# 2016 NAIA football rankings

One human poll made up the 2016 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) football rankings, sometimes called the NAIA Coaches' Poll or the football ratings. When the regular season was complete, the NAIA conducted a playoff to determine the year's national champion. A final poll was taken after completion of the 2016 NAIA Football National Championship.

## Poll release dates

The poll release dates were:
2016 Poll Release Dates :
| Spring | April 11 |
| Preseason | August 8 |
| Week 1 | September 12 |
| Week 2 | September 19 |
| Week 3 | September 26 |
| Week 4 | October 3 |
| Week 5 | October 10 |
| Week 6 | October 17 |
| Week 7 | October 24 |
| Week 8 | October 31 |
| Week 9 | November 7 |
| Week 10 (Final Regular Season) | November 13 |
| Postseason | December 20 |

## Week by week poll

| | Week 0-Spring Apr 11 | Week 0-Preseason Aug 8 | Week 1-Poll 1 Sep 12 | Week 2-Poll 2 Sep 19 | Week 3-Poll 3 Sep 26 | Week 4-Poll 4 Oct 3 | Week 5-Poll 5 Oct 10 | Week 6-Poll 6 Oct 17 | Week 7-Poll 7 Oct 24 | Week 8-Poll 8 Oct 31 | Week 9-Poll 9 Nov 7 | Week 10-Final Nov 13 | Week 11-Postseason Dec 20 | |
| 1. | Marian (IN) | Marian (IN) | Marian (IN) | Marian (IN) | Marian (IN) | Marian (IN) | Marian (IN) | Marian (IN) | Marian (IN) | Marian (IN) | Marian (IN) | Marian (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | 1. |
| 2. | Southern Oregon | Southern Oregon | Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Saint Francis (IN) | Baker (KS) | Baker (KS) | Baker (KS) | Baker (KS) | Baker (KS) | Baker (KS) | Baker (KS) | Baker (KS) | 2. |
| 3. | Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Baker (KS) | Doane (NE) | Reinhardt (GA) | Reinhardt (GA) | Reinhardt (GA) | Reinhardt (GA) | Reinhardt (GA) | Reinhardt (GA) | Reinhardt (GA) | 3. |
| 4. | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Baker (KS) | Baker (KS) | Doane (NE) | Reinhardt (GA) | Saint Francis (IN) | (T) Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Eastern Oregon | 4. |
| 5. | Baker (KS) | Baker (KS) | (T) Doane (NE) | Doane (NE) | Reinhardt (GA) | Saint Francis (IN) | Morningside (IA) | (T) Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Marian (IN) | 5. |
| 6. | Grand View (IA) | Grand View (IA) | (T) Reinhardt (GA) | Reinhardt (GA) | Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Lindsey Wilson (KY) | Lindsey Wilson (KY) | Grand View (IA) | Grand View (IA) | Montana Tech | Montana Tech | Morningside (IA) | 6. |
| 7. | Montana Tech | Montana Tech | Lindsey Wilson (KY) | Lindsey Wilson (KY) | Lindsey Wilson (KY) | Lindsey Wilson (KY) | Grand View (IA) | Grand View (IA) | Montana Tech | Montana Tech | Doane (NE) | Doane (NE) | Montana Tech | 7. |
| 8. | Tabor (KS) | Tabor (KS) | Grand View (IA) | Grand View (IA) | Grand View (IA) | Grand View (IA) | Southern Oregon | Montana Tech | Doane (NE) | Doane (NE) | Lindsey Wilson (KY) | Lindsey Wilson (KY) | Lindsey Wilson (KY) | 8. |
| 9. | Doane (NE) | Doane (NE) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Southern Oregon | Southern Oregon | Southern Oregon | Montana Tech | Doane (NE) | Missouri Valley (MO) | Missouri Valley (MO) | Eastern Oregon | Eastern Oregon | Grand View (IA) | 9. |
| 10. | Reinhardt (GA) | Saint Xavier (IL) | (T) Kansas Wesleyan | Montana Tech | Montana Tech | Montana Tech | Doane (NE) | Georgetown (KY) | Lindsey Wilson (KY) | Lindsey Wilson (KY) | Kansas Wesleyan | Grand View (IA) | Doane (NE) | 10. |
| 11. | Saint Xavier (IL) | Reinhardt (GA) | (T) Eastern Oregon | Missouri Valley (MO) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Missouri Valley (MO) | Eastern Oregon | Eastern Oregon | Grand View (IA) | Missouri Valley (MO) | Missouri Valley (MO) | 11. |
| 12. | Campbellsville (KY) | Lindsey Wilson (KY) | Southern Oregon | Benedictine (KS) | Tabor (KS) | Tabor (KS) | Tabor (KS) | (T) Dickinson State (ND) | Dickinson State (ND) | Kansas Wesleyan | Missouri Valley (MO) | Tabor (KS) | Tabor (KS) | 12. |
| 13. | Lindsey Wilson (KY) | Kansas Wesleyan | Montana Tech | Tabor (KS) | Missouri Valley (MO) | Missouri Valley (MO) | Missouri Valley (MO) | (T) Eastern Oregon | Kansas Wesleyan | Tabor (KS) | Tabor (KS) | Sterling (KS) | Sterling (KS) | 13. |
| 14. | Kansas Wesleyan | St. Francis (IL) | Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | Georgetown (KY) | Kansas Wesleyan | (T) Kansas Wesleyan | Dickinson State (ND) | Kansas Wesleyan | Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | Southeastern (FL) | Southeastern (FL) | Dickinson State (ND) | Dickinson State (ND) | 14. |
| 15. | Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | Benedictine (KS) | Benedictine (KS) | Eastern Oregon | Dickinson State (ND) | (T) Dickinson State (ND) | Kansas Wesleyan | Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | Georgetown (KY) | Sterling (KS) | (T) Sterling (KS) | Robert Morris (IL) | Robert Morris (IL) | 15. |
| 16. | Montana Western | Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | Missouri Valley (MO) | Concordia (NE) | Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | (T) Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | (T) Eastern Oregon | Bethel (TN) | Tabor (KS) | Dickinson State (ND) | (T) Dickinson State (ND) | Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | 16. |
| 17. | St. Francis (IL) | Campbellsville (KY) | Tabor (KS) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Eastern Oregon | (T) Eastern Oregon | (T) Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | Southern Oregon | Southeastern (FL) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Kansas Wesleyan | Kansas Wesleyan | 17. |
| 18. | Dickinson State (ND) | Georgetown (KY) | (T) Georgetown (KY) | Sterling (KS) | (T) Benedictine (KS) | Dakota State (SD) | Bethel (TN) | Tabor (KS) | Sterling (KS) | Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | Concordia (NE) | Southeastern (FL) | 18. |
| 19. | Point (GA) | Faulkner (AL) | (T) MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Faulkner (AL) | (T) Midland (NE) | Bethel (TN) | Dakota State (SD) | Benedictine (KS) | Bethel (TN) | Robert Morris (IL) | Robert Morris (IL) | Montana Western | Concordia (NE) | 19. |
| 20. | Benedictine (KS) | Arizona Christian | Concordia (NE) | Kansas Wesleyan | Dakota State (SD) | Benedictine (KS) | Benedictine (KS) | Southeastern (FL) | Arizona Christian | William Penn (IA) | William Penn (IA) | Southeastern (FL) | Montana Western | 20. |
| 21. | St. Ambrose (IA) | Dickinson State (ND) | Carroll (MT) | Dickinson State (ND) | Concordia (NE) | Midland (NE) | Midland (NE) | Montana Western | Concordia (NE) | Concordia (NE) | Concordia (NE) | Langston (OK) | Langston (OK) | 21. |
| 22. | Arizona Christian | Carroll (MT) | (T) Dickinson State (ND) | Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | Peru State (NE) | Montana Western | Peru State (NE) | Midland (NE) | Benedictine (KS) | Wayland Baptist (TX) | Montana Western | Arizona Christian | Arizona Christian | 22. |
| 23. | Georgetown (KY) | William Penn (IA) | (T) Montana Western | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Bethel (TN) | Concordia (MI) | Southeastern (FL) | Dakota State (SD) | Southern Oregon | Bethel (TN) | Langston (OK) | (T) William Penn (IA) | Benedictine (KS) | 23. |
| 24. | Faulkner (AL) | St. Ambrose (IA) | Faulkner (AL) | Dakota State (SD) | Montana Western | Peru State (NE) | Concordia (NE) | Robert Morris (IL) | Robert Morris (IL) | Montana Western | Benedictine (KS) | (T) Benedictine (KS) | William Penn (IA) | 24. |
| 25. | William Penn (IA) | Montana Western | Rocky Mountain (MT) | (T) Midland (NE)(T) Webber International (FL) | Sterling (KS) | Rocky Mountain (MT) | Montana Western | Sterling (KS) | Dakota State (SD) | Langston (OK) | Arizona Christian | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | 25. |
| | Week 0-Spring Apr 11 | Week 0-Preseason Aug 8 | Week 1-Poll 1 Sep 12 | Week 2-Poll 2 Sep 19 | Week 3-Poll 3 Sep 26 | Week 4-Poll 4 Oct 3 | Week 5-Poll 5 Oct 10 | Week 6-Poll 6 Oct 17 | Week 7-Poll 7 Oct 24 | Week 8-Poll 8 Oct 31 | Week 9-Poll 9 Nov 7 | Week 10-Final Nov 13 | Week 11-Postseason Dec 20 | |
| | | Dropped: Point (GA) | Dropped: St. Francis (IL)Campbellsville (KY)Arizona ChristianWilliam Penn (IA)St. Ambrose (IA) | Dropped: Carroll (MT)Montana WesternRocky Mountain (MT) | Dropped: Saint Xavier (IL)Faulkner (AL)Mid America Nazarene (KS)Webber International (FL) | Dropped: Concordia (NE)Sterling (KS) | Dropped: Concordia (MI)Rocky Mountain (MT) | Dropped: Peru State (NE)Concordia (NE) | Dropped: Montana WesternMidland (NE) | Dropped: Arizona ChristianBenedictine (KS)Southern OregonDakota State (SD) | Dropped: Wayland Baptist (TX)Bethel (TN) | Dropped: NONE | Dropped: NONE | |
Legend :
| | No change in ranking |
| | Increase in ranking |
| | Decrease in ranking |
| | Not ranked previous week |
| | NAIA National Champion |
| (т) | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |

## Leading vote-getters

Since the inception of the Coaches' Poll in 1999, the #1 ranking in the various weekly polls has been held by only a select group of teams. Through the final poll of the 2016 season, the team and the number of times they have held the #1 weekly ranking are shown below. The number of times a team has been ranked #1 in the postseason poll (the national champion) is shown in parentheses.
There has been only one tie for the leading vote-getter in a weekly poll. In 2015, Southern Oregon was tied with Marian (IN) in the preseason poll.
In 1999, the results of a postseason poll, if one was conducted, are not known. Therefore, an additional poll has been presumed, and the #1 postseason ranking has been credited to the postseason tournament champion, the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers.
| Team | Total #1 Rankings |
| Carroll (MT) | 57 (6) |
| Sioux Falls (SD) | 55 (3) |
| Georgetown (KY) | 25 (2) |
| Marian (IN) | 24 (2) |
| Morningside (IA) | 20 |
| Saint Xavier (IL) | 14 (1) |
| Northwestern Oklahoma State | 12 (1) |
| Southern Oregon | 5 (1) |
| Grand View (IA) | 4 (1) |
| Saint Francis (IN) | 4 (1) |
| Lindsey Wilson (KY) | 4 |
| Azusa Pacific (CA) | 3 |
| Cumberlands (KY) | 2 |