# 2002 NAIA football rankings

Legend :
| | Increase in ranking |
| | Decrease in ranking |
| | Not ranked previous week |
| * | NAIA National Champion |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
One human poll made up the 2002 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) football rankings, sometimes called the NAIA Coaches' Poll or the football ratings. Once the regular season was complete, the NAIA sponsored a playoff to determine the year's national champion. A final poll was then taken after completion of the 2002 NAIA Football National Championship.

## Poll release dates

The poll release dates were:
* August 20, 2002 (Preseason)
* September 10, 2002 (Week 1)
* September 17, 2002 (Week 2)
* September 24, 2002 (Week 3)
* October 1, 2002 (Week 4)
* October 8, 2002 (Week 5)
* October 15, 2002 (Week 6)
* October 22, 2002 (Week 7)
* October 29, 2002 (Week 8)
* November 5, 2002 (Week 9)
* November 12, 2002 (Week 10)
* November 17, 2002 (Final)
* January 12, 2003 (Postseason)

## Week by week poll

| | Week 0-Preseason Aug 20 | Week Poll 1 Sep 10 | Week Poll 2 Sep 17 | Week Poll 3 Sep 24 | Week Poll 4 Oct 01 | Week Poll 5 Oct 08 | Week Poll 6 Oct 15 | Week Poll 7 Oct 22 | Week Poll 8 Oct 29 | Week Poll 9 Nov 05 | Week Poll 10 Nov 12 | Week Final Nov 17 | Week Postseason Jan 17 | |
| 1. | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | *Carroll (MT) | 1. |
| 2. | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Southern Oregon | Benedictine (KS) | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Georgetown (KY) | 2. |
| 3. | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Evangel (MO) | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Mary (ND) | Mary (ND) | McKendree (IL) | McKendree (IL) | McKendree (IL) | McKendree (IL) | McKendree (IL) | Georgetown (KY) | Sioux Falls (SD) | 3. |
| 4. | Southern Oregon | Southern Oregon | Benedictine (KS) | Mary (ND) | McKendree (IL) | McKendree (IL) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Saint Francis (IN) | McKendree (IL) | 4. |
| 5. | Evangel (MO) | Evangel (MO) | Northwestern Oklahoma State | St. Ambrose (IA) | Georgetown (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Southern Oregon | Southern Oregon | Southern Oregon | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Dickinson State (ND) | Northwestern Oklahoma State | 5. |
| 6. | (T) Benedictine (KS) | Benedictine (KS) | Mary (ND) | McKendree (IL) | Walsh (OH) | Walsh (OH) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Mary (ND) | Southern Oregon | 6. |
| 7. | (T) Mary (ND) | Mary (ND) | St. Ambrose (IA) | Georgetown (KY) | Southern Oregon | Southern Oregon | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Mary (ND) | McKendree (IL) | Mary (ND) | 7. |
| 8. | Northwestern Oklahoma State | Northwestern Oklahoma State | McKendree (IL) | Walsh (OH) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | St. Ambrose (IA) | St. Ambrose (IA) | St. Ambrose (IA) | Mary (ND) | Dickinson State (ND) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Saint Francis (IN) | 8. |
| 9. | St. Ambrose (IA) | St. Ambrose (IA) | Georgetown (KY) | Southern Oregon | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Dickinson State (ND) | Southern Oregon | Southern Oregon | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | 9. |
| 10. | Tri-State (IN) | Tri-State (IN) | Tri-State (IN) | Carroll (MT) | Valley City State (ND) | Valley City State (ND) | Benedictine (KS) | Benedictine (KS) | Benedictine (KS) | Southern Oregon | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Carroll (MT) | Dickinson State (ND) | 10. |
| 11. | Valley City State (ND) | Walsh (OH) | Walsh (OH) | Valley City State (ND) | Evangel (MO) | Evangel (MO) | Minot State (ND) | Hastings (NE) | Dickinson State (ND) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Saint Xavier (IL) | 11. |
| 12. | Concordia (NE) | Valley City State (ND) | Carroll (MT) | Saint Francis (IN) | St. Ambrose (IA) | St. Ambrose (IA) | Hastings (NE) | Dickinson State (ND) | Mary (ND) | Benedictine (KS) | Benedictine (KS) | Benedictine (KS) | Benedictine (KS) | 12. |
| 13. | Walsh (OH) | McKendree (IL) | Hastings (NE) | Evangel (MO) | Benedictine (KS) | Benedictine (KS) | Mary (ND) | Mary (ND) | Walsh (OH) | Minot State (ND) | Minot State (ND) | Minot State (ND) | Minot State (ND) | 13. |
| 14. | McKendree (IL) | Hastings (NE) | Valley City State (ND) | Tri-State (IN) | Campbellsville (KY) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Azusa Pacific (CA) | Walsh (OH) | Valley City State (ND) | Azusa Pacific (CA) | Azusa Pacific (CA) | St. Ambrose (IA) | St. Ambrose (IA) | 14. |
| 15. | Montana Tech | Bethany (KS) | Saint Francis (IN) | Campbellsville (KY) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Hastings (NE) | Dickinson State (ND) | Valley City State (ND) | (T) Azusa Pacific (CA) | St. Ambrose (IA) | St. Ambrose (IA) | Montana Western | Montana Western | 15. |
| 16. | Bethany (KS) | Saint Francis (IN) | Bethany (KS) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Northwestern (IA) | Azusa Pacific (CA) | Walsh (OH) | Azusa Pacific (CA) | (T) Minot State (ND) | (T) Evangel (MO) | Evangel (MO) | Azusa Pacific (CA) | Azusa Pacific (CA) | 16. |
| 17. | Campbellsville (KY) | Kansas Wesleyan | Saint Xavier (IL) | Dickinson State (ND) | Missouri Valley (MO) | Dickinson State (ND) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Evangel (MO) | Evangel (MO) | (T) Tri-State (IN) | Walsh (OH) | Evangel (MO) | Doane (NE) | 17. |
| 18. | Hastings (NE) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Nebraska Wesleyan | Hastings (NE) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Valley City State (ND) | Minot State (ND) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Walsh (OH) | Montana Western | Kansas Wesleyan | Kansas Wesleyan | 18. |
| 19. | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Campbellsville (KY) | Hastings (NE) | Azusa Pacific (CA) | Minot State (ND) | Nebraska Wesleyan | Bethany (KS) | Tri-State (IN) | Montana Western | Kansas Wesleyan | Doane (NE) | Evangel (MO) | 19. |
| 20. | Cumberlands (KY) | (T) Montana Tech | Dickinson State (ND) | Northwestern (IA) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Lambuth (TN) | Evangel (MO) | Tri-State (IN) | Hastings (NE) | Kansas Wesleyan | Missouri Valley (MO) | Missouri Valley (MO) | Missouri Valley (MO) | 20. |
| 21. | Kansas Wesleyan | (T) Doane (NE) | Nebraska Wesleyan | (T) Azusa Pacific (CA) | Dickinson State (ND) | | Cumberland (TN) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Nebraska Wesleyan | Valley City State (ND) | Doane (NE) | Tri-State (IN) | Tri-State (IN) | 21. |
| 22. | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Concordia (NE) | Azusa Pacific (CA) | (T) Missouri Valley (MO) | Minot State (ND) | Missouri Valley (MO) | Montana Western | Doane (NE) | Kansas Wesleyan | Missouri Valley (MO) | Lambuth (TN) | Northwestern (MN) | Walsh (OH) | 22. |
| 23. | Northwestern (MN) | Campbellsville (KY) | Northwestern (IA) | (T) Saint Xavier (IL) | Malone (OH) | Nebraska Wesleyan | Bethany (KS) | Northwestern (IA) | Montana Western | Doane (NE) | Tri-State (IN) | Walsh (OH) | Cumberland (TN) | 23. |
| 24. | Saint Xavier (IL) | Nebraska Wesleyan | Culver-Stockton (MO) | (T) Culver-Stockton (MO) | Nebraska Wesleyan | Campbellsville (KY) | Tri-State (IN) | Kansas Wesleyan | Missouri Valley (MO) | Bethany (KS) | Northwestern (MN) | Hastings (NE) | Hastings (NE) | 24. |
| 25. | Doane (NE) | Dickinson State (ND) | Northwestern (MN) | Minot State (ND) | (T) Cumberland (TN)(T) Northwestern (MN) | Cumberland (TN) | Ottawa (KS) | Montana Western | Northwestern (IA) | Nebraska Wesleyan | Hastings (NE) | Valley City State (ND) | Northwestern (MN) | 25. |
| | Week 0-Preseason Aug 20 | Week Poll 1 Sep 10 | Week Poll 2 Sep 17 | Week Poll 3 Sep 24 | Week Poll 4 Oct 01 | Week Poll 5 Oct 08 | Week Poll 6 Oct 15 | Week Poll 7 Oct 22 | Week Poll 8 Oct 29 | Week Poll 9 Nov 05 | Week Poll 10 Nov 12 | Week Final Nov 17 | Week Postseason Jan 17 | |
| | | Dropped: Cumberlands (KY)Northwestern (MN) | Dropped: Kansas WesleyanMontana TechDoane (NE)Concordia (NE) | Dropped: Bethany (KS)Northwestern (MN) | Dropped: Tri-State (IN)Culver-Stockton (MO) | Dropped: Northwestern (IA)Malone (OH)Northwestern (MN) | Dropped: Lambuth (TN)Missouri Valley (MO)Campbellsville (KY) | Dropped: Nebraska WesleyanCumberland (TN)Ottawa (KS) | Dropped: Bethany (KS)Doane (NE) | Dropped: Hastings (NE)Northwestern (IA) | Dropped: Valley City State (ND)Bethany (KS)Nebraska Wesleyan | Dropped: Lambuth (TN) | Dropped: Valley City State (ND) | |

## Leading vote-getters

Since the inception of the Coaches' Poll in 1999, the #1 ranking in the various weekly polls has been held by only a select group of teams. Through the postseason poll of the 2002 season, the teams and the number of times they have held the #1 weekly ranking are shown below. The number of times a team has been ranked #1 in the postseason poll (the national champion) is shown in parentheses.
In 1999, the results of a postseason poll, if one was conducted, are not known. Therefore, an additional poll has been presumed, and the #1 postseason ranking has been credited to the postseason tournament champion, the Northwestern Oklahoma State Rangers.
| Team | Total #1 Rankings |
| Georgetown (KY) | 23 (2) |
| Northwestern Oklahoma State | 12 (1) |
| Sioux Falls (SD) | 10 |
| Azusa Pacific (CA) | 3 |
| Carroll (MT) | 1 (1) |