# 1966 small college football rankings

The 1966 small college football rankings are rankings of college football teams representing smaller college and university teams during the 1966 college football season, including the 1966 NCAA College Division football season and the 1966 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 1966 San Diego State Aztecs football team (11–0), led by head coach Don Coryell and defensive coordinator John Madden, was rated as the small-college champion by both the AP and UPI. Tennessee State (9–0) was ranked No. 2 by the AP and No. 3 by the UPI.

## 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 22 | Week 2 Sept 29 | Week 3 Oct 6 | Week 4 Oct 13 | Week 5 Oct 20 | Week 6 Oct 27 | Week 7 Nov 3 | Week 8 Nov 10 | Week 9 Nov 17 | Week 10 Nov 24 | Week 11 Dec 1 | |
| 1. | North Dakota State (2) | North Dakota State (5) | North Dakota State (4–0) (7) | North Dakota State (5–0) (10) | North Dakota State (6–0) (8) | North Dakota State (7–0) (11) | North Dakota State (8–0) (10) | San Diego State (7–0) (11) | San Diego State (8–0) (13) | San Diego State (9–0) (11) | San Diego State (10–0) (14) | 1. |
| 2. | Southern Illinois | North Dakota (1) | Montana State (4–0) (5) | North Dakota (4–0) | North Dakota (5–0) (2) | San Diego State (5–0) (2) | San Diego State (6–0) (5) | North Dakota State (8–1) | Tennessee State (7–0) (2) | Tennessee State (8–0) (2) | Tennessee State (9–0) (2) | 2. |
| 3. | North Dakota | Montana State (3) | North Dakota (3–0) | Middle Tennessee (4–0) (2) | San Diego State (5–0) (2) | Montana State (6–1) | Montana State (7–1) (1) | Montana State (8–1) (1) | Montana State (8–2) | Montana State (8–2) | Montana State (8–2) | 3. |
| 4. | Weber State (4) | Sul Ross | Sul Ross (4–0) (1) | San Diego State (4–0) (1) | Chattanooga (4–1) | North Dakota (5–1) | Tennessee State (5–0) (1) | Tennessee State (6–0) (2) | Northwestern State (8–0) (1) | Northwestern State (9–0) | Northwestern State (9–0) | 4. |
| 5. | Montana State | San Diego State (1) | Middle Tennessee (3–0) (1) | Sul Ross (3–0) (1) | Sul Ross (4–0) (1) | Arkansas State (5–0) (1) | Northwestern State (6–0) | Northwestern State (7–0) (1) | Weber State (6–2) | Parsons (9–1) | Parsons (9–1) | 5. |
| 6. | Sul Ross | Eastern Kentucky (1) | San Diego State (3–0) | Weber State (3–1) | Montana State (5–1) | Tennessee State | Arkansas State (5–1) | Parsons (7–1) | Parsons (8–1) | Arkansas State (7–2) | Arkansas State (7–2) | 6. |
| 7. | San Diego State | Ball State (1) | Eastern Kentucky (3–0) (1) | Montana State (4–1) | Weber State (4–1) | Middle Tennessee (5–1) | UMass (5–1) | Arkansas State (6–1) (1) | North Dakota (7–2) | Muskingum (9–0) | Muskingum (9–0) | 7. |
| 8. | Southwest Texas State | Wittenberg | Wittenberg (2–0) | Tennessee State (5–0) | Arkansas State (4–0) (1) | Northwestern State (5–0) (1) | Eastern Kentucky (6–1) (1) | Weber State (6–2) | Muskingum (8–0) | North Dakota (7–2) | North Dakota (7–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Akron т | Parsons | Weber State (2–1) (1) | Arkansas State (1) | Middle Tennessee (4–1) | Sul Ross (4–0–1) (1) | Weber State (5–2) | North Dakota (6–2) | North Dakota State (7–2) | North Dakota State (8–2) | North Dakota State (8–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Florida A&M т | Arkansas State т | Tennessee State (2–0) | Chattanooga (3–1) | Tennessee State (1) | New Mexico Highlands (6–0) (1) | Waynesburg | Muskingum (7–0) | Clarion (9–0) | Weber State (6–3) | Waynesburg (9–0) т | 10. |
| 11. | | Middle Tennessee (1) т | | | | | | | | | Weber State (6–3) т | 11. |
| | Week 1 Sept 22 | Week 2 Sept 29 | Week 3 Oct 6 | Week 4 Oct 13 | Week 5 Oct 20 | Week 6 Oct 27 | Week 7 Nov 3 | Week 8 Nov 10 | Week 9 Nov 17 | Week 10 Nov 24 | Week 11 Dec 1 | |
| | | Dropped: 2 Southern Illinois4 Weber State8 Southwest Texas State9 Akron10 Florida A&M | Dropped: 7 Ball State9 Parsons10 Arkansas State | Dropped: 7 Eastern Kentucky8 Wittenberg | None | Dropped: 4 Chattanooga7 Weber State | Dropped: 4 North Dakota7 Middle Tennessee9 Sul Ross10 New Mexico Highlands | Dropped: 7 UMass8 Eastern Kentucky10 Waynesburg | Dropped: 7 Arkansas State | Dropped: 10 Clarion | None | |

## UPI coaches 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 | Week 11 Nov 30 | |
| 1. | North Dakota State (2–0) (16) | North Dakota State (3–0) (14) | North Dakota State (4–0) (14) | North Dakota State (5–0) (25) | North Dakota State (6–0) (20) | North Dakota State (7–0) (25) | North Dakota State (8–0) (23) | San Diego State (7–0) (33) | San Diego State (8–0) (32) | San Diego State (9–0) (30) | San Diego State (10–0) (30) | 1. |
| 2. | Middle Tennessee (1–0) (2) | North Dakota (2–0) (7) | North Dakota (3–0) (4) | North Dakota (4–0) (3) | San Diego State (5–0) (6) | San Diego State (5–0) (6) | San Diego State (6–0) (7) | Montana State (8–1) (1) | Montana State (8–2) (2) | Montana State (8–2) (4) | Montana State (8–2) (3) | 2. |
| 3. | Weber State (1–0) (3) | San Diego State (2–0) (4) | Montana State (4–0) (8) | San Diego State (4–0) (1) | North Dakota (5–0) (4) | Montana State (6–1) | Montana State (7–1) (5) | North Dakota State (8–1) (1) | Weber State (6–2) | Tennessee State (8–0) | Tennessee State (9–0) (1) | 3. |
| 4. | UMass (1–0) (1) | Middle Tennessee (2–0) (1) | San Diego State (3–0) (2) | Middle Tennessee (4–0) (2) | Chattanooga (4–1) (1) | North Dakota (5–1) | UMass (5–1) | Weber State (6–2) | Tennessee State (7–0) | North Dakota (7–2) | Northwestern State (9–0) | 4. |
| 5. | North Dakota (1–0) | Montana State (3–0) | Middle Tennessee (3–0) (3) | Weber State (3–1) (1) | Weber State (4–1) | UMass (4–1) (1) | Weber State (5–2) т | Arkansas State (6–1) | UMass (6–2) | New Mexico Highlands (8–1) | North Dakota (7–2) | 5. |
| 6. | Northern Illinois (1–0) | Long Beach State (1–0) (1) | Sul Ross (3–0) | Sul Ross (3–0) | Montana State (5–1) (1) | Arkansas State (5–0) (1) | Delaware (5–1) т | North Dakota (6–2) | North Dakota (7–2) | Northwestern State (9–0) | New Mexico Highlands (8–1) | 6. |
| 7. | St. John's (1–0) | Sul Ross (2–0) | Weber State (2–1) | UMass (2–1) | Sul Ross (4–0) | Middle Tennessee (5–1) | North Dakota (5–2) | Tennessee State (6–0) | New Mexico Highlands (8–1) | Muskingum (9–0) | Muskingum (9–0) | 7. |
| 8. | Sul Ross (2–0) | UC Santa Barbara (2–0) (1) | Long Beach State (2–0) (1) | Montana State (4–1) | UMass (3–1) | Sul Ross (4–0–1) | Eastern Kentucky (6–1) | UMass (5–2) | North Dakota State (7–2) | North Dakota State (8–2) | North Dakota State (8–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Long Beach State (0–0) | Weber State (1–1) | UMass (1–1) | Chattanooga (3–1) (1) | Arkansas State (4–0) (1) | Chattanooga (4–2) | Arkansas State (5–1) | Middle Tennessee (6–2) | Muskingum (8–0) | Weber State (6–3) | Weber State (6–3) | 9. |
| 10. | San Diego State (1–0) | UMass (1–1) (1) | Eastern Kentucky (3–0) | Delaware (3–0) (1) | Middle Tennessee (4–1) | New Mexico Highlands (6–0) (1) | Tennessee State (5–0) | New Mexico Highlands (7–1) | Northwestern State (8–0) | UMass (6–3) | UMass (6–3) | 10. |
| 11. | UC Santa Barbara | Ball State | Delaware | Arkansas State | Long Beach State | Weber State | Middle Tennessee | Chattanooga | Chattanooga | Arkansas State | Arkansas State | 11. |
| 12. | Pacific (CA) | Arkansas State | Concordia (MN) | Long Beach State | Temple | Temple | Sul Ross т | Long Beach State | Arkansas State | Whitewater State | Whitewater State | 12. |
| 13. | Montana State т | Delaware (2) | Chattanooga (1) | Lenoir–Rhyne (1) | New Mexico Highlands (1) | Delaware | Long Beach State т | Muskingum | Gettysburg (1) | Parsons | Parsons | 13. |
| 14. | Ball State т | Concordia (MN) | UC Santa Barbara | New Mexico Highlands т | Delaware | Eastern Kentucky | Muskingum | Delaware | Whitewater State | Gettysburg (1) | Central College (IA) т | 14. |
| 15. | Linfield | Eastern Kentucky | Lenoir–Rhyne (1) | UC Santa Barbara т | Eastern Kentucky | Luther (1) | Chattanooga | Eastern Kentucky | Parsons | Eastern Kentucky | Waynesburg (1) т | 15. |
| 16. | Grambling State | Southwest Texas State | New Mexico Highlands | Temple т | Luther (1) | Tennessee State | New Mexico Highlands | Sul Ross | Central College (IA) | Central College (IA) | Eastern Kentucky | 16. |
| 17. | Cal State Los Angeles | Michigan Tech | Arkansas State т | Luther т | Tennessee State | Lenoir–Rhyne | Gettysburg | Gettysburg | Waynesburg | Waynesburg | Gettysburg | 17. |
| 18. | Arkansas State (1) | Parsons | Michigan Tech т | Eastern Kentucky | Gettysburg | Muskingum т | Central College (IA) | Northwestern State | Eastern Kentucky | Clarion | Clarion | 18. |
| 19. | Florida A&M | Grambling State т | Wittenberg (1) | Baldwin-Wallace (1) | Fort Hays State | Gettysburg т | Lamar Tech | Northeast Louisiana | Northeast Louisiana | Northeast Louisiana | Chattanooga т | 19. |
| 20. | Southern Illinois | Northern Illinois т | Abilene Christian | Michigan Tech | Lenoir–Rhyne | Long Beach State | Northeast Louisiana | Parsons | Western State (CO) | Chattanooga | Wittenberg т | 20. |
| | 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 | Week 11 Nov 30 | |
| | | Dropped: 7 St. John's12 Pacific (CA)15 Linfield17 Cal State Los Angeles19 Florida A&M20 Southern Illinois | Dropped: 11 Ball State16 Southwest Texas State18 Parsons19 Grambling State20 Northern Illinois | Dropped: 12 Concordia (MN)19 Wittenberg20 Abilene Christian | Dropped: 15 UC Santa Barbara19 Baldwin-Wallace20 Michigan Tech | Dropped: 19 Fort Hays State | Dropped: 12 Temple15 Luther17 Lenoir–Rhyne | Dropped: 18 Central College (IA)19 Lamar Tech | Dropped: 9 Middle Tennessee12 Long Beach State14 Delaware16 Sul Ross | Dropped: 20 Western State (CO) | Dropped: 19 Northeast Louisiana | |

## HBCU rankings

The New Pittsburgh Courier, a leading African American newspaper, ranked the top 1966 teams from historically black colleges and universities in an era when college football was often racially segregated.
The rankings were published on December 10:
* 1. Tennessee A&I (10–0)
* 2. Morgan State (9–0)
* 3. Southern (6–2–1)
* 4. Grambling (6–2–1)