# 2016 NCAA Division II football rankings

The 2016 NCAA Division II football rankings are from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). This is for the 2016 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 |

## American Football Coaches Association poll

| | Preseason | Week 1 Sept 6 | Week 2 Sept 13 | Week 3 Sept 20 | Week 4 Sept 27 | Week 5 Oct 4 | Week 6 Oct 11 | Week 7 Oct 18 | Week 8 Oct 25 | Week 9 Nov 1 | Week 10 Nov 8 | Week 11 Nov 15 | Week 12 Postseason | |
| 1. | Northwest Missouri State (29) | Northwest Missouri State (1–0) (30) | Northwest Missouri State (2–0) (30) | Northwest Missouri State (3–0) (30) | Northwest Missouri State (4–0) (30) | Northwest Missouri State (5–0) (30) | Northwest Missouri State (6–0) (30) | Northwest Missouri State (7–0) (30) | Northwest Missouri State (8–0) (30) | Northwest Missouri State (9–0) (30) | Northwest Missouri State (10–0) (30) | Northwest Missouri State (11–0) (30) | Northwest Missouri State (15–0) (30) | 1. |
| 2. | West Georgia (1) | West Georgia (1–0) | Grand Valley State (2–0) | Grand Valley State (3–0) | Grand Valley State (4–0) | Grand Valley State (5–0) | Grand Valley State (6–0) | Grand Valley State (7–0) | Grand Valley State (8–0) | Grand Valley State (9–0) | Grand Valley State (10–0) | Grand Valley State (11–0) | North Alabama (11–2) | 2. |
| 3. | Grand Valley State | Grand Valley State (1–0) | West Georgia (2–0) | West Georgia (3–0) | West Georgia (4–0) | Shepherd (4–0) | Shepherd (5–0) | Shepherd (6–0) | Shepherd (7–0) | Shepherd (8–0) | Shepherd (9–0) | Shepherd (10–0) | Shepherd (13–1) | 3. |
| 4. | Shepherd | Shepherd (1–0) | Shepherd (2–0) | Shepherd (3–0) | Shepherd (4–0) | Texas A&M–Commerce (4–0) | Midwestern State (5–0) | Midwestern State (6–0) | Sioux Falls (8–0) | Sioux Falls (9–0) | Sioux Falls (10–0) | Sioux Falls (11–0) | Grand Valley State (12–1) | 4. |
| 5. | CSU Pueblo | Ashland (1–0) | Ashland (2–0) | Ashland (3–0) | Ashland (4–0) | Henderson State (5–0) | Tuskegee (6–0) | Tuskegee (6–0) | Harding (8–0) | Harding (9–0) | Harding (10–0) | Harding (11–0) | Ferris State (12–3) | 5. |
| 6. | Ashland | Minnesota State (1–0) | Ferris State (2–0) | Texas A&M–Commerce (2–0) | Texas A&M–Commerce (3–0) | IUP (4–0) | Sioux Falls (6–0) | Sioux Falls (7–0) | California (PA) (7–0) | California (PA) (8–0) | California (PA) (9–0) | California (PA) (10–0) | Harding (13–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Minnesota State | Ferris State (1–0) | Texas A&M–Commerce (1–0) | Ferris State (3–0) | Henderson State (4–0) | Midwestern State (4–0) | California (PA) (5–0) | Harding (7–0) | North Alabama (5–1) | North Alabama (6–1) | North Alabama (7–1) | North Alabama (8–1) | California (PA) (11–1) | 7. |
| 8. | IUP | Texas A&M–Commerce (1–0) | Henderson State (2–0) | Henderson State (3–0) | IUP (3–0) | Tuskegee (5–0) | Harding (6–0) | California (PA) (6–0) | Texas A&M–Commerce (6–1) | Texas A&M–Commerce (7–1) | Texas A&M–Commerce (8–1) | Texas A&M–Commerce (9–1) | Sioux Falls (12–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Henderson State т | Henderson State (1–0) | IUP (1–0) | IUP (2–0) | Slippery Rock (4–0) | Sioux Falls (5–0) | Texas A&M–Commerce (4–1) | Texas A&M–Commerce (5–1) | Ashland (7–1) | Emporia State (8–1) | Emporia State (9–1) | Emporia State (10–1) | Texas A&M–Commerce (10–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Texas A&M–Commerce т | IUP (0–0) | Colorado Mines (2–0) | Slippery Rock (3–0) | Midwestern State (3–0) | Azusa Pacific (5–0) | North Alabama (3–1) | North Alabama (4–1) | Emporia State (7–1) | LIU Post (9–0) | LIU Post (10–0) | LIU Post (11–0) | Emporia State (11–2) | 10. |
| 11. | Slippery Rock | Colorado Mines (1–0) | Slippery Rock (2–0) | Midwestern State (2–0) | Tuskegee (4–0) | North Alabama (3–1) | Ashland (5–1) | Ashland (6–1) | LIU Post (8–0) | IUP (7–1) | IUP (8–1) | IUP (9–1) | LIU Post (12–1) | 11. |
| 12. | Ferris State | Slippery Rock (1–0) | Midwestern State (1–0) | Tuskegee (3–0) | Sioux Falls (4–0) | West Georgia (4–1) | Emporia State (5–1) | Emporia State (6–1) | IUP (6–1) | Midwestern State (7–1) | Midwestern State (8–1) | UNC Pembroke (9–1) | IUP (10–2) | 12. |
| 13. | Humboldt State | Humboldt State (1–0) | Tuskegee (2–0) | Central Missouri (3–0) | Ferris State (3–1) | Colorado Mesa (5–0) | IUP (4–1) | IUP (5–1) | Midwestern State (6–1) | Azusa Pacific (8–1) | Azusa Pacific (9–1) | Minnesota–Duluth (10–1) | UNC Pembroke (10–2) | 13. |
| 14. | Midwestern State | Midwestern State (1–0) | Central Missouri (2–0) | Sioux Falls (3–0) | Azusa Pacific (4–0) | Ferris State (4–1) | LIU Post (6–0) | LIU Post (7–0) | Valdosta State (6–1) | Tuskegee (7–1) | Tuskegee (8–1) | Newberry (10–1) | Minnesota–Duluth (10–2) | 14. |
| 15. | North Alabama | Tuskegee (1–0) | Sioux Falls (2–0) | Azusa Pacific (3–0) | Assumption (4–0) | California (PA) (4–0) | Henderson State (5–1) | Henderson State (6–1) | Azusa Pacific (7–1) | Assumption (8–1) | Assumption (9–1) | Ferris State (9–2) | Colorado Mines (10–3) | 15. |
| 16. | Indianapolis | Central Missouri (1–0) | Azusa Pacific (2–0) | Augustana (3–0) | Florida Tech (4–0) | Harding (5–0) | Slippery Rock (5–1) | Valdosta State (5–1) | Assumption (7–1) | UNC Pembroke (8–1) | UNC Pembroke (8–1) | Ashland (9–2) | Newberry (10–2) | 16. |
| 17. | Tuskegee | Sioux Falls (1–0) | Assumption (2–0) | Assumption (3–0) | Colorado Mesa (4–0) | Ashland (4–1) | Valdosta State (4–1) | Azusa Pacific (6–1) | Tuskegee (6–1) | Fairmont State (9–0) | Minnesota–Duluth (9–1) | Southwest Baptist (10–1) | North Greenville (9–5) | 17. |
| 18. | Colorado Mines | Assumption (1–0) | Augustana (2–0) | Colorado Mesa (3–0) | North Alabama (2–1) | Emporia State (4–1) | Assumption (5–1) | Assumption (6–1) | UNC Pembroke (7–1) | Minnesota–Duluth (8–1) | Ferris State (8–2) | Fairmont State (10–1) | Valdosta State (8–3) | 18. |
| 19. | Minnesota–Duluth | CSU Pueblo (0–1) | Florida Tech (2–0) | Florida Tech (3–0) т | Minnesota State (3–1) | Slippery Rock (4–1) | Azusa Pacific (5–1) | Florida Tech (5–1) | Wayne State (7–1) | Ferris State (7–2) | Newberry (9–1) | Valdosta State (8–2) | Ashland (9–2) | 19. |
| 20. | Central Missouri | North Alabama (0–1) | North Alabama (0–1) | North Alabama (1–1) т | Harding (4–0) | Southwest Baptist (5–0) | Florida Tech (4–1) | UNC Pembroke (6–1) | Fairmont State (8–0) | Newberry (8–1) | Ashland (8–2) | Central Missouri (9–2) | Tuskegee (9–3) | 20. |
| 21. | Assumption | Augustana (1–0) | Minnesota State (1–1) | Minnesota State (2–1) | UNC Pembroke (4–0) | LIU Post (5–0) | UNC Pembroke (5–1) | Bemidji State (6–1) | Minnesota–Duluth (7–1) | Ashland (7–2) | Southwest Baptist (9–1) | Colorado Mines (9–2) | Central Missouri (9–3) | 21. |
| 22. | Catawba | Florida Tech (1–0) | Valdosta State (1–0) | Bemidji State (3–0) | Central Missouri (3–1) | Assumption (4–1) | Bemidji State (5–1) | Wayne State (6–1) | Ferris State (6–2) | Southwest Baptist (8–1) | Fairmont State (9–1) | Midwestern State (8–2) | Southwest Baptist (10–2) | 22. |
| 23. | Sioux Falls | Valdosta State (1–0) | Colorado Mesa (2–0) | Colorado Mines (2–1) | Emporia State (3–1) | Florida Tech (4–1) | Colorado Mesa (5–1) | Colorado Mesa (6–1) | Newberry (7–1) | Valdosta State (6–2) | Valdosta State (7–2) | Florida Tech (8–2) | Fairmont State (10–2) | 23. |
| 24. | Emporia State | Azusa Pacific (1–0) | Bemidji State (2–0) | Humboldt State (2–1) | California (PA) (3–0) | UNC Pembroke (4–1) | West Georgia (4–2) | Minnesota–Duluth (6–1) | Wingate (7–1) | Edinboro (8–1) | Central Missouri (8–2) | Azusa Pacific (9–2) т | Midwestern State (8–3) | 24. |
| 25. | Augustana | Colorado Mesa (1–0) | Humboldt State (1–1) | Harding (3–0) | Augustana (3–1) | Bemidji State (4–1) т | Wayne State (5–1) | Ferris State (5–2) | Notre Dame (OH) (7–1) т | Central Missouri (7–2) | Colorado Mines (8–2) | Colorado Mesa (9–2) т | Azusa Pacific (9–3) | 25. |
| 26. | | | | | | Valdosta State (3–1) т | | | Southwest Baptist (7–1) т | | | | | 26. |
| | Preseason | Week 1 Sept 6 | Week 2 Sept 13 | Week 3 Sept 20 | Week 4 Sept 27 | Week 5 Oct 4 | Week 6 Oct 11 | Week 7 Oct 18 | Week 8 Oct 25 | Week 9 Nov 1 | Week 10 Nov 8 | Week 11 Nov 15 | Week 12 Postseason | |
| | | Dropped: 16 Indianapolis19 Minnesota–Duluth22 Catawba24 Emporia State | Dropped: 19 CSU Pueblo | Dropped: 22 Valdosta State | Dropped: 22 Bemidji State23 Colorado Mines24 Humboldt State | Dropped: 19 Minnesota State22 Central Missouri25 Augustana | Dropped: 14 Ferris State20 Southwest Baptist | Dropped: 16 Slippery Rock23 Colorado Mesa24 West Georgia | Dropped: 15 Henderson State19 Florida Tech21 Bemidji State | Dropped: 19 Wayne State24 Wingate25 Notre Dame (OH) | Dropped: 24 Edinboro | Dropped: 14 Tuskegee15 Assumption | Dropped: 23 Florida Tech25 Colorado Mesa | |