# 1982 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings

The 1982 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings are from the NCAA Division I-AA football committee. This is for the 1982 season.

## Legend

| | Increase in ranking |
| | Decrease in ranking |
| | Not ranked previous week |
| (#–#) | Win–loss record |
| (Italics) | Number of first place votes |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |

## NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

| | Week 1 Sept 22 | Week 2 Sept 29 | Week 3 Oct 6 | Week 4 Oct 13 | Week 5 Oct 20 | Week 6 Oct 27 | Week 7 Nov 3 | Week 8 Nov 10 | Week 9 Nov 17 | Week 10 Nov 24 | |
| 1. | Idaho State (2–0) | Eastern Kentucky (3–0) | Eastern Kentucky (4–0) | Eastern Kentucky (5–0) | Eastern Kentucky (5–0) | Eastern Kentucky (6–0) | Eastern Kentucky (7–0) | Eastern Kentucky (8–0) | Eastern Kentucky (9–0) | Eastern Kentucky (10–0) | 1. |
| 2. | Eastern Kentucky (2–0) т | Grambling State (3–0) | Grambling State (4–0) | Miami (OH) (5–0) | Colgate (5–0) | Louisiana Tech (6–1) | Louisiana Tech (7–1) | Louisiana Tech (8–1) | Delaware (8–1) | Louisiana Tech (9–2) | 2. |
| 3. | Miami (OH) (2–0) т | Miami (OH) (3–0) | Miami (OH) (4–0) | Colgate (5–0) | Delaware (5–1) | Tennessee State (6–0–1) | Delaware (7–1) | Tennessee State (7–0–1) | Tennessee State (8–0–1) | Delaware (9–1) | 3. |
| 4. | Grambling State (2–0) | Bowling Green (2–0) т | Holy Cross (4–0) | Delaware (4–1) | Louisiana Tech (5–1) | Delaware (6–1) | Tennessee State (7–0–1) | Delaware (7–1) | Eastern Illinois (10–0–1) | Tennessee State (9–0–1) | 4. |
| 5. | Bowling Green (2–0) | Holy Cross (3–0) т | Bowling Green (3–0) | Louisiana Tech (4–1) | Tennessee State (5–0–1) т | Northeast Louisiana (6–2) | Northeast Louisiana (7–2) | Eastern Illinois (9–0–1) | South Carolina State (8–2) | Eastern Illinois (10–0–1) | 5. |
| 6. | Holy Cross (2–0) | Boise State (3–0) | Colgate (4–0) | Tennessee State (4–0–1) | Grambling State (5–1) т | Holy Cross (6–1) | Eastern Illinois (8–0–1) | South Carolina State (8–2) | Furman (8–2) | Furman (9–2) | 6. |
| 7. | Boise State (2–0) | Colgate (3–0) | Northeast Louisiana (4–1) | Grambling State (4–1) | Western Michigan (4–1–1) | Eastern Illinois (7–0–1) | Holy Cross (7–1) | Furman (7–2) | Louisiana Tech (8–2) | South Carolina State (8–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Southeastern Louisiana (2–0) | Southern (3–0) | Southern (4–0) | Boise State (4–1) | Miami (OH) (5–1) | Colgate (5–1) | South Carolina State (7–2) | Jackson State (8–2) | Jackson State (8–2) | Jackson State (9–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Colgate (2–0) | Western Michigan (3–0) | James Madison (4–1) | Holy Cross (4–1) | Holy Cross (5–1) | South Carolina State (6–2) | Furman (6–2) | Miami (OH) (7–2) | Idaho (8–2) | Colgate (7–3) | 9. |
| 10. | Florida A&M (2–0) | Northeast Louisiana (3–1) | Louisiana Tech (3–1) | James Madison (4–1) т | Bowling Green (4–1) | Jackson State (6–2) | Nicholls State (6–2) | Idaho (7–2) | Bowling Green (7–2) | Grambling State (8–2) | 10. |
| 11. | | | Delaware (3–1) | Bowling Green (3–1) т | Northeast Louisiana (5–2) | Furman (5–2) | Jackson State (7–2) | | Grambling State (8–2) | Idaho (8–3) | 11. |
| 12. | | | Boise State (3–1) | Penn (4–0) т | Eastern Illinois (6–0–1) | Chattanooga (5–2) | Colgate (5–2) | | Western Michigan (7–2–1) | Northeast Louisiana (8–3) | 12. |
| 13. | | | Western Michigan (3–1) | Arkansas State (3–2) | Montana State (5–2) | Ohio (5–2) | Miami (OH) (6–2) | | Chattanooga (7–3) | Holy Cross (8–3) | 13. |
| 14. | | | Florida A&M (3–1) | Idaho (4–1) | South Carolina State (5–1) | Penn (5–1) | Idaho (6–2) | | Holy Cross (8–2) | Bowling Green (7–3) | 14. |
| 15. | | | Idaho (3–1) | Chattanooga (4–1) | Furman (4–2) т | Nicholls State (5–2) | Grambling State (6–2) | | Northeast Louisiana (7–3) | Boise State (8–3) | 15. |
| 16. | | | Penn (3–0) | Northeast Louisiana (4–2) | Jackson State (5–2) т | Grambling State (5–2) | Western Michigan (5–2–1) | | Colgate (6–3) | Western Michigan (7–2–2) | 16. |
| 17. | | | Arkansas State (2–2) | Southern (4–1) | Penn (4–1) | Miami (OH) (5–2) т | James Madison (6–2) | | Penn (7–2) | Chattanooga (7–4) | 17. |
| 18. | | | Tennessee State (3–0–1) | Western Michigan (3–1–1) т | Montana (4–2) | Idaho (5–2) т | Bowling Green (5–2) | | Northwestern State (7–3) | Northwestern State (7–4) | 18. |
| 19. | | | Chattanooga (3–1) | Bethune–Cookman (5–1) т | Chattanooga (4–2) | Western Michigan (4–2–1) | Chattanooga (5–3) | | Boise State (7–3) | Montana (6–5) | 19. |
| 20. | | | Bethune–Cookman (4–1) | Eastern Illinois (5–0–1) | James Madison (4–2) | James Madison (5–2) | Boston University (4–3) | | Miami (OH) (7–3) | Lafayette (7–3) | 20. |
| | Week 1 Sept 22 | Week 2 Sept 29 | Week 3 Oct 6 | Week 4 Oct 13 | Week 5 Oct 20 | Week 6 Oct 27 | Week 7 Nov 3 | Week 8 Nov 10 | Week 9 Nov 17 | Week 10 Nov 24 | |
| | | Dropped: 1 Idaho State8 Southeastern Louisiana10 Florida A&M | None | Dropped: 14 Florida A&M | Dropped: 8 Boise State13 Arkansas State14 Idaho17 Southern19 Bethune–Cookman | Dropped: 10 Bowling Green13 Montana State18 Montana | Dropped: 13 Ohio14 Penn | Dropped: 5 Northeast Louisiana7 Holy Cross10 Nicholls State12 Colgate15 Grambling State16 Western Michigan17 James Madison18 Bowling Green19 Chattanooga20 Boston University | None | Dropped: 17 Penn20 Miami (OH) | |