# 2001 NAIA football rankings

Legend :
| | Increase in ranking |
| | Decrease in ranking |
| | Not ranked previous week |
| * | NAIA National Champion |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
One human poll made up the 2001 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) football rankings, sometimes called the NAIA Coaches' Poll or the football ratings. Once the regular season was complete, the NAIA sponsored a playoff to determine the year's national champion. A final poll was then taken after completion of the 2001 NAIA Football National Championship.

## Poll release dates

The poll release dates were:
* August 21, 2001 (Preseason)
* September 11, 2001 (Week 1)
* September 25, 2001 (Week 3)
* October 2, 2001 (Week 4)
* October 9, 2001 (Week 5)
* October 16, 2001 (Week 6)
* October 23, 2001 (Week 7)
* October 30, 2001 (Week 8)
* November 6, 2001 (Week 9)
* November 11, 2001 (Final)
* January 6, 2002 (Postseason)

## Week by week poll

| | Week 0-Preseason Aug 21 | Week Poll 1 Sep 11 | Week Poll 2 Sep 25 | Week Poll 3 Oct 2 | Week Poll 4 Oct 9 | Week Poll 5 Oct 16 | Week Poll 6 Oct 23 | Week Poll 7 Oct 30 | Week Poll 8 Nov 6 | Week Final Nov 11 | Week Postseason Jan 6 | |
| 1. | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | *Georgetown (KY) | 1. |
| 2. | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Mary (ND) | Mary (ND) | Sioux Falls (SD) | 2. |
| 3. | (T) Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Benedictine (KS) | Benedictine (KS) | Valley City State (ND) | Valley City State (ND) | Valley City State (ND) | Valley City State (ND) | Evangel (MO) | Evangel (MO) | Carroll (MT) | 3. |
| 4. | (T) Northwestern (IA) | Northwestern (IA) | Valley City State (ND) | Valley City State (ND) | Southern Oregon | Southern Oregon | Mary (ND) | Mary (ND) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Benedictine (KS) | 4. |
| 5. | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Southern Oregon | Southern Oregon | Mary (ND) | Mary (ND) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Evangel (MO) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Southern Oregon | 5. |
| 6. | Benedictine (KS) | Benedictine (KS) | Mary (ND) | Mary (ND) | Doane (NE) | Doane (NE) | Evangel (MO) | Concordia (NE) | Benedictine (KS) | Benedictine (KS) | Evangel (MO) | 6. |
| 7. | St. Ambrose (IA) | Valley City State (ND) | Campbellsville (KY) | Doane (NE) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Southern Oregon | Southern Oregon | Concordia (NE) | 7. |
| 8. | Valley City State (ND) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Doane (NE) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Evangel (MO) | Evangel (MO) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | McKendree (IL) | Concordia (NE) | Mary (ND) | 8. |
| 9. | Lambuth (TN) | Southern Oregon | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Concordia (NE) | Benedictine (KS) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Northwestern Oklahoma State | 9. |
| 10. | Huron (SD) | Walsh (OH) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Southern Oregon | Southern Oregon | Concordia (NE) | Tri-State (IN) | Campbellsville (KY) | 10. |
| 11. | Ottawa (KS) | Mary (ND) | Carroll (MT) | Evangel (MO) | Concordia (NE) | Concordia (NE) | McKendree (IL) | McKendree (IL) | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Tri-State (IN) | 11. |
| 12. | Olivet Nazarene (IL) | Lambuth (TN) | Evangel (MO) | Concordia (NE) | McKendree (IL) | McKendree (IL) | Benedictine (KS) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Valley City State (ND) | Valley City State (ND) | St. Ambrose (IA) | 12. |
| 13. | Baker (KS) | Nebraska Wesleyan | Northwestern (IA) | Nebraska Wesleyan | Benedictine (KS) | Benedictine (KS) | Campbellsville (KY) | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Walsh (OH) | St. Ambrose (IA) | Valley City State (ND) | 13. |
| 14. | (T) Sioux Falls (SD) | St. Ambrose (IA) | Nebraska Wesleyan | McKendree (IL) | Campbellsville (KY) | Campbellsville (KY) | Doane (NE) | Montana Tech | Tri-State (IN) | Kansas Wesleyan | Saint Francis (IN) | 14. |
| 15. | (T) Southern Oregon | Campbellsville (KY) | Virginia-Wise | Campbellsville (KY) | Montana Tech | Montana Tech | Montana Tech | Walsh (OH) | Kansas Wesleyan | Campbellsville (KY) | McKendree (IL) | 15. |
| 16. | Montana Tech | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Azusa Pacific (CA) | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Bethany (KS) | Bethany (KS) | Northwestern Oklahoma State | St. Ambrose (IA) | Hastings (NE) | McKendree (IL) | Montana Tech | 16. |
| 17. | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | McKendree (IL) | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Montana Tech | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Bethany (KS) | Kansas Wesleyan | St. Ambrose (IA) | Montana Tech | Kansas Wesleyan | 17. |
| 18. | Mary (ND) | Huron (SD) | Concordia (NE) | Belhaven (MS) | Trinity International (IL) | Walsh (OH) | Walsh (OH) | Tri-State (IN) | Campbellsville (KY) | Hastings (NE) | Hastings (NE) | 18. |
| 19. | Peru State (NE) | Azusa Pacific (CA) | McKendree (IL) | Bethany (KS) | Walsh (OH) | Cumberland (TN) | St. Ambrose (IA) | Campbellsville (KY) | (T) Montana Tech | Bethany (KS) | Bethany (KS) | 19. |
| 20. | Nebraska Wesleyan | Evangel (MO) | Trinity International (IL) | Tri-State (IN) | Cumberland (TN) | St. Ambrose (IA) | Hastings (NE) | Hastings (NE) | (T) Bethany (KS) | Walsh (OH) | Walsh (OH) | 20. |
| 21. | Azusa Pacific (CA) | Doane (NE) | Montana Tech | Saint Xavier (IL) | St. Ambrose (IA) | Tri-State (IN) | Tri-State (IN) | (T) Doane (NE) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Huron (SD) | Huron (SD) | 21. |
| 22. | Campbellsville (KY) | Virginia-Wise | Belhaven (MS) | Huron (SD) | Nebraska Wesleyan | Hastings (NE) | Kansas Wesleyan | (T) Bethany (KS) | Huron (SD) | Northwestern (MN) | Doane (NE) | 22. |
| 23. | Walsh (OH) | Geneva (PA) | Huron (SD) | Trinity International (IL) | Baker (KS) | Kansas Wesleyan | Trinity International (IL) | Trinity International (IL) | Northwestern (IA) | Cumberland (TN) | Cumberland (TN) | 23. |
| 24. | McKendree (IL) | Ottawa (KS) | Bethany (KS) | Virginia-Wise | (T) Belhaven (MS) | Trinity International (IL) | Cumberland (TN) | Cumberland (TN) | Southwestern (KS) | Doane (NE) | Northwestern (MN) | 24. |
| 25. | Kansas Wesleyan | Montana Tech | Tri-State (IN) | Walsh (OH) | (T) Tri-State (IN) | Friends (KS) | Northwestern (MN) | Northwestern (MN) | Doane (NE) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Saint Xavier (IL) | 25. |
| | Week 0-Preseason Aug 21 | Week Poll 1 Sep 11 | Week Poll 2 Sep 25 | Week Poll 3 Oct 2 | Week Poll 4 Oct 9 | Week Poll 5 Oct 16 | Week Poll 6 Oct 23 | Week Poll 7 Oct 30 | Week Poll 8 Nov 6 | Week Final Nov 11 | Week Postseason Jan 6 | |
| | | Dropped: Olivet Nazarene (IL)Baker (KS)Peru State (NE)Kansas Wesleyan | Dropped: Walsh (OH)Lambuth (TN)St. Ambrose (IA)Geneva (PA)Ottawa (KS) | Dropped: Northwestern (IA)Azusa Pacific (CA) | Dropped: Saint Xavier (IL)Huron (SD)Virginia-Wise | Dropped: Nebraska WesleyanBaker (KS)Belhaven (MS) | Dropped: Friends (KS) | Dropped: NONE | Dropped: Trinity InternationalNorthwestern (MN)Cumberland (TN) | Dropped: MidAmerica Nazarene (KS)Northwestern (IA)Southwestern (KS) | Dropped: NONE | |

## 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 postseason poll of the 2001 season, the teams 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.
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 |
| Georgetown (KY) | 21 (2) |
| Northwestern Oklahoma State | 12 (1) |
| Azusa Pacific (CA) | 3 |