# 1987 NCAA Division II football rankings

The 1987 NCAA Division II football rankings are from the NCAA Division II football committee. This is for the 1987 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 |

## NCAA Division II Football Committee poll

| | Preseason | Week 1 Sept 8 | Week 2 Sept 15 | Week 3 Sept 22 | Week 4 Sept 29 | Week 5 Oct 6 | Week 6 Oct 13 | Week 7 Oct 20 | Week 8 Oct 27 | Week 9 Nov 3 | Week 10 Nov 10 | Week 11 Nov 17 | |
| 1. | North Dakota State (4) | North Dakota State (0–0) (4) | South Dakota (2–0) (4) | South Dakota (3–0) (4) | South Dakota (4–0) (4) | South Dakota (5–0) (4) | South Dakota (6–0) (4) | Northern Michigan (7–0) (4) | Northern Michigan (8–0) (4) | Northern Michigan (9–0) (4) | Texas A&I (8–1) (4) | Texas A&I (9–1) (4) | 1. |
| 2. | South Dakota | South Dakota (1–0) | Texas A&I (2–0) | UCF (2–0) | Northern Michigan (4–0) | Northern Michigan (5–0) | Northern Michigan (6–0) | Texas A&I (5–1) | Texas A&I (6–1) | Texas A&I (7–1) | West Chester (9–1) | West Chester (9–1) | 2. |
| 3. | Troy State | Texas A&I (1–0) | UCF (1–0) | Northern Michigan (3–0) | Portland State (3–1) т | Texas A&I (3–1) | Texas A&I (4–1) | West Chester (6–1) | West Chester (7–1) | West Chester (8–1) | Portland State (8–1–1) | Portland State (9–1–1) | 3. |
| 4. | Texas A&I | UC Davis (0–0) | West Chester (2–0) | Albany State (2–0) | Texas A&I (2–1) т | Portland State (4–1) | West Chester (5–1) | Portland State (5–1–1) | Portland State (6–1–1) | Portland State (7–1–1) | Troy State (8–1–1) | Troy State (9–1–1) | 4. |
| 5. | UC Davis | UCF (1–0) | Northern Michigan (2–0) | Texas A&I (2–1) | West Chester (3–1) т | West Chester (4–1) | Portland State (4–1–1) | Tuskegee (6–0) | Eastern New Mexico (8–0) | Eastern New Mexico (9–0) | UCF (7–2) | Northern Michigan (9–1) | 5. |
| 6. | IUP | West Chester (1–0) | Portland State (2–0) | Portland State (2–1) т | North Dakota State (2–1) | North Dakota State (3–1) | North Dakota State (4–1) | Eastern New Mexico (7–0) | Troy State (6–1–1) | Troy State (7–1–1) | Northern Michigan (9–1) | IUP (9–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Albany State | Portland State (1–0) | UC Davis (0–0) | West Chester (2–1) т | Valdosta State (3–0) | Valdosta State (4–0) | Tuskegee (5–0) | North Alabama (6–0) | IUP (6–1) | IUP (7–1) | IUP (8–1) | Mankato State (9–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Grand Valley State | Albany State (1–0) | Albany State (1–0) | North Dakota State (1–1) | UCF (2–1) | Millersville (4–0) | Eastern New Mexico (6–0) | Cal Poly (6–0) | North Alabama (6–0–1) | UCF (6–2) | Mankato State (8–2) | Butler (8–1–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Portland State | Ashland (0–0) | South Dakota State (1–0) | Valdosta State (2–0) | Millersville (3–0) | Tuskegee (4–0) | North Alabama (5–0) | IUP (5–1) | Santa Clara (6–1) | Mankato State (7–2) | Eastern New Mexico (9–1) | Angelo State (7–2) | 9. |
| 10. | UCF | New Haven (0–0) | North Dakota State (0–1) | Ashland (2–0) | Jacksonville State (3–0) | Eastern New Mexico (5–0) | IUP (4–1) | South Dakota (6–1) | New Haven (6–1) | New Haven (7–1) | New Haven (8–1) | UC Davis (7–2) | 10. |
| 11. | West Chester | South Dakota State | Ashland (1–0) т | Millersville (2–0) | Tuskegee (4–0) | IUP (3–1) | Cal Poly (5–0) | Troy State (5–1–1) | UCF (5–2) т | Winston–Salem State (7–1) | Tuskegee (8–1) | UCF (7–3) | 11. |
| 12. | Ashland | Valdosta State | Valdosta State (1–0) т | Jacksonville State (2–0) | UC Davis (1–1) | North Alabama (4–0) | Troy State (4–1–1) | New Haven (5–1) | Mankato State (6–2) т | Butler (6–1–1) | Butler (7–1–1) | Winston–Salem State (8–2) | 12. |
| 13. | Valdosta State | Northern Michigan | Millersville (1–0) | Santa Clara (2–0) | Eastern New Mexico (4–0) | Cal Poly (4–0) | New Haven (4–1) | UCF (4–2) | Butler (5–1–1) | Tuskegee (7–1) | Angelo State (6–2) | Eastern New Mexico (9–2) | 13. |
| 14. | New Haven | Southeast Missouri State | Jacksonville State (2–0) | Grand Valley State (2–1) | IUP (2–1) | Mankato State (4–1) т | Fort Valley State (3–1) | Santa Clara (5–1) | Cal Poly (6–1) | South Dakota (7–2) | UC Davis (6–2) | Bloomsburg (8–3) | 14. |
| 15. | Central Missouri State | | Southeast Missouri State (1–1) | Tuskegee (3–0) | North Alabama (3–0) | New Haven (3–1) т | Angelo State (4–1) | North Dakota State (5–1) | Winston–Salem State (6–1) | Valdosta State (6–2) | Winston–Salem State (7–2) | Hampton (9–2) | 15. |
| 16. | South Dakota State | | Southern Utah State (2–0) | Eastern New Mexico (3–0) | Delta State (3–0) | Fort Valley State (3–1) | Ashland (4–1) | Mankato State (5–2) | Tuskegee (6–1) | Clarion (6–2) | Clarion (7–2) | New Haven (8–2) | 16. |
| 17. | Abilene Christian | | Grand Valley State (1–1) | IUP (1–1) т | New Haven (2–1) | Ashland (3–1) | UCF (3–2) | Ashland (4–1–1) | North Dakota State (5–2) | Cal State Northridge (6–2) | Cal Poly (6–2) | Ashland (7–2–1) | 17. |
| 18. | Fort Valley State | | Tuskegee (2–0) | North Alabama (3–0) т | Ashland (2–1) т | Troy State (3–1–1) | Grand Valley State (4–2) | Butler (4–1–1) | Clarion (5–2) т | Angelo State (6–2) | Virginia State (8–1) | Alabama A&M (7–3) | 18. |
| 19. | Millersville | Millersville | East Stroudsburg (1–0) | North Dakota (2–0) т | Cal Poly (3–0) т | Clarion (3–1) | Santa Clara (4–1) | Winston–Salem State (5–1) | Valdosta State (5–1) т | Santa Clara (6–2) | Cal State Northridge (6–3) | Minnesota–Duluth (7–3) | 19. |
| 20. | West Texas State | | Nebraska–Omaha (2–0) | Delta State (2–0) | Mankato State (3–0) | Angelo State (3–1) т | Butler (4–1) т | Bloomsburg (5–2) | Angelo State (5–2) | North Alabama (6–1–1) | Bloomsburg (7–3) т | Tuskegee (8–2) | 20. |
| 21. | | | | | | Butler (3–1) т | Mansfield (4–1) т | | | | Valdosta State (6–2) т | | 21. |
| 22. | | | | | | Santa Clara (3–1) т | | | | | | | 22. |
| | Preseason | Week 1 Sept 8 | Week 2 Sept 15 | Week 3 Sept 22 | Week 4 Sept 29 | Week 5 Oct 6 | Week 6 Oct 13 | Week 7 Oct 20 | Week 8 Oct 27 | Week 9 Nov 3 | Week 10 Nov 10 | Week 11 Nov 17 | |
| | | Dropped: 3 Troy State6 IUP8 Grand Valley State15 Central Missouri State17 Abilene Christian18 Fort Valley State20 West Texas State | Dropped: 10 New Haven | Dropped: 7 UC Davis9 South Dakota State15 Southeast Missouri State16 Southern Utah State19 East Stroudsburg20 Nebraska–Omaha | Dropped: 4 Albany State13 Santa Clara14 Grand Valley State19 North Dakota | Dropped: 8 UCF10 Jacksonville State12 UC Davis16 Delta State | Dropped: 7 Valdosta State8 Millersville14 Mankato State19 Clarion | Dropped: 14 Fort Valley State15 Angelo State18 Grand Valley State20 Mansfield | Dropped: 10 South Dakota17 Ashland20 Bloomsburg | Dropped: 14 Cal Poly17 North Dakota State | Dropped: 14 South Dakota19 Santa Clara20 North Alabama | Dropped: 16 Clarion17 Cal Poly18 Virginia State19 Cal State Northridge20 Valdosta State | |