# 2021 NCAA Division II football rankings

The 2021 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II football rankings consists primarily of The AFCA Coaches' Poll, determined by coaches part of NCAA Division II football programs. The following weekly polls determine the top 25 teams at the NCAA Division II level of college football for the 2022 season.

## Legend

| | Increase in ranking |
| | Decrease in ranking |
| | Not ranked previous week or no change |
| | Selected for College Football Playoff |
| (#–#) | Win–loss record |
| (Italics) | Number of first place votes |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |

## American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll

| | Preseason Aug 16 | Week 1 Sep 7 | Week 2 Sep 13 | Week 3 Sep 20 | Week 4 Sep 27 | Week 5 Oct 4 | Week 6 Oct 11 | Week 7 Oct 18 | Week 8 Oct 25 | Week 9 Nov 1 | Week 10 Nov 8 | Week 11 Nov 15 | Week 12 (Final) Dec 20 | |
| 1. | West Florida (26) | West Florida (1–0) (28) | West Florida (2–0) (29) | West Florida (3–0) (30) | West Florida (3–0) (30) | West Florida (4–0) (30) | West Florida (5–0) (30) | Ferris State (6–0) (23) | Ferris State (7–0) (26) | Ferris State (8–0) (24) | Ferris State (9–0) (25) | Ferris State (10–0) (30) | Ferris State (14–0) (30) | 1. |
| 2. | Minnesota State (2) | Ferris State (1–0) (1) | Ferris State (2–0) (1) | NW Missouri State (2–0) | NW Missouri State (3–0) | NW Missouri State (4–0) | NW Missouri State (5–0) | Valdosta State (6–0) (7) | Valdosta State (7–0) (4) | Valdosta State (8–0) (6) | Valdosta State (9–0) (5) | West Florida (9–1) | Valdosta State (12–2) | 2. |
| 3. | Ferris State | Minnesota State (1–0) | NW Missouri State (1–0) | Ferris State (3–0) | Ferris State (4–0) | Ferris State (5–0) | Ferris State (5–0) | Colorado Mines (7–0) | West Georgia (7–1) | California (PA) (8–0) | West Florida (8–1) | NW Missouri State (9–1) | Colorado Mines (12–2) | 3. |
| 4. | NW Missouri State (1) | NW Missouri State (1–0) | Valdosta State (2–0) | Valdosta State (3–0) | Valdosta State (3–0) | Valdosta State (4–0) | Valdosta State (5–0) | West Georgia (6–1) | California (PA) (7–0) | West Florida (7–1) | NW Missouri State (8–1) | Grand Valley State (9–1) | NW Missouri State (11–2) | 4. |
| 5. | Slippery Rock | Valdosta State (1–0) | Lenoir-Rhyne (1–0) | Colorado Mines (3–0) | Colorado Mines (4–0) | Colorado Mines (5–0) | Colorado Mines (6–0) | California (PA) (6–0) | West Florida (6–1) | Ouachita Baptist (8–1) | Grand Valley State (8–1) | Valdosta State (9–1) | Shepherd (13–2) | 5. |
| 6. | Lenoir–Rhyne т | Lenoir-Rhyne (1–0) (1) | Slippery Rock (2–0) | Slippery Rock (3–0) | Notre Dame (OH) (4–0) | Slippery Rock (5–0) | Slippery Rock (6–0) | West Florida (5–1) | Ouachita Baptist (7–1) | NW Missouri State (7–1) | Notre Dame (OH) (9–1) | Notre Dame (OH) (10–1) | Bowie State (12–2) | 6. |
| 7. | Valdosta State т | Texas A&M–Commerce (1–0) | Colorado Mines (2–0) | Notre Dame (OH) (3–0) | Slippery Rock (4–0) | Grand Valley State (4–0) | Grand Valley State (5–0) | Ouachita Baptist (6–1) | Grand Valley State (6–1) | Grand Valley State (7–1) | Harding (9–1) | Harding (10–1) | Grand Valley State (10–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Texas A&M–Commerce | Slippery Rock (1–0) | Notre Dame (OH) (2–0) | Ouachita Baptist (3–0) | Grand Valley State (3–0) | Wingate (4–0) | Wingate (5–0) | Grand Valley State (5–1) | NW Missouri State (6–1) | Notre Dame (OH) (8–1) | Shepherd (9–1) | Shepherd (10–1) | Kutztown (11–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Notre Dame (OH) | Colorado Mines (1–0) | Ouachita Baptist (2–0) | Grand Valley State (2–0) | West Georgia (4–0) | Henderson State (5–0) | Henderson State (6–0) | Notre Dame (OH) (6–1) | Notre Dame (OH) (7–1) | Bentley (8–0) | Colorado Mines (9–1) | Colorado Mines (10–1) | Notre Dame (OH) (11–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Colorado Mines | Notre Dame (OH) (1–0) | Grand Valley State (1–0) | Shepherd (3–0) | Wingate (3–0) | West Alabama (5–0) | West Alabama (6–0) | NW Missouri State (5–1) | Harding (7–1) | Harding (8–1) | Slippery Rock (9–1) | Bowie State (10–1) | Harding (11–2) | 10. |
| 11. | Ouachita Baptist | Ouachita Baptist (1–0) | Shepherd (2–0) | Minnesota–Duluth (3–0) | Midwestern State (4–0) | Minnesota State (4–1) | Ouachita Baptist (5–1) | Shepherd (6–1) | Bentley (7–0) | Shepherd (8–1) | West Georgia (7–2) | Western Colorado (10–1) | Angelo State (11–3) | 11. |
| 12. | CSU Pueblo | Indianapolis (1–0) | Indianapolis (2–0) | Tiffin (3–0) | Nebraska-Kearney (4–0) | Ouachita Baptist (4–1) | West Georgia (5–1) | Harding (6–1) | Shepherd (7–1) | West Georgia (7–2) | Bowie State (9–1) | Kutztown (10–1) | West Florida (9–2) | 12. |
| 13. | Central Missouri | Shepherd (1–0) | Minnesota–Duluth (2–0) | Wingate (3–0) | Henderson State (4–0) | West Georgia (4–1) | California (PA) (6–0) | Bentley (7–0) | Bowie State (7–1) | Colorado Mines (8–1) | Henderson State (9–1) | West Georgia (8–2) | West Georgia (9–3) | 13. |
| 14. | Indianapolis | Grand Valley State (0–0) | IUP (1–0) | West Georgia (3–0) | Augustana (SD) (4–0) | Notre Dame (OH) (4–1) | Notre Dame (OH) (5–1) | Bowie State (6–1) | Colorado Mines (7–1) | Bowie State (8–1) | Western Colorado (9–1) | California (PA) (9–1) | New Haven (10–2) | 14. |
| 15. | Shepeherd | IUP (0–0) | Tiffin (2–0) | Midwestern State (3–0) | West Alabama (4–0) | California (PA) (5–0) | Shepherd (5–1) | West Alabama (6–1) | Slippery Rock (7–1) | Slippery Rock (8–1) | California (PA) (8–1) | Frostburg State (10–1) | Nebraska-Kearney (10–3) | 15. |
| 16. | Grand Valley State | Tiffin (1–0) | Wingate (2–0) | Nebraska-Kearney (3–0) | Lenoir-Rhyne (2–1) | Bowie State (4–1) т | Bowie State (5–1) | Minnesota–Duluth (6–1) | Wingate (6–1) | Henderson State (8–1) | Kutztown (9–1) | Albany State (9–1) | Western Colorado (10–2) | 16. |
| 17. | IUP | Harding (1–0) | Angelo State (2–0) | Lenoir-Rhyne (1–1) | Minnesota State (3–1) | Shepherd (4–1) т | Bentley (6–0) | Slippery Rock (6–1) | Nebraska-Kearney (7–1) | Augustana (SD) (8–1) | Frostburg State (9–1) | Ouachita Baptist (9–2) | Newberry (10–3) | 17. |
| 18. | Bowie State | Kutztown (1–0) | West Georgia (2–0) | Henderson State (3–0) | Truman (4–0) | Bentley (5–0) | Minnesota–Duluth (5–1) | Wingate (5–1) | Henderson State (7–1) | Western Colorado (8–1) | Albany State (9–1) | New Haven (9–1) | Albany State (10–2) | 18. |
| 19. | Tiffin | CSU Pueblo (0–1) | Minnesota State (1–1) | Indianapolis (2–1) | Ouachita Baptist (3–1) | Minnesota–Duluth (4–1) | Midwestern State (5–1) | Midwestern State (5–1) | Augustana (SD) (7–1) | Kutztown (8–1) | New Haven (8–1) | Slippery Rock (9–2) | Bemidji State (10–3) | 19. |
| 20. | Kutztown | Minnesota–Duluth (1–0) | Midwestern State (2–0) | Minnesota State (2–1) | Bowie State (3–1) | Midwestern State (4–1) | Harding (5–1) | Henderson State (6–1) | Western Colorado (7–1) | Frostburg State (8–1) | Ouachita Baptist (8–2) | Bentley (9–1) | Slippery Rock (9–3) | 20. |
| 21. | Lindenwood | Wingate (1–0) | Texas A&M–Commerce (1–1) | West Alabama (3–0) | Shepherd (3–1) | Harding (4–1) | Nebraska–Kearney (5–1) | Nebraska-Kearney (6–1) | Kutztown (7–1) | Midwestern State (6–2) | Bentley (8–1) | Nebraska-Kearney (9–2) | California (PA) (9–1) | 21. |
| 22. | Harding | Angelo State (1–0) | Delta State (2–0) | Augustana (SD) (3–0) | Minnesota–Duluth (3–1) | Nebraska-Kearney (4–1) | Augustana (SD) (5–1) | Augustana (SD) (6–1) | Colorado Mesa (6–1) | Albany State (8–1) | Nebraska-Kearney (8–2) | Henderson State (9–2) | Frostburg State (10–1) | 22. |
| 23. | Minnesota–Duluth | Pittsburg State (1–0) | Nebraska-Kearney (2–0) | Bowie State (2–1) | Harding (3–1) | Frostburg State (5–0) | Wayne State (NE) (5–1) | IUP (5–1) | Frostburg State (7–1) | West Alabama (7–2) | Minnesota–Duluth(8–2) | Minnesota–Duluth (9–2) | Ouachita Baptist (9–2) | 23. |
| 24. | Carson-Newman т | West Georgia (1–0) | Bowie State (1–1) | IUP (1–1) | Bentley (4–0) | Chowan (5–0) | Western Colorado (5–1) | Western Colorado (6–1) | Midwestern State (5–2) | New Haven (7–1) | Washburn (8–2) | Washburn (9–2) | Bentley (9–2) | 24. |
| 25. | Wingate т | Bowie State (0–1) | Henderson State (2–0) | Delta State (2–1) | California (PA) (4–0) т | Augustana (SD) (4–1) | Kutztown (5–1) | Kutztown (6–1) | Albany State (7–1) | Nebraska-Kearney (7–2) | Augustana (SD) (8–2) | Augustana (SD) (9–2) | Washburn (9–3) | 25. |
| 26. | | | | | IUP (2–1) т | | | | | | | | | 26. |
| | Preseason Aug 16 | Week 1 Sep 7 | Week 2 Sep 13 | Week 3 Sep 20 | Week 4 Sep 27 | Week 5 Oct 4 | Week 6 Oct 11 | Week 7 Oct 18 | Week 8 Oct 25 | Week 9 Nov 1 | Week 10 Nov 8 | Week 11 Nov 15 | Week 12 (Final) Dec 20 | |
| | | Dropped: 13 Central Missouri21 Lindenwood24 Carson-Newman | Dropped: 17 Harding18 Kutztown19 CSU Pueblo23 Pittsburg State | Dropped: 17 Angelo State21 Texas A&M–Commerce | Dropped: 12 Tiffin19 Indianapolis25 Delta State | Dropped: 16 Lenoir-Rhyne18 Truman25т IUP | Dropped: 11 Minnesota State23 Frostburg State24 Chowan | Dropped: 23 Wayne State (NE) | Dropped: 15 West Alabama16 Minnesota–Duluth23 IUP | Dropped: 16 Wingate22 Colorado Mesa | Dropped: 21 Midwestern State23 West Alabama | Dropped: None | Dropped: 22 Henderson State23 Minnesota–Duluth25 Augustana (SD) | |