# 2003 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings

The 2003 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings are from the Sports Network poll of Division I-AA head coaches, athletic directors, sports information directors and media members. This is for the 2003 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 |

## The Sports Network poll

| | Preseason | Week 1 Sept 2 | Week 2 Sept 9 | Week 3 Sept 16 | Week 4 Sept 23 | Week 5 Sept 30 | Week 6 Oct 7 | Week 7 Oct 14 | Week 8 Oct 21 | Week 9 Oct 28 | Week 10 Nov 4 | Week 11 Nov 11 | Week 12 Nov 18 | Week 13 Nov 25 | Week 14 Postseason | |
| 1. | McNeese State (25) | McNeese State (1–0) (58) | Western Illinois (2–0) (41) | McNeese State (2–1) (61) | McNeese State (3–1) (76) | McNeese State (3–1) (76) | McNeese State (4–1) (74) | McNeese State (4–1) (64) | McNeese State (5–1) (91) | McNeese State (6–1) (80) | McNeese State (7–1) (74) | McNeese State (8–1) (79) | McNeese State (9–1) (80) | McNeese State (10–1) (70) | Delaware (15–1) (58) | 1. |
| 2. | Georgia Southern (16) | Georgia Southern (0–0) (8) | Georgia Southern (1–0) (42) | Western Illinois (2–1) (20) | Western Illinois (3–1) (13) | Western Illinois (3–1) (13) | Western Illinois (4–1) (18) | Western Illinois (5–1) (26) | Villanova (6–0) (11) | Delaware (8–0) (21) | Delaware (9–0) (15) | Southern Illinois (10–0) (13) | Wofford (10–1) (6) | Wofford (10–1) (5) | Colgate (15–1) | 2. |
| 3. | Western Illinois (15) | Montana (1–0) (7) | McNeese State (1–1) (19) | Western Kentucky (2–0) (15) | Western Kentucky (3–0) (12) | Villanova (4–0) (12) | Villanova (5–0) (9) | Villanova (6–0) (12) | Delaware (7–0) (2) | Southern Illinois (8–0) (2) | Southern Illinois (9–0) (8) | UMass (9–1) (3) | Delaware (10–1) (1) | Delaware (11–1) (6) | Wofford (12–2) | 3. |
| 4. | Montana (5) | Western Illinois (1–0) (13) | Western Kentucky (2–0) (7) | Northeastern (3–0) (3) | Northeastern (4–0) (1) | Delaware (4–0) (1) | Delaware (5–0) (1) | Delaware (6–0) (1) | Southern Illinois (7–0) (4) | UMass (7–1) | UMass (8–1) | Wofford (9–1) (3) | Montana (9–2) (3) | Southern Illinois (10–1) (2) | Florida Atlantic (11–3) | 4. |
| 5. | Western Kentucky (17) | Western Kentucky (1–0) (8) | Northeastern (2–0) | Villanova (3–0) (3) | Villanova (3–0) (2) | Bethune-Cookman (4–0) (1) | Furman (4–1) (1) | Montana (5–1) | UMass (6–1) | Wofford (7–1) | Wofford (8–1) (1) | Montana (8–2) | Southern Illinois (10–1) | UMass (10–2) | Northern Iowa (10–3) | 5. |
| 6. | Northeastern | Northeastern (1–0) | Villanova (2–0) (2) | Georgia Southern (1–1) | Bethune-Cookman (3–0) | Western Kentucky (3–1) (2) | Montana (4–1) | UMass (5–1) | Wofford (6–1) | Northern Iowa (7–1) | Northern Iowa (8–1) (1) | Delaware (9–1) | Colgate (11–0) | Colgate (12–0) | Western Illinois (9–4) | 6. |
| 7. | Grambling State (2) | Furman (1–0) | Bethune-Cookman (2–0) | Bethune-Cookman (2–0) | Delaware (3–0) | Furman (3–1) (1) | UMass (4–1) | Southern Illinois (6–0) | Western Illinois (5–2) | Villanova (6–1) | Villanova (7–1) | Colgate (10–0) | UMass (9–2) | Northern Iowa (9–2) | Western Kentucky (9–4) | 7. |
| 8. | Furman | Bethune-Cookman (1–0) | Furman (1–1) | Delaware (2–0) | Furman (2–1) | Montana (3–1) | Southern Illinois (5–0) | Wofford (5–1) | Western Kentucky (5–2) | Western Kentucky (6–2) | Montana (7–2) | Penn (8–0) | Northern Iowa (9–2) | Penn (10–0) | McNeese State (10–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Appalachian State | Villanova (1–0) | Fordham (2–0) | Furman (1–1) | Montana (2–1) | UMass (3–1) | Western Kentucky (3–2) (1) | Western Kentucky (4–2) | Northern Iowa (6–1) | Bethune-Cookman (6–1) | Penn (7–0) | Western Kentucky (7–3) | Penn (9–0) | Western Kentucky (8–3) | Southern Illinois (10–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Bethune-Cookman | Idaho State (1–0) | UMass (1–0) | Montana (2–1) | UMass (2–1) | Northeastern (4–1) | Wofford (4–1) | Georgia Southern (4–2) | Northern Arizona (6–1) | Montana (6–2) | Colgate (9–0) | Western Illinois (7–3) | Western Kentucky (8–3) | Western Illinois (8–3) | Northern Arizona (9–4) | 10. |
| 11. | Idaho State | Appalachian State (0–1) | Delaware (1–0) | Montana State (1–1) | Northwestern State (3–1) | Southern Illinois (4–0) | Georgia Southern (3–2) | Northern Iowa (5–1) | Bethune-Cookman (6–1) | Penn (6–0) | Western Illinois (6–3) | Northern Iowa (8–2) | Western Illinois (8–3) | Montana (9–3) | UMass (10–3) | 11. |
| 12. | Villanova | UMass (0–0) | Montana (1–1) | UMass (1–1) | Idaho State (2–1) | Wofford (3–1) | Northern Iowa (4–1) | Bethune-Cookman (5–1) | Montana (5–2) | Colgate (8–0) | Western Kentucky (6–3) | Grambling State (8–2) | Grambling State (9–2) | Grambling State (9–2) | Penn (10–0) | 12. |
| 13. | Fordham | Fordham (1–0) | Montana State (1–1) | Grambling State (2–1) | Southern Illinois (3–0) | Georgia Southern (2–2) | Bethune-Cookman (4–1) | Furman (4–2) | Penn (5–0) | Western Illinois (5–3) | Grambling State (7–2) | Villanova (7–2) | North Carolina A&T (10–1) | Florida Atlantic (9–2) | Southern (12–1) | 13. |
| 14. | UMass | Delaware (0–0) | Grambling State (1–1) | Idaho State (2–1) | Cal Poly (3–0) | Fordham (3–1) | Northern Arizona (4–1) | Northern Arizona (5–1) | Southern (7–0) | Grambling State (6–2) | North Carolina A&T (8–1) | North Carolina A&T (9–1) | Florida Atlantic (8–2) | Bethune-Cookman (9–2) | Montana (9–4) | 14. |
| 15. | Montana State | Grambling State (0–1) | Eastern Illinois (1–0) | Northwestern State (2–1) | Wofford (2–1) | Penn (2–0) | Penn (3–0) | Penn (4–0) | Grambling State (5–2) | Northern Arizona (6–2) | Florida Atlantic (7–2) | Florida Atlantic (7–2) | Bethune-Cookman (8–2) | Southern (10–1) | Bethune–Cookman (9–3) | 15. |
| 16. | Maine | Montana State (0–1) | Idaho State (1–1) | Maine (2–1) | Georgia Southern (1–2) | Northern Iowa (3–1) | Grambling State (3–2) | Grambling State (4–2) | Colgate (7–0) | Harvard (6–0) | Southern (8–1) | Bethune-Cookman (7–2) | Southern (10–1) | Northern Arizona (8–3) | North Carolina A&T (10–3) | 16. |
| 17. | Delaware | Eastern Illinois (1–0) | Stephen F. Austin (1–0) | Southern Illinois (3–0) | Fordham (3–1) | Northern Arizona (3–1) | Colgate (5–0) | Southern (6–0) (1) | Idaho State (5–2) | Florida Atlantic (6–2) | Bethune-Cookman (6–2) | Southern (9–1) | Northern Arizona (8–3) | Jacksonville State (8–3) | Grambling State (9–3) | 17. |
| 18. | Eastern Illinois | Northwestern State (1–0) | Maine (1–1) | Fordham (2–1) | Grambling State (2–2) | Grambling State (2–2) | Southern (5–0) | Colgate (6–0) | Northwestern State (6–2) | Southern (7–1) | Furman (5–3) | Northern Arizona (7–3) | Villanova (7–3) | North Carolina A&T (10–2) | Jacksonville State (8–4) | 18. |
| 19. | Wofford | Nicholls State (1–0) | Northwestern State (1–1) | Eastern Illinois (1–1) | Lehigh (3–0) | Colgate (4–0) | Northeastern (4–2) | Northwestern State (5–2) | Georgia Southern (4–3) | North Carolina A&T (7–1) | Fordham (7–2) | Fordham (8–2) | Jacksonville State (7–3) | Northern Colorado (9–2) | Northern Colorado (9–2) | 19. |
| 20. | Southeast Missouri State | Maine (0–1) | Nicholls State (1–1) | Lehigh (2–0) | Montana State (1–2) | Cal Poly (3–1) | Northwestern State (4–2) | Maine (4–2) | Harvard (5–0) | Furman (5–3) | Northern Arizona (6–3) | Cal Poly (6–3) | Northern Colorado (8–2) | Northeastern (8–4) | Northeastern (8–4) | 20. |
| 21. | Penn | Penn (0–0) | Southern Illinois (2–0) | Cal Poly (2–0) | Penn (1–0) | Northwestern State (3–2) | Maine (4–2) | Idaho State (4–2) | Florida Atlantic (6–2) | Hampton (6–1) | Northwestern State (6–3) | Jacksonville State (6–3) | Northeastern (7–4) | Idaho State (8–4) | Montana State (7–6) | 21. |
| 22. | Northwestern State | Southeast Missouri State (0–1) | Penn (0–0) | Portland State (2–0) | Colgate (3–0) | Southern (4–0) | Idaho State (3–2) | Harvard (4–0) | Furman (4–3) | Fordham (6–2) | Idaho State (6–3) | Northern Colorado (7–2) | Georgia Southern (7–4) | Georgia Southern (7–4) | Idaho State (8–4) | 22. |
| 23. | Nicholls State | Stephen F. Austin (0–0) | Eastern Kentucky (1–1) | Penn (0–0) | Illinois State (3–1) | Maine (3–2) | Harvard (3–0) | Florida Atlantic (5–2) | North Carolina A&T (6–1) | Northwestern State (6–3) | Harvard (6–1) | Northeastern (6–4) | Maine (7–4) | Villanova (7–4) | Lehigh (8–3) | 23. |
| 24. | Stephen F. Austin | Florida Atlantic (1–0) | Wofford (1–1) | Colgate (2–0) | Maine (2–2) | Lehigh (3–1) | Cal Poly (3–2) | Fordham (4–2) | Fordham (5–2) | Idaho State (5–3) | Lehigh (6–2) | Georgia Southern (6–4) | Idaho State (7–4) | Montana State (7–5) | Georgia Southern (7–4) | 24. |
| 25. | Eastern Kentucky | Wofford (0–1) | Cal Poly (1–0) | Wofford (1–1) | Northern Arizona (2–1) | Idaho State (2–2) | Fordham (3–2) | North Carolina A&T (5–1) | Hampton (5–1) | The Citadel (5–3) | Hampton (6–2) | Furman (5–4) | Fordham (8–3) | Lehigh (8–3) | Villanova (7–4) | 25. |
| | Preseason | Week 1 Sept 2 | Week 2 Sept 9 | Week 3 Sept 16 | Week 4 Sept 23 | Week 5 Sept 30 | Week 6 Oct 7 | Week 7 Oct 14 | Week 8 Oct 21 | Week 9 Oct 28 | Week 10 Nov 4 | Week 11 Nov 11 | Week 12 Nov 18 | Week 13 Nov 25 | Week 14 Postseason | |
| | | Dropped: 25 Eastern Kentucky | Dropped: 11 Appalachian State22 Southeast Missouri State24 Florida Atlantic | Dropped: 17 Stephen F. Austin20 Nicholls State23 Eastern Kentucky | Dropped: 19 Eastern Illinois22 Portland State | Dropped: 20 Montana State23 Illinois State | Dropped: 24 Lehigh | Dropped: 19 Northeastern24 Cal Poly | Dropped: 20 Maine | Dropped: 19 Georgia Southern | Dropped: 25 The Citadel | Dropped: 21 Northwestern State22 Idaho State23 Harvard24 Lehigh25 Hampton | Dropped: 20 Cal Poly25 Furman | Dropped: 23 Maine25 Fordham | None | |