# 1972 small college football rankings

The 1972 small college football rankings are rankings of college football teams representing smaller college and university teams during the 1972 college football season, including the 1972 NCAA College Division football season and the 1972 NAIA football season. Separate rankings were published by the Associated Press (AP) and the United Press International (UPI). The AP rankings were selected by a board of sports writers, and the UPI rankings were selected by a board of small-college coaches.
The 1972 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team (10–0), led by head coach Tubby Raymond, was rated No. 1 by both the AP and UPI. Louisiana Tech (12–0) and Cal Poly (8–1–1) were ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, by the AP and UPI.

## Legend

1972 was the last year the polls would be used to crown a national "Small College" or "College Division" champion. In 1973, season-ending playoffs were begun to determine a champion for "Division II". The UPI and AP continued publishing "College Division" polls through the 1974 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 |

## AP poll

| | Week 1 Sept 21 | Week 2 Sept 28 | Week 3 Oct 5 | Week 4 Oct 12 | Week 5 Oct 19 | Week 6 Oct 26 | Week 7 Nov 2 | Week 8 Nov 9 | Week 9 Nov 16 | Week 10 Nov 23 | |
| 1. | Delaware (1–0) (9) | Delaware (2–0) (11) | Delaware (3–0) (11) | Louisiana Tech (5–0) (7) | Louisiana Tech (6–0) (8) | Delaware (6–0) (11) | Delaware (7–0) (14) | Delaware (8–0) (10) | Delaware (9–0) (13) | Delaware (10–0) (9) | 1. |
| 2. | North Dakota (1–0) | Louisiana Tech (3–0) (4) | Louisiana Tech (4–0) (1) | Delaware (4–0) (7) | Delaware (5–0) (7) | Louisiana Tech (7–0) (7) | Louisiana Tech (8–0) (3) | Louisiana Tech (9–0) (4) | Louisiana Tech (10–0) (4) | Louisiana Tech (11–0) (4) | 2. |
| 3. | Louisiana Tech (2–0) (2) | Tennessee State (2–0) (1) | Tennessee State (3–0) (1) | North Dakota (5–0) (2) | North Dakota (6–0) (2) | Cal Poly (5–0) | Cal Poly (6–0) | Cal Poly (6–0–1) | Cal Poly (7–0–1) | Cal Poly (8–0–1) | 3. |
| 4. | Tennessee State (1–0) (2) | North Dakota (3–0) (2) | North Dakota (4–0) (1) | Cal Poly (4–0) (1) | McNeese State (4–1) | Tennessee State (5–1) | Tennessee State (6–1) (1) | Tennessee State (7–1) | Ashland (10–0) | Ashland (11–0) (1) | 4. |
| 5. | McNeese State (2–0) (1) т | Boise State (2–0) | Drake (3–0) (1) | McNeese State (3–1) | Western Illinois (6–0) (1) | McNeese State (5–1) | Ashland (8–0) | South Dakota (8–1) | Tennessee State (8–1) | Tennessee State (8–1) | 5. |
| 6. | Akron (1–0–1) т | Carson–Newman (3–0) | Boise State (3–0) | Carson–Newman (5–0) | Cal Poly (4–0) | North Dakota State (7–1) | North Dakota State (8–1) | Ashland (9–0) | South Dakota (9–1) (1) | South Dakota (9–1) (1) т | 6. |
| 7. | Boise State (1–0) | Texas Southern (2–0) | Carson–Newman (4–0) | Western Illinois (5–0) | Boise State (4–1) | Ashland (7–0) | McNeese State (6–1) | North Dakota (8–1) | North Dakota (9–1) | North Dakota (9–1) т | 7. |
| 8. | Texas Southern (2–0) | Drake (2–0) | McNeese State (2–1) | Boise State (3–1) | Tennessee State (4–1) | North Dakota (6–1) | North Dakota (7–1) | Grambling (7–2) | Grambling (8–2) | Grambling (8–2) т | 8. |
| 9. | South Dakota (1–0) | Western Carolina (3–0) | Fresno State (4–0) | Tennessee State (3–1) | Drake (4–1) | Fresno State (5–1–1) | Grambling (6–2) | Idaho State (6–2) | McNeese State (7–2) | Western Carolina (7–2–1) т | 9. |
| 10. | Carson–Newman (2–0) | McNeese State (2–1) | Western Illinois (4–0) | Livingston (6–0) | Ashland (6–0) | Western Illinois (6–1) | UMass (6–0) | McNeese State (6–2) | Drake (7–2) | Carson–Newman (9–1) т | 10. |
| 11. | | | | | | | | | | McNeese State (8–2) т | 11. |
| | Week 1 Sept 21 | Week 2 Sept 28 | Week 3 Oct 5 | Week 4 Oct 12 | Week 5 Oct 19 | Week 6 Oct 26 | Week 7 Nov 2 | Week 8 Nov 9 | Week 9 Nov 16 | Week 10 Nov 23 | |
| | | Dropped: 6 Akron9 South Dakota | Dropped: 7 Texas Southern9 Western Carolina | Dropped: 5 Drake9 Fresno State | Dropped: 6 Carson–Newman10 Livingston | Dropped: 7 Boise State9 Drake | Dropped: 9 Fresno State10 Western Illinois | Dropped: 6 North Dakota State10 UMass | Dropped: 9 Idaho State | Dropped: 10 Drake | |

## UPI coaches poll

| | Week Preseason | Week 1 Sept 13 | Week 2 Sept 20 | Week 3 Sept 27 | Week 4 Oct 4 | Week 5 Oct 11 | Week 6 Oct 18 | Week 7 Oct 25 | Week 8 Nov 1 | Week 9 Nov 8 | Week 10 Nov 15 | Week 11 Nov 22 | |
| 1. | Delaware (22) | Delaware (0–0) (22) | Delaware (1–0) (19) | Delaware (2–0) (21) | Delaware (3–0) (21) | Delaware (4–0) (21) | Delaware (5–0) (19) | Delaware (6–0) (20) | Delaware (7–0) (25) | Delaware (8–0) (23) | Delaware (9–0) (23) | Delaware (10–0) (21) | 1. |
| 2. | Eastern Michigan (3) | Eastern Michigan (1–0) (2) | McNeese State (2–0) (4) | Louisiana Tech (3–0) (5) | Louisiana Tech (4–0) (5) | Louisiana Tech (4–0) (11) | Louisiana Tech (5–0) (15) | Louisiana Tech (7–0) (15) | Louisiana Tech (8–0) (8) | Louisiana Tech (9–0) (9) | Louisiana Tech (10–0) (9) | Louisiana Tech (11–0) (12) | 2. |
| 3. | Tennessee State (1) | McNeese State (1–0) (2) | Louisiana Tech (2–0) (3) | Drake (2–0) (5) | Drake (3–0) (8) | North Dakota (5–0) | North Dakota (6–0) | Cal Poly (5–0–1) | Cal Poly (6–0–1) (1) | Cal Poly (6–0–1) (1) | Cal Poly (7–0–1) (1) | Cal Poly (8–0–1) (1) | 3. |
| 4. | McNeese State (1) | Tennessee State (1–0) (1) | Tennessee State (2–0) (4) | North Dakota (3–0) (1) | North Dakota (4–0) | Cal Poly (4–0) | McNeese State (4–1) | McNeese State (5–1) | McNeese State (6–1) | Tennessee State (8–1) | Tennessee State (9–1) | South Dakota (9–1) (1) | 4. |
| 5. | Grambling (1) | North Dakota (1–0) (2) | North Dakota (2–0) (2) | Tennessee State (3–0) (2) | Tennessee State (4–0) (1) | McNeese State (3–1) | Western Illinois (5–0) | Tennessee State (6–1) | Tennessee State (7–1) | South Dakota (8–1) | South Dakota (9–1) (1) | Tennessee State (9–1) | 5. |
| 6. | Louisiana Tech (1) | Grambling (1–0) (1) | Boise State (1–0) | Boise State (2–0) | Boise State (3–0) | Western Illinois (5–0) (1) | Cal Poly (4–0–1) | Fresno State (5–1–1) | UMass (6–0) | North Dakota (8–1) | North Dakota (9–1) | North Dakota (9–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Boise State | Louisiana Tech (1–0) | Drake (1–0) | Texas Southern (2–0) | Fresno State (4–0) | Livingston State (5–0) | Tennessee State (5–1) | UMass (5–0) | South Dakota (7–1) | Ashland (9–0) | Ashland (10–0) | Ashland (11–0) | 7. |
| 8. | North Dakota | Boise State (0–0) | Akron (1–0–1) | McNeese State (2–1) | McNeese State (2–1) | Carson–Newman (5–0) | Drake (4–1) | Livingston State (6–0–1) | North Dakota (7–1) | Tennessee Tech (8–1) (1) | Tennessee Tech (9–1) | Tennessee Tech (10–1) | 8. |
| 9. | North Dakota State | North Dakota State (2–0) | Texas Southern (2–0) | Lamar (3–0) | Carson–Newman (4–0) | Drake (3–1) | Fresno State (4–1–1) | Hawaii (5–0) | Ashland (8–0) | Grambling (7–2) | Grambling (8–2) | Grambling (8–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Akron т | Arkansas Tech (1–0) (1) | Eastern Michigan (1–1) | Western Carolina (3–0) (1) | Livingston State (4–0) | Fresno State (4–1) | Boise State (4–1) | South Dakota (6–1) | North Dakota State (7–1) | Drake (6–2) (1) | Drake (7–2) (1) | Carson–Newman (9–1) | 10. |
| 11. | Arkansas Tech т | Tennessee Tech (1–0) | South Dakota (2–0) | Carson–Newman (3–0) | Western Illinois (3–0) | Jackson State (4–0) | Livingston State (5–0–1) | North Dakota (6–1) | Tennessee Tech (7–1) (1) | Carson–Newman (8–1) | Bridgeport (9–0) | Bridgeport (10–0) | 11. |
| 12. | Western Kentucky | Lehigh (1–0) | Carson–Newman (2–0) | Livingston State (3–0) | Cal Poly (3–0) | Tennessee State (4–1) | Hawaii (4–0) | Ashland (7–0) | Hawaii (5–1) | Idaho State (6–2) | Carson–Newman (8–1) | Livingston State (8–1–1) | 12. |
| 13. | Texas A&I (1) | Texas Southern (1–0) т | Angelo State (2–0) (1) | Fresno State (3–0) | Jackson State (3–0) | Nebraska–Omaha (5–0) | Jackson State (5–0) | Carson–Newman (6–1) | Carson–Newman (7–1) | Livingston State (6–2–1) | Livingston State (7–1–1) | Drake (7–3) | 13. |
| 14. | Samford | Akron (0–0–1) т | Livingston State (2–0) | Western Illinois (2–0) | Nebraska–Omaha (4–0) | Boise State (3–1) | UMass (4–0) | North Dakota State (6–1) | Fresno State (5–2–1) | McNeese State (6–2) | Northwestern State (7–2) | Idaho State (7–3) | 14. |
| 15. | Northern Colorado | Northern Colorado (0–0) (1) | Lamar (2–0) | Weber State (1–0) | Texas Southern (2–1) | Hawaii (3–0) | South Dakota (5–1) | Grambling (5–2) | Drake (5–2) | UMass (6–1) | Missouri Southern State (10–0) | Northwestern State (8–2) | 15. |
| 16. | Southwest Texas | Drake (0–0) | Northern Colorado (1–0) | Hawaii (2–0) т | Hawaii (2–0) | UMass (3–0) | Western Carolina (4–1–1) | Tennessee Tech (6–1) | East Texas State (6–1) | Jackson State (7–1) | Fort Valley State (8–0) | North Carolina Central (9–1) | 16. |
| 17. | Drake | South Dakota (1–0) | Grambling (1–1) | Jackson State (2–0) т | Western Carolina (3–1) | North Carolina A&T (5–0) | Grambling (4–2) | Western Illinois (5–1) | Livingston State (6–1–1) | Central Oklahoma (8–0) | UC Davis (6–0–2) | East Texas State (8–2) | 17. |
| 18. | C.W. Post | Livingston State (1–0) т | Western Carolina (2–0) (1) | Tennessee Tech (2–1) | UMass (2–0) | Western Carolina (4–1) | Samford (5–1) | Nebraska–Omaha (6–1) | Nebraska–Omaha (6–1) | Northwestern State (6–2) | North Carolina A&T (8–1) | Missouri Southern State (10–0) | 18. |
| 19. | Arkansas State | Angelo State (1–0) т | Alcorn A&M (1–0) | Cal Poly (2–0) | East Texas State (3–1) т | Ashland (5–0) | Ashland (6–0) | East Texas State (5–1) | Idaho State (5–2) | Bridgeport (8–0) | McNeese State (7–2) | Western Carolina (7–2–1) т | 19. |
| 20. | Livingston State т | Carson–Newman (1–0) | Lehigh (1–1) | UMass (1–0) | Florida A&M (1–1) т | East Texas State (4–1) | Carson–Newman (5–1) | Montana State (5–2) | Central Washington (7–0) | UC Davis (5–0–2) | Western Carolina (6–2–1) | McNeese State (8–2) т | 20. |
| 21. | Tennessee Tech т | Saint John's (MN) (0–0) | | | Middle Tennessee (3–0–1) | | | | | | | | 21. |
| | Week Preseason | Week 1 Sept 13 | Week 2 Sept 20 | Week 3 Sept 27 | Week 4 Oct 4 | Week 5 Oct 11 | Week 6 Oct 18 | Week 7 Oct 25 | Week 8 Nov 1 | Week 9 Nov 8 | Week 10 Nov 15 | Week 11 Nov 22 | |
| | | Dropped: 12 Western Kentucky13 Texas A&I14 Samford16 Southwest Texas18 C.W. Post19 Arkansas State | Dropped: 9 North Dakota State10 Arkansas Tech11 Tennessee Tech21 Saint John's (MN) | Dropped: 8 Akron10 Eastern Michigan11 South Dakota13 Angelo State16 Northern Colorado17 Grambling19 Alcorn A&M20 Lehigh | Dropped: 9 Lamar15 Weber State18 Tennessee Tech | Dropped: 15 Texas Southern20 Florida A&M21 Middle Tennessee | Dropped: 13 Nebraska–Omaha17 North Carolina A&T20 East Texas State | Dropped: 8 Drake10 Boise State13 Jackson State16 Western Carolina18 Samford | Dropped: 15 Grambling17 Western Illinois20 Montana State | Dropped: 10 North Dakota State12 Hawaii14 Fresno State16 East Texas State18 Nebraska–Omaha20 Central Washington | Dropped: 12 Idaho State15 UMass16 Jackson State17 Central Oklahoma | Dropped: 16 Fort Valley State17 UC Davis18 North Carolina A&T | |

## HBCU rankings

The Mutual Black Network ranked the top 1972 teams from historically black colleges and universities.
* 1. Grambling (11–2)
* 2. Tennessee State (11–1)
* 3. Albany State (7–2–1)
* 4. Jackson State (8–3)
* 5. North Carolina College (9–2)
* 6. Fort Valley State (8–2)
* 7. North Carolina A&T (9–2)
* 8. Fisk (7–1–1)
* 9. Alabama A&M (7–1–1)
* 10. Virginia State (7–3)