# 1962 small college football rankings

The 1962 small college football rankings are rankings of college football teams representing smaller college and university teams during the 1962 college football season, including the 1962 NCAA College Division football season and the 1962 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 eight sports writers, and the UPI rankings were selected by a board of small-college coaches from throughout the country.
In the final AP poll, Florida A&M was rated No. 1. The Rattlers subsequently lost to Jackson State in the Orange Blossom Classic. Other teams ranked by the AP included Wittenberg (9–0) at No. 2 and the Central State Bronchos (11–0) at No. 3.
In the final UPI poll, Southern Miss (9–1) was selected as the small-college national champion. Southern Miss lost one game – to Memphis State by an 8–6 score.

## 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 Oct 3 | Week 2 Oct 10 | Week 3 Oct 17 | Week 4 Oct 24 | Week 5 Oct 31 | Week 6 Nov 7 | Week 7 Nov 14 | Week 8 Nov 21 | Week 9 Nov 28 | |
| 1. | Fresno State (3) | Florida A&M (2–0) | Florida A&M (3–0) (4) | Florida A&M (4–0) (4) | Florida A&M (5–0) | Florida A&M (6–0) | Florida A&M (7–0) (3) | Florida A&M (8–0) т | Florida A&M (9–0) | 1. |
| 2. | Pittsburg State (2) | Southern Miss (4–0) | Fresno State (3–1) | Northern Illinois (6–0) | Southeastern Louisiana (5–0) | Wittenberg (7–0) | Wittenberg (8–0) (1) | Wittenberg (9–0) т | Wittenberg (9–0) | 2. |
| 3. | Florida A&M (1) | Pittsburg State (3–1) | Northern Illinois (5–0) т | Fresno State (4–1) | Southern Miss (6–1) | Southern Miss (7–1) | Southern Miss (8–1) (1) | Southern Miss (9–1) | Central Oklahoma (9–0) | 3. |
| 4. | Southern Miss (1) | Southeastern Louisiana (4–0) | Southeastern Louisiana (4–0) т | Southern Miss (5–1) | Wittenberg (6–0) | Northern Illinois (7–1) | Central Oklahoma (8–0) (1) | Central Oklahoma (9–0) | Southern Miss (9–1) | 4. |
| 5. | Texas Southern | Slippery Rock | Southern Miss (4–1) | Southeastern Louisiana (5–0) | Central Oklahoma (7–0) | Central Oklahoma (8–0) | Northern Illinois (8–1) | Texas A&I (9–0–1) | Lenoir–Rhyne (10–0) | 5. |
| 6. | William Jewell | Fresno State (2–1) | Pittsburg State (KS) (4–1) | Central Oklahoma (6–0) | Lenoir–Rhyne (7–0) | Southeastern Louisiana (5–1) | Fresno State (6–2) | Northern Illinois (8–1) | Texas A&I (9–0–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Linfield | Lamar Tech (4–0) | Lamar Tech (5–0) | Wittenberg (5–0) | Northern Illinois (6–1) | Texas A&I (7–0–1) | Texas A&I (8–0–1) (1) | Lenoir–Rhyne (9–0) | Northern Illinois (9–1) | 7. |
| 8. | Slippery Rock (1) | Hillsdale (4–0) | Southern Illinois (2–2) | Pittsburg State (4–2) | Texas A&I (6–0–1) | Lenoir–Rhyne (8–0) | Lenoir–Rhyne (9–0) | Saint John's (MN) | Fresno State (7–3) | 8. |
| 9. | Hillsdale | Texas Southern т | Central Oklahoma (5–0) | Southern Illinois (3–2) | Southern Illinois (4–2) | Fresno State (5–2) | Southeastern Louisiana (6–1) | Fresno State (7–2) | Saint John's (MN) (9–0) | 9. |
| 10. | Southeastern Louisiana | Linfield т | Humboldt State (3–0) | Lamar Tech (5–1) | Fresno State (4–2) | Pittsburg State (6–2) | Southwest Texas State (8–1) | Southeastern Louisiana (6–2) | Southeastern Louisiana (6–3) | 10. |
| | Week 1 Oct 3 | Week 2 Oct 10 | Week 3 Oct 17 | Week 4 Oct 24 | Week 5 Oct 31 | Week 6 Nov 7 | Week 7 Nov 14 | Week 8 Nov 21 | Week 9 Nov 28 | |
| | | Dropped: 6 William Jewell | Dropped: 5 Slippery Rock8 Hillsdale9 Texas Southern10 Linfield | Dropped: 10 Humboldt State | Dropped: Pittsburg State10 Lamar Tech | Dropped: 9 Southern Illinois | Dropped: 10 Pittsburg State | Dropped: 10 Southwest Texas State | None | |

## UPI coaches poll

| | Week 1 Oct 4 | Week 2 Oct 11 | Week 3 Oct 18 | Week 4 Oct 25 | Week 5 Nov 1 | Week 6 Nov 8 | Week 7 Nov 15 | Week 8 Nov 22 | Week 9 Nov 29 | |
| 1. | Florida A&M (1–0) (5) | Florida A&M (1–0) (10) | Florida A&M (3–0) (17) | Florida A&M (4–0) | Florida A&M (5–0) (13) | Florida A&M (6–0) (14) | Southern Miss (8–1) (15) | Southern Miss (9–1) (21) | Southern Miss (9–1) (19) | 1. |
| 2. | Southern Miss (3–0) (5) | Southern Miss (4–0) (10) | Southern Miss (4–1) (6) | Southern Miss (5–1) | Southern Miss (6–1) (14) | Southern Miss (7–1) (13) | Florida A&M (7–0) (14) | Florida A&M (8–0) (6) | Florida A&M (9–0) (7) | 2. |
| 3. | Fresno State (2–0) (3) | Delaware (3–0) (6) | Fresno State (3–1) (4) | Fresno State (4–1) | Southeastern Louisiana (5–0) (1) | Central Oklahoma (8–0) (4) | Central Oklahoma (8–0) (3) | Central Oklahoma (9–0) (3) | Central Oklahoma (9–0) (3) | 3. |
| 4. | Delaware (2–0) (4) т | Fresno State (2–1) (3) | Northern Illinois (5–0) (2) | Northern Illinois (6–0) | Central Oklahoma (7–0) (3) | Lenoir–Rhyne (8–0) | Lenoir–Rhyne (9–0) | Lenoir–Rhyne (9–0) | Lenoir–Rhyne (10–0) | 4. |
| 5. | Pittsburg State (3–0) (3) т | Hillsdale (4–0) | Southeastern Louisiana (4–0) | Southeastern Louisiana (5–0) | Fresno State (4–2) (2) | Northern Illinois (7–1) | Northern Illinois (8–1) | Fresno State (7–2) | Wittenberg (9–0) (2) | 5. |
| 6. | Southern Illinois (1–2) (1) | Southeastern Louisiana (3–0) | Central Oklahoma (5–0) (1) | Central Oklahoma (6–0) | Lenoir–Rhyne (7–0) | Fresno State (5–2) | Fresno State (6–2) | Northern Illinois (8–1) | Northern Illinois (8–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Southeastern Louisiana (3–0) (1) | Northern Illinois (4–0) (2) | Delaware (3–1) (1) | Lenoir–Rhyne (6–0) | Northern Illinois (6–1) | Southeastern Louisiana (5–1) | Southeastern Louisiana (6–1) | Wittenberg (9–0) (1) | Fresno State (7–3) | 7. |
| 8. | Lenoir–Rhyne (3–0) (1) | Humboldt State (3–0) (1) | Southern Illinois (2–2) | Arkansas State (5–0) | Arkansas State (5–1) (1) | Montana State (6–2) | Delaware (6–2) | Delaware (7–2) (1) | Texas A&I (9–0–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Hillsdale (3–0) | Central Oklahoma (4–0) (1) | Lenoir–Rhyne (5–0) | Southern Illinois (3–3) | Delaware (4–2) | Delaware (5–2) | Wittenberg (8–0) | Texas A&I (9–0–1) | Delaware (7–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Central Oklahoma (3–0) (2) | Lenoir–Rhyne (4–0) | Pittsburg State (4–1) | Montana State (5–1) | Montana State (5–2) | Arkansas State (5–2) | Texas A&I (8–0–1) | Southeastern Louisiana (6–2) | Montana State (7–3) | 10. |
| 11. | Louisiana Tech (3–0) (2) | Pittsburg State (3–1) | Humboldt State (1) | Delaware | Arizona State College | Texas A&I (7–0–1) | Montana State | Arkansas State | Southeastern Louisiana (6–3) | 11. |
| 12. | Omaha | Southern Illinois | Hillsdale | Arizona State College | Texas A&I (6–0–1) | Cal Poly Pomona | Arkansas State | Montana State | Arkansas State | 12. |
| 13. | Texas A&I | Memphis State | Montana State | Pittsburg State (4–2) | Southern Illinois (4–2) | Wittenberg (7–0) | Cal Poly Pomona (2) | Cal Poly Pomona (2) | Cal Poly Pomona | 13. |
| 14. | Northern Illinois | Wheaton (IL) | Arkansas State | Hillsdale т | Pittsburg State | Arizona State College | Linfield | Saint John's (MN) | College of Emporia т | 14. |
| 15. | Humboldt State | Montana State | Northeast Missouri | South Dakota State т | Wittenberg (6–0) | Linfield | San Diego State (8–1) | Linfield | Linfield т | 15. |
| 16. | Middle Tennessee т | Arkansas State | Lamar Tech (5–0) | Lamar Tech (5–1) т | Akron | Pittsburg State (6–2) | Saint John's (MN) | Parsons (1) | Adams State | 16. |
| 17. | Wheaton (IL) (1) т | Akron т | Arizona State College | Texas A&I | South Dakota State | Akron | Arizona State College | Omaha | South Dakota State | 17. |
| 18. | Memphis State т | Arizona State College т | Tufts | Humboldt State т | Lamar Tech | Parsons т | Omaha | College of Emporia | Omaha т | 18. |
| 19. | Northern Michigan т | Lamar Tech (4–0) | Texas A&I | Wittenberg (5–0) т | Cal Poly Pomona | Southwest Texas т | Parsons (1) | San Diego State (8–2) т | Parsons т | 19. |
| 20. | Arkansas State т | Texas Southern (1) | Cal Poly Pomona | Northeast Missouri | Southwest Texas | San Diego State (7–1) | College of Emporia т | South Dakota State т | Saint John's (MN) (9–0) | 20. |
| 21. | Montana State т | | | | | | Southwest Texas т | | | 21. |
| | Week 1 Oct 4 | Week 2 Oct 11 | Week 3 Oct 18 | Week 4 Oct 25 | Week 5 Nov 1 | Week 6 Nov 8 | Week 7 Nov 15 | Week 8 Nov 22 | Week 9 Nov 29 | |
| | | Dropped: 11 Louisiana Tech12 Omaha13 Texas A&I16 Middle Tennessee19 Northern Michigan | Dropped: 13 Memphis State14 Wheaton (IL)17 Akron20 Texas Southern | Dropped: 18 Tufts20 Cal Poly Pomona | Dropped: 14 Hillsdale18 Humboldt State20 Northeast Missouri | Dropped: 13 Southern Illinois17 South Dakota State18 Lamar Tech | Dropped: 16 Pittsburg State17 Akron | Dropped: 17 Arizona State College20 Southwest Texas | Dropped: 19 San Diego State | |

## Pittsburgh Courier rankings

The Pittsburgh Courier, a leading African American newspaper, ranked the top 1962 teams from historically black colleges and universities in an era when college football was often racially segregated.
The rankings were published on December 8:
* 1. Florida A&M (9–1)
* 2. Jackson State (10–1)
* 3. Morgan State (8–2)
* 4. North Carolina A&T (7–3)
* 5. Texas Southern (7–3)
* 6. Grambling (6–2–2)
* 7. Virginia Union (7–2)
* 8. Maryland State (4–2–1)
* 9. Clark (6–1)
* 10. North Carolina College (6–3)
* 11. Prairie View A&M (6–3)
* 12. Johnson C. Smith (7–2)
* 13. Bethune-Cookman (7–2)
* 14. Alabama A&M (8–2)
* 15. Morehouse (6–2)
* 16. Lincoln (MO) (5–3–1)
* 17. Southern (5–5)
* 18. South Carolina State (5–3)
* 19. Fisk (6–2)
* 20. Alcorn A&M (4–5)