Photo by: Tyler Ingham
North Dakota State No. 3 in Final FCS Polls
1/9/2017 12:40:00 PM | Football
FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State was ranked No. 3 in the final STATS FCS Top 25 and FCS Coaches Poll released Monday, Jan. 9, after falling to eventual national champion James Madison in the national semifinals.
JMU took all 154 first-place votes in the media poll and all 26 in the coaches poll after beating Youngstown State 28-14 in the national championship game. Youngstown State was No. 2 in both polls after a 4-1 run through the FCS playoffs.
North Dakota State finished 12-2 overall and won a share of its sixth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference championship with a 7-1 league record.
Others receiving votes: Illinois State (167), Saint Francis (116), Princeton (83), Albany (65), UT Martin (31), Montana (30), Penn (22), Western Illinois (19), Fordham (17), Maine (17), Southeastern Louisiana (17), Northern Iowa (8), Kennesaw State (8), Duquesne (6), Southern University (6), Northern Arizona (5), Tennessee State (5), Southern Utah (4), Stony Brook (4), Dayton (2), McNeese State (2).
Others receiving votes: Illinois State (25), Saint Francis (21), Princeton (20), Albany (15), Southeastern Louisiana (14), Kennesaw State (9), Southern Utah (7), Fordham (4), Penn (4), UT Martin (2).
JMU took all 154 first-place votes in the media poll and all 26 in the coaches poll after beating Youngstown State 28-14 in the national championship game. Youngstown State was No. 2 in both polls after a 4-1 run through the FCS playoffs.
North Dakota State finished 12-2 overall and won a share of its sixth straight Missouri Valley Football Conference championship with a 7-1 league record.
| STATS FCS Top 25 | ||||
| Team (First-Place Votes) | W-L | Pts | Prev | |
| 1 | James Madison (154) | 14-1 | 3850 | 5 |
| 2 | Youngstown State | 12-4 | 3631 | 13 |
| 3 | North Dakota State | 12-2 | 3492 | 4 |
| 4 | Eastern Washington | 12-2 | 3428 | 3 |
| 5 | Sam Houston State | 12-1 | 3067 | 1 |
| 6 | South Dakota State | 9-4 | 2944 | 7 |
| 7 | Jacksonville State | 10-2 | 2776 | 2 |
| 8 | Richmond | 10-4 | 2666 | 12 |
| 9 | Wofford | 10-4 | 2532 | 19 |
| 10 | Citadel | 10-2 | 2386 | 6 |
| 11 | Villanova | 9-4 | 2225 | 9 |
| 12 | North Dakota | 9-3 | 2133 | 8 |
| 13 | Chattanooga | 9-4 | 2091 | 11 |
| 14 | Central Arkansas | 10-3 | 1798 | 14 |
| 15 | Charleston Southern | 7-4 | 1605 | 10 |
| 16 | Grambling State | 11-1 | 1496 | 16 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 8-5 | 1323 | 22 |
| 18 | Coastal Carolina | 10-2 | 1164 | 15 |
| 19 | San Diego | 10-2 | 956 | 24 |
| 20 | North Carolina A&T | 9-3 | 915 | 17 |
| 21 | Lehigh | 9-3 | 776 | 18 |
| 22 | North Carolina Central | 9-3 | 716 | 20 |
| 23 | Samford | 7-5 | 624 | 23 |
| 24 | Cal Poly | 7-5 | 538 | 21 |
| 25 | Weber State | 7-5 | 284 | 25 |
Others receiving votes: Illinois State (167), Saint Francis (116), Princeton (83), Albany (65), UT Martin (31), Montana (30), Penn (22), Western Illinois (19), Fordham (17), Maine (17), Southeastern Louisiana (17), Northern Iowa (8), Kennesaw State (8), Duquesne (6), Southern University (6), Northern Arizona (5), Tennessee State (5), Southern Utah (4), Stony Brook (4), Dayton (2), McNeese State (2).
| FCS Coaches Poll | ||||
| Team (First-Place Votes) | W-L | Pts | Prev | |
| 1 | James Madison (26) | 14-1 | 650 | 5 |
| 2 | Youngstown State | 12-4 | 607 | 12 |
| 3 | North Dakota State | 12-2 | 599 | 3 |
| 4 | Eastern Washington | 12-2 | 574 | 4 |
| 5 | Sam Houston State | 12-1 | 519 | 1 |
| 6 | Jacksonville State | 10-2 | 494 | 2 |
| 7 | South Dakota State | 9-4 | 469 | 7 |
| 8 | Richmond | 10-4 | 444 | 13 |
| 9 | The Citadel | 10-2 | 404 | 6 |
| 10 | Chattanooga | 9-4 | 388 | 9 |
| 11 | Wofford | 10-4 | 374 | 19 |
| 12 | North Dakota | 9-3 | 373 | 8 |
| 13 | Villanova | 9-4 | 355 | 12 |
| 14 | Charleston Southern | 7-4 | 292 | 10 |
| 15 | Grambling State | 12-1 | 286 | 14 |
| 16 | Central Arkansas | 10-3 | 281 | 16 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | 8-5 | 217 | 21 |
| 18 | Lehigh | 9-3 | 206 | 15 |
| 19 | North Carolina Central | 9-3 | 176 | 18 |
| 20 | North Carolina A&T | 9-3 | 169 | 17 |
| T21 | Cal Poly | 7-5 | 121 | 20 |
| T21 | San Diego | 10-2 | 121 | 25 |
| 23 | Samford | 7-5 | 104 | 24 |
| 24 | Weber State | 7-5 | 73 | 23 |
| 25 | Montana | 6-5 | 33 | 22 |
Others receiving votes: Illinois State (25), Saint Francis (21), Princeton (20), Albany (15), Southeastern Louisiana (14), Kennesaw State (9), Southern Utah (7), Fordham (4), Penn (4), UT Martin (2).
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