# 1989 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings

The 1989 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings are from the NCAA Division I-AA football committee. This is for the 1989 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 19 | Week 2 Sept 26 | Week 3 Oct 3 | Week 4 Oct 10 | Week 5 Oct 17 | Week 6 Oct 24 | Week 7 Oct 31 | Week 8 Nov 7 | Week 9 Nov 14 | Week 10 Nov 21 | |
| 1. | Furman (4) | Eastern Kentucky (2–0) (3) | Eastern Kentucky (3–0) (2) т | Eastern Kentucky (4–0) (3) | Eastern Kentucky (5–0) (3) | Eastern Kentucky (6–0) (3) | Eastern Kentucky (7–0) (3) | Eastern Kentucky (8–0) (3) | Georgia Southern (9–0) (4) | Georgia Southern (10–0) (4) | Georgia Southern (11–0) (4) | 1. |
| 2. | Georgia Southern | North Texas (2–0) | North Texas (3–0) (1) т | Georgia Southern (4–0) (1) | Georgia Southern (5–0) (1) | Georgia Southern (6–0) (1) | Georgia Southern (7–0) (1) | Georgia Southern (8–0) (1) | Furman (8–1) | Furman (9–1) | Furman (10–1) | 2. |
| 3. | North Texas | Georgia Southern (3–0) (1) | Georgia Southern (4–0) (1) | Holy Cross (4–0) | Holy Cross (5–0) | Furman (5–1) | Furman (6–1) | Furman (7–1) | Stephen F. Austin (8–1) | Stephen F. Austin (9–1) | Stephen F. Austin (9–1–1) | 3. |
| 4. | Eastern Kentucky | Holy Cross (2–0) | Holy Cross (3–0) | Furman (3–1) т | Southwest Missouri State (6–0) | Maine (7–0) | Maine (8–0) | Stephen F. Austin (7–1) | Eastern Kentucky (8–1) | Holy Cross (9–1) | Holy Cross (10–1) т | 4. |
| 5. | Delaware | Furman (2–1) т | Furman (2–1) т | North Texas (3–1) т | Furman (4–1) | Stephen F. Austin (5–1) | Stephen F. Austin (6–1) | Southwest Missouri State (8–1) | Southwest Missouri State (8–1) | Idaho (8–2) | Idaho (9–2) т | 5. |
| 6. | Idaho т | Southwest Missouri State (3–0) т | Southwest Missouri State (4–0) т | Southwest Missouri State (5–0) т | Maine (6–0) | Arkansas State (4–2) | Boise State (5–2) | Holy Cross (7–1) | Holy Cross (8–1) | Montana (9–2) | Montana (9–2) | 6. |
| 7. | Jackson State т | Marshall (3–0) | The Citadel (3–0) | The Citadel (4–0) | The Citadel (4–0–1) | Boise State (4–2) | Southwest Missouri State (7–1) | Idaho (7–2) | Idaho (8–2) | Appalachian State (8–2) | Appalachian State (9–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Northwestern State т | Arkansas State (1–1) | Maine (4–0) | Maine (5–0) | Appalachian State (5–1) | Southwest Missouri State (6–1) | Holy Cross (6–1) | Maine (8–1) | Montana (8–2) | Maine (9–2) | Maine (9–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Holy Cross т | Maine (3–0) | Delaware (3–0) | Appalachian State (4–1) | Arkansas State (3–2) | Holy Cross (5–1) | Idaho (6–2) т | Montana (7–2) | Appalachian State (7–2) | Southwest Missouri State (8–2) | Southwest Missouri State (9–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Southwest Missouri State | Delaware (2–0) | Murray State (3–1) | Arkansas State (2–2) | Stephen F. Austin (4–1) | Northwestern State (4–2) | Liberty (6–0) т | Appalachian State (6–2) | Maine (8–2) | Eastern Kentucky (8–2) | Middle Tennessee State (8–3) т | 10. |
| 11. | Marshall | The Citadel (2–0) т | Appalachian State (3–1) | Boise State (2–2) | Boise State (3–2) | Liberty (5–0) | Youngstown State (5–2) | Murray State (5–3–1) т | Murray State (5–3–1) | William & Mary (7–2–1) | William & Mary (8–2–1) т | 11. |
| 12. | Boise State т | Northeast Louisiana (2–0) т | Arkansas State (1–2) | Stephen F. Austin (3–1) | Jackson State (5–1) | William & Mary (4–1–1) | Northwestern State (4–2–1) | Villanova (6–2) т | William & Mary (6–2–1) | Middle Tennessee State (7–3) | Eastern Kentucky (9–2) | 12. |
| 13. | James Madison т | James Madison (2–0–1) | Boise State (1–2) | Jackson State (4–1) | Northwestern State т | Marshall (4–2) | Eastern Illinois (6–2) | Boise State (5–3) т | Delaware State (7–2) | Yale (8–1) | Grambling State (9–2) | 13. |
| 14. | Indiana State | Boise State (1–1) | Stephen F. Austin (2–1) | Delaware (3–1) | William & Mary (3–1–1) т | Idaho (5–2) | Montana (6–2) | Liberty (6–1) т | Middle Tennessee State (6–3) | Grambling State (8–2) | Youngstown State (8–3) | 14. |
| 15. | Florida A&M т | Murray State (2–1) т | Jackson State (3–1) | Western Illinois (3–2) | Idaho (4–2) | The Citadel (4–1–1) т | Appalachian State (5–2) | Western Kentucky (6–3) | Yale (7–1) | Western Kentucky (6–4) | Eastern Illinois (8–3) | 15. |
| 16. | UMass т | William & Mary (2–0) т | Marshall (3–1) | Marshall (3–1) | North Texas (3–2) | Youngstown State (4–2) т | Murray State (5–2–1) | William & Mary (5–2–1) | Grambling State (7–2) | New Hampshire (7–2) | Villanova (8–3) | 16. |
| 17. | Stephen F. Austin | Stephen F. Austin (1–1) | Western Illinois (3–1) | Western Kentucky (3–2) | Liberty (4–0) | Murray State (5–2) | Villanova (5–2) | Northern Iowa (6–2) | Western Kentucky (6–4) | Youngstown State (7–3) | Jackson State (8–3) | 17. |
| 18. | Middle Tennessee State | Jackson State (2–1) | Northeast Louisiana (2–1) | Connecticut (3–1) | Youngstown State (3–2) | Appalachian State (5–2) | Arkansas State (4–3) т | Delaware State (6–2) | New Hampshire (6–2) | Eastern Illinois (7–3) | Connecticut (8–3) | 18. |
| 19. | Arkansas State | Western Kentucky (2–1) | William & Mary (2–0–1) | Eastern Illinois (4–1) | Murray State (4–2) | Eastern Illinois (5–2) | Western Kentucky (5–3) т | Marshall (5–3) | Youngstown State (6–3) | Alcorn State (7–2) | Nevada | 19. |
| 20. | William & Mary | Appalachian State (2–1) | James Madison (2–1–1) т | Idaho (3–2) | Eastern Illinois (4–2) т | Montana (5–2) | Alcorn State (5–1) | Yale (6–1) | Alcorn State (6–2) | Boise State (6–4) | Northern Iowa (8–3) | 20. |
| 21. | | | Western Kentucky (2–2) т | | Marshall (3–2) т | | | | | | | 21. |
| 22. | | | | | Montana (4–2) т | | | | | | | 22. |
| 23. | | | | | Yale (3–1) т | | | | | | | 23. |
| | Preseason | Week 1 Sept 19 | Week 2 Sept 26 | Week 3 Oct 3 | Week 4 Oct 10 | Week 5 Oct 17 | Week 6 Oct 24 | Week 7 Oct 31 | Week 8 Nov 7 | Week 9 Nov 14 | Week 10 Nov 21 | |
| | | Dropped: 6 Idaho8 Northwestern State14 Indiana State15 Florida A&M16 UMass18 Middle Tennessee State | None | Dropped: 10 Murray State18 Northeast Louisiana19 William & Mary20 James Madison | Dropped: 14 Delaware15 Western Illinois17 Western Kentucky18 Connecticut | Dropped: 12 Jackson State16 North Texas20 Yale | Dropped: 12 William & Mary13 Marshall15 The Citadel | Dropped: 11 Youngstown State12 Northwestern State13 Eastern Illinois18 Arkansas State20 Alcorn State | Dropped: 12 Villanova13 Boise State14 Liberty17 Northern Iowa19 Marshall | Dropped: 11 Murray State13 Delaware State | Dropped: 13 Yale15 Western Kentucky16 New Hampshire19 Alcorn State20 Boise State | |