# 2009 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 2009 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 16-team playoff to determine the year's national champion. A final poll was then taken after completion of the 2009 NAIA Football National Championship.

## Poll release dates

The poll release dates were:
* April 20, 2009 (Spring)
* August 10, 2009 (Preseason)
* September 14, 2009
* September 21, 2009
* September 28, 2009
* October 5, 2009
* October 12, 2009
* October 19, 2009
* October 26, 2009
* November 2, 2009
* November 9, 2009
* November 15, 2009 (Final)
* January 11, 2010 (Postseason)

## Week by week poll

| | Week 0-Spring Apr 20 | Week 0-Preseason Aug 10 | Week Poll 1 Sep 14 | Week Poll 2 Sep 21 | Week Poll 3 Sep 28 | Week Poll 4 Oct 05 | Week Poll 5 Oct 12 | Week Poll 6 Oct 19 | Week Poll 7 Oct 26 | Week Poll 8 Nov 02 | Week Poll 9 Nov 09 | Week Final Nov 15 | Week Postseason Jan 11 | |
| 1. | 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) | Sioux Falls (SD) | Sioux Falls (SD) | *Sioux Falls (SD) | 1. |
| 2. | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Carroll (MT) | Lindenwood (MO) | 2. |
| 3. | Lindenwood (MO) | Lindenwood (MO) | Lindenwood (MO) | Lindenwood (MO) | Lindenwood (MO) | Lindenwood (MO) | Lindenwood (MO) | Lindenwood (MO) | Lindenwood (MO) | Lindenwood (MO) | Lindenwood (MO) | Lindenwood (MO) | Carroll (MT) | 3. |
| 4. | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Saint Xavier (IL) | 4. |
| 5. | Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Morningside (IA) | Lambuth (TN) | Lambuth (TN) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Ottawa (KS) | Morningside (IA) | 5. |
| 6. | Cumberlands (KY) | Cumberlands (KY) | Cumberlands (KY) | Cumberlands (KY) | Cumberlands (KY) | Cumberlands (KY) | Cumberlands (KY) | Lambuth (TN) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Ottawa (KS) | Lambuth (TN) | Ottawa (KS) | 6. |
| 7. | Langston (OK) | Langston (OK) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Lambuth (TN) | Lambuth (TN) | Lambuth (TN) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Ottawa (KS) | Ottawa (KS) | Lambuth (TN) | Morningside (IA) | Lambuth (TN) | 7. |
| 8. | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Langston (OK) | Langston (OK) | Langston (OK) | Langston (OK) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Ottawa (KS) | Saint Francis (IN) | Saint Francis (IN) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | 8. |
| 9. | Union (KY) | Friends (KS) | St. Ambrose (IA) | Lambuth (TN) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Ottawa (KS) | Missouri Valley | Missouri Valley | Missouri Valley | McKendree (IL) | McKendree (IL) | McKendree (IL) | 9. |
| 10. | Friends (KS) | Union (KY) | (T) Union (KY) | Union (KY) | Shorter (GA) | Ottawa (KS) | Missouri Valley | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | Cumberlands (KY) | Cumberlands (KY) | Missouri Valley | 10. |
| 11. | Shorter (GA) | Shorter (GA) | (T) Lambuth (TN) | Shorter (GA) | Ottawa (KS) | Missouri Valley | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | McKendree (IL) | McKendree (IL) | McKendree (IL) | Saint Francis (IN) | Missouri Valley | Cumberlands (KY) | 11. |
| 12. | Baker (KS) | Baker (KS) | Shorter (GA) | Saint Xavier (IL) | Missouri Valley | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | McKendree (IL) | Northwestern (IA) | (T) Northwestern (IA) | Cumberlands (KY) | Missouri Valley | McPherson (KS) | McPherson (KS) | 12. |
| 13. | St. Ambrose (IA) | St. Ambrose (IA) | Missouri Valley | Ottawa (KS) | MidAmerica Nazarene (KS) | McKendree (IL) | Northwestern (IA) | Cumberlands (KY) | (T) Cumberlands (KY) | Langston (OK) | Friends (KS) | Hastings (NB) | Hastings (NB) | 13. |
| 14. | Dickinson State (SD) | Lambuth (TN) | Saint Xavier (IL) | St. Ambrose (IA) | McKendree (IL) | Northwestern (IA) | Friends (KS) | Friends (KS) | (T) Friends (KS) | Friends (KS) | Langston (OK) | Minot State (ND) | Minot State (ND) | 14. |
| 15. | Lambuth (TN) | Dickinson State (SD) | Ottawa (KS) | Missouri Valley | Northwestern (IA) | Friends (KS) | Langston (OK) | Langston (OK) | (T) Langston (OK) | McPherson (KS) | McPherson (KS) | Friends (KS) | Friends (KS) | 15. |
| 16. | Missouri Valley | Missouri Valley | Montana State-Northern | McKendree (IL) | Friends (KS) | Hastings (NB) | McPherson (KS) | Minot State (ND) | McPherson (KS) | Dickinson State (SD) | Hastings (NB) | Walsh (OH) | Walsh (OH) | 16. |
| 17. | Virginia-Wise | Saint Xavier (IL) | Benedictine (KS) | Friends (KS) | Hastings (NB) | Union (KY) | Minot State (ND) | McPherson (KS) | Minot State (ND) | Hastings (NB) | Grand View (IA) | Dickinson State (SD) | Saint Francis (IN) | 17. |
| 18. | Saint Xavier (IL) | Montana State-Northern | Friends (KS) | Northwestern (IA) | Union (KY) | McPherson (KS) | St. Ambrose (IA) | Eastern Oregon | Walsh (OH) | Northwestern (IA) | Minot State (ND) | Saint Francis (IN) | Dickinson State (SD) | 18. |
| 19. | (T) Northwestern (IA) | Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | Hastings (NB) | Hastings (NB) | Eastern Oregon | Shorter (GA) | Eastern Oregon | Georgetown (KY) | Hastings (NB) | Grand View (IA) | Ohio Dominican | Taylor (IN) | Langston (OK) | 19. |
| 20. | (T) Ohio Dominican | Ohio Dominican | Ohio Dominican | McPherson (KS) | McPherson (KS) | Walsh (OH) | Central Methodist (MO) | Walsh (OH) | Dickinson State (SD) | Ohio Dominican | Dickinson State (SD) | Langston (OK) | Taylor (IN) | 20. |
| 21. | Montana State-Northern | Virginia-Wise | McPherson (KS) | Malone (OH) | Georgetown (KY) | (T) St. Ambrose (IA) | Walsh (OH) | Hastings (NB) | Ohio Dominican | Minot State (ND) | Walsh (OH) | Grand View (IA) | Grand View (IA) | 21. |
| 22. | Ottawa (KS) | Ottawa (KS) | (T) Northwestern (IA) | Sterling (KS) | St. Ambrose (IA) | (T) Minot State (ND) | Hastings (NB) | Dickinson State (SD) | Grand View (IA) | Eastern Oregon | Eastern Oregon | Eastern Oregon | Eastern Oregon | 22. |
| 23. | Dakota Wesleyan (SD) | Northwestern (IA) | (T) McKendree (IL) | Eastern Oregon | Malone (OH) | Black Hills State (SD) | Ohio Dominican | Ohio Dominican | Eastern Oregon | Walsh (OH) | Northwestern (IA) | Baker (KS) | Baker (KS) | 23. |
| 24. | Jamestown (ND) | Jamestown (ND) | Malone (OH) | (T)Minot State (ND) | Walsh (OH) | Eastern Oregon | Dickinson State (SD) | Central Methodist (MO) | Campbellsville (KY) | Georgetown (KY) | Baker (KS) | Ohio Dominican | Ohio Dominican | 24. |
| 25. | Malone (OH) | Malone (OH) | Nebraska Wesleyan | (T) Walsh (OH) | Minot State (ND) | (T) Bethany (KS)(T) Central Methodist (MO) | Georgetown (KY) | Grand View (IA) | Shorter (GA) | St. Ambrose (IA) | Taylor (IN) | Northwestern (IA) | Northwestern (IA) | 25. |
| | Week 0-Spring Apr 20 | Week 0-Preseason Aug 10 | Week Poll 1 Sep 14 | Week Poll 2 Sep 21 | Week Poll 3 Sep 28 | Week Poll 4 Oct 05 | Week Poll 5 Oct 12 | Week Poll 6 Oct 19 | Week Poll 7 Oct 26 | Week Poll 8 Nov 02 | Week Poll 9 Nov 09 | Week Final Nov 15 | Week Postseason Jan 11 | |
| | | None | Dropped: Baker (KS)Dakota Wesleyan (SD)Dickinson State (SD)Jamestown (ND)Virginia-Wise | Dropped: Benedictine (KS)Montana State-NorthernNebraska WesleyanOhio Dominican | Dropped: Sterling (KS) | Dropped: Georgetown (KY)Malone (OH) | Dropped: Bethany (KS)Black Hills State (SD)Shorter (GA)Union (KY) | Dropped: St. Ambrose (IA) | Dropped: Central Methodist (MO)Georgetown (KY) | Dropped: Campbellsville (KY)Shorter (GA) | Dropped: Georgetown (KY)Shorter (GA) | None | None | |

## 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 2009 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 |
| Carroll (MT) | 53 (5) |
| Sioux Falls (SD) | 43 (3) |
| Georgetown (KY) | 23 (2) |
| Northwestern Oklahoma State | 12 (1) |
| Azusa Pacific (CA) | 3 |
| Saint Francis (IN) | 3 |