# 1987 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings

The 1987 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings are from the NCAA Division I-AA football committee. This is for the 1987 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

| | Preseason | Week 1 Sept 15 | Week 2 Sept 22 | Week 3 Sept 29 | Week 4 Oct 6 | Week 5 Oct 13 | Week 6 Oct 20 | Week 7 Oct 27 | Week 8 Nov 3 | Week 9 Nov 10 | Week 10 Nov 17 | Week 11 Nov 24 | |
| 1. | Georgia Southern | Nevada (4) | Nevada (2–0) (4) | Holy Cross (3–0) (4) | Holy Cross (4–0) (4) | Holy Cross (5–0) (4) | Holy Cross (6–0) (4) | Holy Cross (7–0) (4) | Holy Cross (8–0) (4) | Holy Cross (9–0) (4) | Holy Cross (10–0) (4) | Holy Cross (11–0) (4) | 1. |
| 2. | Arkansas State | Holy Cross | Holy Cross (2–0) | Northeast Louisiana (3–0) | Northeast Louisiana (4–0) | North Texas State (5–1) | Appalachian State (4–2) | Appalachian State (5–2) | Appalachian State (6–2) | Appalachian State (7–2) | Appalachian State (8–2) | Appalachian State (9–2) | 2. |
| 3. | Eastern Kentucky | Murray State | Northeast Louisiana (2–0) | Maine (4–0) | North Texas State (4–1) | Appalachian State (3–2) | Northeast Louisiana (4–2) | Jackson State (6–0–1) | James Madison (7–1) | Northeast Louisiana (7–2) | Northeast Louisiana (8–2) | Northeast Louisiana (9–2) | 3. |
| 4. | Holy Cross | Northwestern State | Appalachian State (2–1) т | Northern Iowa (3–1) | Appalachian State (2–2) | Eastern Kentucky (4–1) | Jackson State (5–0–1) | James Madison (6–1) | North Texas State (6–2) | Jackson State (7–1–1) | Northern Iowa (7–3) | Northern Iowa (8–3) | 4. |
| 5. | North Texas State | Middle Tennessee | Maine (3–0) т | North Texas State (3–1) | Eastern Kentucky (3–1) | Jackson State (4–0–1) | James Madison (5–1) | North Texas State (5–2) | Jackson State (6–1–1) | Northern Iowa (6–3) | Idaho (8–2) | Idaho (9–2) | 5. |
| 6. | Nevada | Maine | Northern Iowa (2–1) | Nevada (2–1) | Jackson State (3–0–1) | James Madison (4–1) т | Western Illinois (6–1) | New Hampshire (5–1) | New Hampshire (6–1) | Idaho (8–2) | Georgia Southern (7–3) | Georgia Southern (8–3) | 6. |
| 7. | Northern Iowa | Appalachian State | North Texas State (2–1) | Appalachian State (2–2) | Georgia Southern (3–2) т | Northeast Louisiana (4–1) т | North Texas State (5–2) | Weber State (6–1) | Northern Iowa (5–3) | Delaware State (7–1) | Eastern Kentucky (7–2) | Eastern Kentucky (8–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Delaware | Northeast Louisiana | East Tennessee State (3–0) | Northwestern State (2–1) | Southern (4–0) т | Georgia Southern (4–2) | New Hampshire (4–1) | Western Kentucky (5–2) | Northeast Louisiana (6–2) | Georgia Southern (7–3) | Arkansas State (7–2–1) | James Madison (9–2) | 8. |
| 9. | UMass | William & Mary | Boise State (2–0) | Jackson State (2–0–1) т | James Madison (3–1) | Western Illinois (5–1) | Western Carolina (4–2) | Northeast Louisiana (5–2) | Delaware State (6–1) | Eastern Kentucky (7–2) | James Madison (8–2) | Jackson State (8–2–1) | 9. |
| 10. | Delaware State | Furman | Georgia Southern (2–1) | Richmond (3–1) т | Northern Arizona (3–1) | New Hampshire (3–1) | Weber State (5–1) | Northern Iowa (4–3) | Idaho (7–2) | Arkansas State (6–2–1) | Jackson State (7–2–1) | Weber State (9–2) | 10. |
| 11. | Jackson State | Chattanooga | Northwestern State (2–1) | Colgate (3–1) | Northern Iowa (3–2) | Nevada (3–2) | Western Kentucky (4–2) | Delaware State (5–1) | Eastern Kentucky (6–2) | James Madison (7–2) | Weber State (8–2) | Western Kentucky (7–3) | 11. |
| 12. | Murray State | Northern Iowa | Middle Tennessee (1–1) | Eastern Kentucky (2–1) | Chattanooga (3–1) | Western Carolina (3–2) | Northern Iowa (3–3) | Idaho (6–2) | Georgia Southern (6–3) | North Texas State (6–3) | Western Kentucky (6–3) | Arkansas State (7–3–1) | 12. |
| 13. | Furman т | North Texas State | Colgate (2–1) | Georgia Southern (2–2) | Western Illinois (4–1) | Weber State (4–1) | Delaware State (4–1) | Eastern Kentucky (5–2) | Weber State (6–2) | Weber State (7–2) | Richmond (7–3) | Maine (8–3) | 13. |
| 14. | Sam Houston State т | Boston University т | Northern Arizona (2–0) | Eastern Illinois (3–1) | New Hampshire (3–1) | Western Kentucky (3–2) | Idaho (5–2) | Georgia Southern (5–3) | Western Kentucky (5–3) | Western Kentucky (5–3) | Delaware State (7–2) | Marshall (7–4) | 14. |
| 15. | Southern Illinois | Illinois State т | Jackson State (1–0–1) | Idaho (3–1) | Montana (2–2) | Nicholls State (4–1–1) | Middle Tennessee (4–2) | Arkansas State (5–2) | Arkansas State (5–2–1) | Richmond (6–3) | Maine (8–3) | Youngstown State (8–3) | 15. |
| 16. | Northeast Louisiana т | East Tennessee State т | Richmond (2–1) | Southern (3–0) | East Tennessee State (3–1) т | Delaware State (3–1) | Eastern Kentucky (4–2) | Western Illinois (6–2) | Western Illinois (7–2) | Northern Arizona (7–2) | New Hampshire (7–2) т | North Texas State (7–4) | 16. |
| 17. | William & Mary т | Boise State | Eastern Illinois (2–1) | James Madison (3–1) т | Maine (4–1) т | Southern (4–1) | Arkansas State (4–2) т | Richmond (5–3) | Richmond (5–2–1) | Maine (7–3) | Sam Houston State (7–3) т | Richmond (7–4) | 17. |
| 18. | North Carolina A&T | Southwest Missouri State | Furman (2–1) | Western Illinois (3–1) т | Western Carolina (2–2) | Northern Iowa (3–3) | Chattanooga (4–2) т | Western Carolina (4–3) | Marshall (6–3) | New Hampshire (6–2) | Marshall (7–4) | Howard (9–1) | 18. |
| 19. | New Hampshire | Penn | Eastern Kentucky (1–1) | Chattanooga (2–1) | Nevada (2–2) | Boise State (4–1) | Richmond (4–3) | Northern Arizona (5–2) | Northern Arizona (6–2) | Western Illinois (7–3) | Youngstown State (7–3) | Sam Houston State (8–3) | 19. |
| 20. | Idaho | Southern | Southern (2–0) | East Tennessee State (3–1) | Northwestern State (2–2) | Middle Tennessee (3–2) | Georgia Southern (4–3) | Howard (5–1) т | Harvard (6–1) т | Howard (7–1) т | Howard (8–1) т | Delaware State (7–3) | 20. |
| 21. | | | | | | | | Middle Tennessee (4–2–1) т | Howard (6–1) т | Marshall (6–4) т | North Texas State (6–4) т | | 21. |
| 22. | | | | | | | | | | Sam Houston State (6–3) т | | | 22. |
| 23. | | | | | | | | | | Youngstown State (6–3) т | | | 23. |
| | Preseason | Week 1 Sept 15 | Week 2 Sept 22 | Week 3 Sept 29 | Week 4 Oct 6 | Week 5 Oct 13 | Week 6 Oct 20 | Week 7 Oct 27 | Week 8 Nov 3 | Week 9 Nov 10 | Week 10 Nov 17 | Week 11 Nov 24 | |
| | | Dropped: 1 Georgia Southern2 Arkansas State3 Eastern Kentucky8 Delaware9 UMass10 Delaware State11 Jackson State14 Sam Houston State15 Southern Illinois18 North Carolina A&T19 New Hampshire20 Idaho | Dropped: 3 Murray State9 William & Mary11 Chattanooga14 Boston University15 Illinois State18 Southwest Missouri State19 Penn | Dropped: 9 Boise State12 Middle Tennessee14 Northern Arizona18 Furman | Dropped: 10 Richmond11 Colgate14 Eastern Illinois15 Idaho | Dropped: 10 Northern Arizona12 Chattanooga15 Montana16 East Tennessee State17 Maine20 Northwestern State | Dropped: 11 Nevada15 Nicholls State17 Southern19 Boise State | Dropped: 18 Chattanooga | Dropped: 18 Western Carolina20 Middle Tennessee | Dropped: 20 Harvard | Dropped: 16 Northern Arizona19 Western Illinois | Dropped: 16 New Hampshire | |