# 1985 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings

The 1985 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings are from the NCAA Division I-AA football committee. This is for the 1985 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 24 | Week 2 Oct 1 | Week 3 Oct 8 | Week 4 Oct 15 | Week 5 Oct 22 | Week 6 Oct 29 | Week 7 Nov 5 | Week 8 Nov 12 | Week 9 Nov 19 | Week 10 Nov 26 | |
| 1. | Richmond (3–0) | Richmond (4–0) | Richmond (5–0) | Richmond (6–0) | Richmond (7–0) | Middle Tennessee State (7–0) | Middle Tennessee State (8–0) | Middle Tennessee State (9–0) | Middle Tennessee State (10–0) | Middle Tennessee State (11–0) | 1. |
| 2. | Nevada (3–0) | Grambling State (3–0) | Grambling State (4–0) | Grambling State (5–0) | Grambling State (6–0) | Furman (7–1) | Furman (8–1) | Furman (8–1) | Furman (9–1) т | Furman (10–1) т | 2. |
| 3. | Marshall (4–0) | Marshall (5–0) | Idaho (4–1) т | Middle Tennessee State (5–0) | Middle Tennessee State (6–0) | Nevada (7–1) | Nevada (8–1) | Nevada (9–1) | Nevada (10–1) т | Nevada (10–1) т | 3. |
| 4. | Grambling State (2–0) | Middle Tennessee State (4–0) | Middle Tennessee State (4–0) т | Idaho (5–1) | Idaho (6–1) | Richmond (7–1) | Grambling State (7–1) | Grambling State (8–1) | Northern Iowa (9–1) | Northern Iowa (10–1) | 4. |
| 5. | Middle Tennessee State (3–0) | William & Mary (3–1) | William & Mary (4–1) т | Furman (5–1) | Furman (6–1) | Grambling State (6–1) т | Northern Iowa (7–1) | Northern Iowa (8–1) | Idaho (8–2) | Idaho (9–2) | 5. |
| 6. | Arkansas State (2–2) | Idaho (3–1) | Murray State (4–0–1) | Mississippi Valley State (5–0) | Nevada (6–1) | Northern Iowa (6–1) т | Idaho (7–2) | Idaho (8–2) | Arkansas State (7–3) | Arkansas State (8–3) | 6. |
| 7. | William & Mary (2–1) | Murray State (3–0–1) | Marshall (5–0–1) | Nevada (5–1) | Northern Iowa (5–1) | Georgia Southern (6–1) | Mississippi Valley State (7–1) | Arkansas State (6–3) т | Rhode Island (9–2) | Rhode Island (9–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Delaware State (4–0) т | Illinois State (3–0–1) т | Mississippi Valley State (5–0) | Louisiana Tech (5–1) т | Georgia Southern (5–1) | Idaho (6–2) | Arkansas State (5–3) | Akron (7–2) т | Grambling State (8–2) т | Grambling State (9–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Murray State (2–0–1) т | Mississippi Valley State (4–0) т | Furman (4–1) | Northern Iowa (5–1) т | Delaware State (6–1) | Mississippi Valley State (6–1) т | Louisiana Tech (7–2) т | Richmond (8–2) | Murray State (7–2–1) т | Georgia Southern (9–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Idaho (2–1) | Furman (3–1) | Eastern Washington (5–0) | Georgia Southern (5–1) | Eastern Washington (6–1) | Eastern Washington (6–1) т | Akron (6–2) т | Rhode Island (8–2) | Georgia Southern (8–2) т | Akron (8–3) | 10. |
| 11. | Lamar Tech (3–0) | Nevada (3–1) | Nevada (5–0) | Delaware State (6–1) | Marshall (6–1–1) | Marshall (6–1–1) | Richmond (7–2) | Murray State (7–2–1) | Eastern Washington (7–2) | Eastern Washington (8–2) | 11. |
| 12. | Illinois State (2–0–1) | Louisiana Tech (3–1) т | Northern Iowa (4–1) т | William & Mary (4–2) | Mississippi Valley State (5–1) | Louisiana Tech (6–2) | Rhode Island (7–2) | Georgia Southern (7–2) | Delaware State (8–2) | Appalachian State (8–3) т | 12. |
| 13. | Mississippi Valley State (3–0) | Western Carolina (3–1) т | Louisiana Tech (4–1) т | Murray State (4–1–1) т | Akron (5–2) | Akron (5–2) | Murray State (6–2–1) | Delaware (7–3) т | Akron (7–3) | Delaware State (9–2) т | 13. |
| 14. | Delaware (2–1) | Northern Iowa (3–1) | Western Carolina (3–1–1) | Northeast Louisiana (4–1) т | Arkansas State (4–3) | New Hampshire (6–1) | Colgate (6–2) | Eastern Washington (6–2) т | Jackson State (7–2) | Louisiana Tech (8–3) | 14. |
| 15. | Rhode Island (2–1) | Lamar Tech (3–1) | Lamar Tech (3–1) | Southwest Missouri State (4–1–1) | Appalachian State (4–2) | Arkansas State (4–3) | Eastern Washington (6–2) | Delaware State (7–2) | Alcorn State (7–2) | Jackson State (8–2) | 15. |
| 16. | Appalachian State (2–1) | Harvard (2–0) | Delaware State (5–1) | Marshall (5–1–1) | Colgate (5–1) | Murray State (5–2–1) | Georgia Southern (6–2) | Jackson State (7–2) | Mississippi Valley State (8–2) | William & Mary (7–4) | 16. |
| 17. | UMass (2–1) | Delaware State (4–1) | Eastern Kentucky (3–1) т | Eastern Washington (5–1) | Delaware (5–2) | Rhode Island (6–2) т | Delaware (6–3) т | Colgate (6–2–1) | Appalachian State (7–3) | Murray State (7–3–1) | 17. |
| 18. | Furman (2–1) | Southwest Missouri State (3–1–1) | Southwest Missouri State (4–1–1) т | Akron (4–2) | Louisiana Tech (5–2) | Eastern Kentucky (5–2) т | Delaware State (6–2) т | Mississippi Valley State (7–2) т | William & Mary (7–4) | Richmond (8–3) | 18. |
| 19. | Western Carolina (2–1) | Eastern Kentucky (2–1) | Georgia Southern (4–1) | Appalachian State (3–2) т | Murray State (4–2–1) | Idaho State (5–2) т | Penn (6–1) т | Alcorn State (6–2) т | Louisiana Tech (8–3) | Eastern Kentucky (8–3) | 19. |
| 20. | Louisiana Tech (2–1) | North Texas State (2–2) | Holy Cross (3–1) | Western Carolina (3–2–1) т | New Hampshire (5–1) | Delaware State (6–2) т | Chattanooga (5–3) | Marshall (7–2–1) | Richmond (8–3) т | Alcorn State (8–3) | 20. |
| 21. | | | | Southern (4–1) т | | | | | Boise State (7–3) т | | 21. |
| 22. | | | | Arkansas State (3–3) т | | | | | | | 22. |
| 23. | | | | Colgate (4–1) т | | | | | | | 23. |
| 24. | | | | Delaware (4–2) т | | | | | | | 24. |
| | Week 1 Sept 24 | Week 2 Oct 1 | Week 3 Oct 8 | Week 4 Oct 15 | Week 5 Oct 22 | Week 6 Oct 29 | Week 7 Nov 5 | Week 8 Nov 12 | Week 9 Nov 19 | Week 10 Nov 26 | |
| | | Dropped: 6 Arkansas State14 Delaware15 Rhode Island16 Appalachian State17 UMass | Dropped: 8 Illinois State16 Harvard20 North Texas State | Dropped: 15 Lamar Tech17 Eastern Kentucky20 Holy Cross | Dropped: 12 William & Mary14 Northeast Louisiana15 Southwest Missouri State20 Western Carolina20 Southern | Dropped: 15 Appalachian State16 Colgate17 Delaware | Dropped: 11 Marshall14 New Hampshire18 Eastern Kentucky19 Idaho State | Dropped: 9 Louisiana Tech19 Penn20 Chattanooga | Dropped: 13 Delaware17 Colgate20 Marshall | Dropped: 16 Mississippi Valley State20 Boise State | |