# 2023 NAIA football rankings

The 2023 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) football rankings are conducted on a week-to-week basis starting after week three.

## Legend

| | Increase in ranking |
| | Decrease in ranking |
| | Not ranked previous week or no change |
| (#–#) | Win–loss record |
| (Italics) | Number of first place votes |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |

## NAIA Coaches' poll

| | Preseason August 21 | Week 1 September 11 | Week 2 September 18 | Week 3 September 25 | Week 4 October 2 | Week 5 October 9 | Week 6 October 16 | Week 7 October 23 | Week 8 October 30 | Week 9 November 6 | Week 10 (Final) November 12 | |
| 1. | Northwestern (IA) (17) | Northwestern (IA) (2–0) (18) | Northwestern (IA) (3–0) (18) | Northwestern (IA) (4–0) (18) | Northwestern (IA) (18) (5–0) | Northwestern (IA) (6–0) (18) | Northwestern (IA) (7–0) (18) | Northwestern (IA) (8–0) (18) | Northwestern (IA) (9–0) (18) | Northwestern (IA) (10–0) (18) | Northwestern (IA) (11–0) (18) | 1. |
| 2. | Keiser (1) | Grand View (2–0) | Grand View (3–0) | Grand View (4–0) | Grand View (5–0) | Grand View (5–0) | Grand View (6–0) | Grand View (7–0) | Grand View (8–0) | Grand View (9–0) | Grand View (10–0) | 2. |
| 3. | Grand View | Morningside (2–0) | Morningside (3–0) | Morningside (4–0) | Morningside (5–0) | Morningside (6–0) | Morningside (7–0) | Morningside (8–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (8–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (9–0) | Keiser (8–2) | 3. |
| 4. | Morningside | Keiser (1–1) | Indiana Wesleyan (3–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (4–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (5–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (6–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (7–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (7–0) | Marian (IN) (8–0) | Keiser (7–2) | Georgetown (KY) (8–1) | 4. |
| 5. | Indiana Wesleyan | Indiana Wesleyan (2–0) | Marian (IN) (3–0) | Marian (IN) (3–0) | Marian (IN) (4–0) | Marian (IN) (5–0) | Marian (IN) (6–0) | Marian (IN) (7–0) | Morningside (8–1) | College of Idaho (8–1) | Marian (IN) (9–1) | 5. |
| 6. | Marian (IN) | Marian (IN) (2–0) | Bethel (TN) (3–0) | Bethel (TN) (4–0) | Bethel (TN) (5–0) | Southwestern (KS) (6–0) | Carroll (MT) (6–0) | Keiser (5–2) | Keiser (6–2) | Georgetown (KY) (7–1) | Indiana Wesleyan (9–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Benedictine (KS) | Bethel (TN) (2–0) | College of Idaho (3–0) | Keiser (1–2) | Southwestern (KS) (6–0) | Carroll (MT) (5–0) | Keiser (4–2) | Lindsey Wilson (6–1) | College of Idaho (8–1) | Marian (IN) (8–1) | Bethel (TN) (10–1) | 7. |
| 8. | Bethel (TN) | College of Idaho (3–0) | Keiser (1–2) | Southwestern (KS) (5–0) | Carroll (MT) (5–0) | Keiser (3–2) | Lindsey Wilson (5–1) | College of Idaho (7–1) | Georgetown (KY) (6–1) | Bethel (TN) (9–1) | Montana Western (9–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Lindsey Wilson | Southwestern (KS) (3–0) | Southwestern (KS) (4–0) | Carroll (MT) (4–0) | Keiser (2–2) | Lindsey Wilson (4–1) | College of Idaho (6–1) | Georgetown (KY) (5–1) | Bethel (TN) (8–1) | Evangel (10–0) | Evangel (11–0) | 9. |
| 10. | Reinhardt | Carroll (MT) (2–0) | Carroll (MT) 3–0) | Lindsey Wilson (3–1) | Lindsey Wilson (4–1) | College of Idaho (5–1) т | Bethel (TN) (6–1) | Bethel (TN) (7–1) | Evangel (9–0) | Montana Western (8–1) | College of Idaho (8–2) т | 10. |
| 11. | Southwestern (KS) | Lindsey Wilson (1–1) | Lindsey Wilson (2–1) | Montana Tech (3–1) | Montana Tech (4–1) | Concordia (MI) (5–0) т | Georgetown (KY) (4–1) | Carroll (MT) (6–1) | Lindsey Wilson (6–2) | Lindsey Wilson (7–2) | Morningside (9–2) т | 11. |
| 12. | College of Idaho | Georgetown (KY) (2–0) | Georgetown (KY) (2–0) | College of Idaho (3–1) | College of Idaho (4–1) | Bethel (TN) (5–1) | Concordia (MI) (5–1) | Evangel (8–0) | Carroll (MT) (7–1) | Morningside (8–2) | Saint Xavier (7–3) т | 12. |
| 13. | Saint Xavier | Texas Wesleyan (2–0) | Texas Wesleyan (3–0) | St. Francis (IL) (4–0) | Concordia (MI) (4–0) | Saint Xavier (4–2) | Evangel (7–0) | Montana Western (6–1) | Montana Western (7–1) | Saint Xavier (6–3) | OUAZ (8–1) | 13. |
| 14. | St. Thomas (FL) | Reinhardt (1–1) | St. Francis (IL) (3–0) | Dordt (3–0) | Dordt (4–0) | Georgetown (KY) (3–1) | Southwestern (KS) (6–1) | Benedictine (KS) (6–2) | Benedictine (KS) (7–2) | Benedictine (KS) (8–2) | Dordt (8–2) | 14. |
| 15. | Carroll (MT) | Saint Xavier (1–1) | Montana Tech (2–1) | Concordia (MI) (3–0) | Saint Xavier (3–2) | Evangel (6–0) | Montana Western (5–1) | Saint Xavier (4–3) | Saint Xavier (5–3) | Texas Wesleyan (8–1) | St. Thomas (FL) (8–3) | 15. |
| 16. | Montana Tech | Montana Tech (1–1) | Dordt (3–0) | Saint Xavier (2–2) | St. Thomas (FL) (3–2) | Montana Tech (4–2) | Montana Tech (4–2) | Texas Wesleyan (6–1) | Texas Wesleyan (7–1) | Carroll (MT) (7–2) | Dickinson State (9–1) | 16. |
| 17. | OUAZ | St. Francis (IL) (1–1) | Concordia (MI) (3–0) | St. Thomas (FL) (2–2) | St. Francis (IL) (4–1) | Texas Wesleyan (4–1) | Saint Xavier (4–3) | St. Thomas (FL) (5–3) | St. Thomas (FL) (6–3) | Dordt (7–2) | Montana Tech (7–3) | 17. |
| 18. | Avila | Graceland (3–0) | Saint Xavier (1–2) | Evangel (5–0) | Evangel (6–0) | Benedictine (KS) (4–2) | Benedictine (KS) (5–2) | Dickinson State (6–1) | Dickinson State (7–1) | St. Thomas (FL) (7–3) | Reinhardt (8–2) | 18. |
| 19. | Dickinson State | Dordt (2–0) | Cumberlands (KY) (4–0) | Cumberlands (KY) (4–0) | Georgetown (KY) (2–1) | Montana Western (4–1) | Texas Wesleyan (5–1) | Concordia (MI) (5–2) | OUAZ (8–1) | OUAZ (7–1) | Lindsey Wilson (7–3) | 19. |
| 20. | Kansas Wesleyan | Benedictine (KS) (1–2) | Evangel (4–0) | Georgetown (KY) (2–1) | Texas Wesleyan (4–1) | Dickinson State (5–1) | Dickinson State (6–1) | OUAZ (6–1) | Concordia (MI) (6–2) | Dickinson State (8–1) | Baker (8–2) | 20. |
| 21. | Texas Wesleyan | Concordia (MI) (2–0) | Benedictine (KS) (2–2) | Texas Wesleyan (3–1) | Benedictine (KS) (4–2) | St. Thomas (FL) (3–3) | St. Thomas (FL) (4–3) | Baker (6–1) | Reinhardt (6–2) | Reinhardt (7–2) | Louisiana Christian (9–1) | 21. |
| 22. | Georgetown (KY) | OUAZ (1–1) | OUAZ (2–1) | Benedictine (KS) (3–2) | Dickinson State (4–1) | Dordt (4–1) | Dordt (5–1) | Reinhardt (5–2) | Montana Tech (5–3) | Baker (7–2) | MidAmerica Nazarene (9–2) | 22. |
| 23. | Bethel (KS) | St. Thomas (FL) (1–2) | St. Thomas (FL) (1–2) | Dickinson State (3–1) | Cumberlands (KY) (4–1) | Reinhardt (3–2) | Reinhardt (4–2) | Montana Tech (4–3) | Dordt (6–2) | Montana Tech (6–3) | Friends (9–2) | 23. |
| 24. | St. Francis (IL) | Dickinson State (2–1) | Dickinson State (2–1) | Reinhardt (2–2) | Reinhardt (2–2) | OUAZ (4–1) | OUAZ (5–1) | Southwestern (KS) (6–2) | Southwestern (KS) (7–2) | Friends (8–2) | Carroll (MT) (7–3) | 24. |
| 25. | Dordt | Evangel (3–0) | Graceland (3–1) | OUAZ (3–1) | OUAZ (4–1) | Louisiana Christian (6–0) | Friends (6–1) | Dordt (5–2) | Baker (6–2) | Louisiana Christian (8–1) | Benedictine (KS) (8–3) | 25. |
| | Preseason August 21 | Week 1 September 11 | Week 2 September 18 | Week 3 September 25 | Week 4 October 2 | Week 5 October 9 | Week 6 October 16 | Week 7 October 23 | Week 8 October 30 | Week 9 November 6 | Week 10 (Final) November 12 | |
| | | Dropped: Avila (1–2) Bethel (KS) (2–1) Kansas Wesleyan (1–2) | Dropped: Reinhardt (1–2) | Dropped: Graceland (3–2) | None | Dropped: Cumberlands (KY) (4–1) St. Francis (IL) (4–1) | Dropped: Louisiana Christian | Dropped: Friends | None | Dropped: Concordia (MI) Southwestern (KS) | Dropped: Texas Wesleyan | |