NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll. Carroll College checks in at No. 15 in the first weekly poll of the season.
After opening the season 1-1, the Fighting Saints find themselves at No. 15 in the national ranks. Carroll began the year at No.11 in the Preseason Coaches' Poll, picking up a season-opening 30-14 win over MSU-Northern before falling at now-ranked No. 3 Montana Tech, 24-14 two weekends ago in Butte.
Carroll is one of five teams in the Frontier Conference ranked in the first edition of the national poll.
Three teams from the West Division of the league remained ranked. Carroll dropped down four spots to No. 15. College of Idaho remained idle at No. 4 following their 2-0 start, while Montana Western fell three spots to No. 21 after their 34-7 loss to Montana Tech on Saturday.
Two teams from the East Division are ranked as well. Tech at No. 3, and Dakota State, who moved up two spots to No. 23 following their 2-1 start to the year.
Carroll's upcoming opponent, Dickinson State, began the season in the receiving votes portion of the preseason poll, but has dropped out following a 1-2 start to the season.
Kick-off for Saturday's game against the Blue Hawks on Valley Bank Field at Nelson Stadium is slated for 1 p.m., and tickets can be purchased online HERE. Saturday's non-conference clash will be the Frontier Conference's highlighted Game of the Week, broadcast throughout Eastern Washington, Northern Idaho, and Montana on SWX affiliates
| TREND |
RANK |
LAST |
INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES] |
RECORD |
| ● |
1 |
1 |
Grand View (Iowa) [13] |
3-0 |
| ● |
2 |
2 |
Keiser (Fla.) |
1-1 |
| ▲ |
3 |
5 |
Montana Tech |
3-0 |
| ● |
4 |
4 |
College of Idaho |
2-0 |
| ▲ |
5 |
6 |
Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) |
3-0 |
| ▲ |
6 |
T-9 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
3-0 |
| ▲ |
7 |
T-9 |
Friends (Kan.) |
3-0 |
| ▼ |
8 |
7 |
Morningside (Iowa) |
2-1 |
| ▼ |
9 |
3 |
Benedictine (Kan.) |
2-1 |
| ▲ |
10 |
14 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
3-0 |
| ▼ |
T-11 |
8 |
Dordt (Iowa) |
1-1 |
| ▲ |
T-11 |
12 |
Marian (Ind.) |
2-1 |
| ▲ |
13 |
24 |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
2-1 |
| ▲ |
14 |
16 |
St. Thomas (Fla.) |
3-0 |
| ▼ |
15 |
11 |
Carroll (Mont.) |
1-1 |
| ▼ |
16 |
15 |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
2-0 |
| ▲ |
17 |
19 |
Evangel (Mo.) |
3-0 |
| ▲ |
18 |
21 |
McPherson (Kan.) |
3-0 |
| ▲ |
T-19 |
RV |
Louisiana Christian |
3-0 |
| ▼ |
T-19 |
13 |
William Penn (Iowa) |
2-1 |
| ▼ |
21 |
18 |
Montana Western |
1-1 |
| ▲ |
22 |
RV |
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) |
2-0 |
| ▲ |
23 |
25 |
Dakota State (S.D.) |
2-1 |
| ▲ |
T-24 |
RV |
Baker (Kan.) |
2-0 |
| ▼ |
T-24 |
20 |
Georgetown (Ky.) |
1-2 |
Dropped out of the Top 25: Reinhardt (Ga.), Saint Francis (Ind.), Southwestern (Kan.)
Receiving Votes: Cumberland (Tenn.), Cumberlands (Ky.), Kansas Wesleyan, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), Midland (Neb.), Ottawa (Kan.), OUAZ (Ariz.), Pikeville (Ky.), Southwestern (Kan.), Taylor (ind.)
Be sure to visit www.carrollathletics.com later this week for a full preview of Saturday's Gold Standard game, and for complete coverage of the Fighting Saints all season long.
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