# 1985 NCAA Division II football rankings

The 1985 NCAA Division II football rankings are from the NCAA Division II football committee. This is for the 1985 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

| | Week 1 Sept 18 | Week 2 Sept 25 | Week 3 Oct 2 | Week 4 Oct 9 | Week 5 Oct 16 | Week 6 Oct 23 | Week 7 Oct 30 | Week 8 Nov 6 | Week 9 Nov 13 | Week 10 Nov 20 | Week 11 Nov 27 | |
| 1. | South Dakota (2–0) (2) | South Dakota (3–0) (4) | South Dakota (4–0) (4) | South Dakota (5–0) (4) | South Dakota (6–0) (4) | Central State (OH) (6–0) (4) | Central State (OH) (7–0) (3) | Central State (OH) (8–0) (4) | UC Davis (7–1) (3) | UC Davis (8–1) (4) | UC Davis (9–1) (4) | 1. |
| 2. | Towson State (2–0) (1) | Towson State (3–0) | Towson State (4–0) | Central State (OH) (4–0) т | Central State (OH) (5–0) | Fort Valley State (6–0) | UC Davis (6–0–1) (1) | UC Davis (6–1) | Fort Valley State (8–1) | Fort Valley State (9–1) | North Alabama (10–1) | 2. |
| 3. | Fort Valley State (1–0) | Fort Valley State (2–0) | Fort Valley State (3–0) | Fort Valley State (4–0) т | Fort Valley State (5–0) | UC Davis (4–1) | Towson State (6–1) | Towson State (7–0–1) | IUP (7–1–1) (1) | IUP (8–1–1) | Bloomsburg (11–0) | 3. |
| 4. | Central State (OH) (2–0) | Central State (OH) (3–0) | Central State (OH) (3–0) | Towson State (4–0–1) | Towson State (5–0–1) | Towson State (6–0–1) | Fort Valley State (7–1) | Fort Valley State (7–1) | Santa Clara (8–1) | North Alabama (9–1) | South Dakota (9–2) | 4. |
| 5. | Texas A&I (1–0) | Norfolk State (2–1) | Norfolk State (3–1) | Norfolk State (4–1) | Norfolk State (5–1) | South Dakota (6–1) | South Dakota (6–1) | IUP (6–1–1) | Central State (OH) (8–1) | Bloomsburg (10–0) | Central State (OH) (8–2) | 5. |
| 6. | Cal Poly (1–0) | Southern Connecticut State (2–0) | Cal State Hayward (3–0) | Cal State Hayward (4–0) | UC Davis (3–1) | IUP (4–1–1) | Mississippi College (5–1–1) | Santa Clara (7–1) | North Alabama (8–1) | South Dakota (9–2) | Fort Valley State (9–2) | 6. |
| 7. | Livingston (2–0) | North Dakota State (2–1) т | UC Davis (1–1) т | Abilene Christian (3–0–1) | IUP (3–1–1) | Mississippi College (5–1) | IUP (7–0) | North Alabama (7–1) | Bloomsburg (9–0) | Northeast Missouri State (8–2) | North Dakota State (8–2–1) | 7. |
| 8. | Nebraska–Omaha (2–0) (1) | Mississippi College (2–1) т | Northern Michigan (3–1) т | UC Davis (2–1) т | Bloomsburg (5–0) т | Santa Clara (5–1) | Bloomsburg (6–1) т | Bloomsburg (8–0) | Towson State (7–1–1) | Winston–Salem State (9–1) | Hampton (10–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Abilene Christian (2–0) | Cal State Hayward (2–0) | Abilene Christian (2–0–1) | Northern Michigan (4–1) т | Mississippi College (4–1) т | Bloomsburg (6–0) | Santa Clara (6–0–2) т | Indiana Central (7–0–2) | Winston–Salem State (8–1) | Towson State (7–1–1) | IUP (8–2–1) | 9. |
| 10. | Troy State (0–1) | Abilene Christian (2–0–1) | IUP (2–1) т | IUP (2–1–1) | Santa Clara (4–1) | Indiana Central (5–0–2) | Indiana Central (6–1) | South Dakota (7–2) | South Dakota (8–2) | Central State (OH) (8–2) | Towson State (7–2–1) | 10. |
| 11. | Norfolk State (1–1) т | Northern Michigan (2–1) | Southern Connecticut State (3–0) т | Bloomsburg (4–0) т | North Alabama (4–1) | North Alabama (5–1) | North Alabama (6–1) | Mississippi College (6–2) | Mississippi College (7–2) | Santa Clara (8–1–1) | Northeast Missouri State (8–3) | 11. |
| 12. | North Dakota State (1–1) т | Santa Clara (2–0) | Mississippi College (2–1) | Mississippi College (3–1) т | St. Cloud State (5–1) | North Dakota State (5–2) | Winston–Salem State (6–2) | American International (7–2) | Butler (8–2) | Mississippi College (7–2) | Albany State (9–2) т | 12. |
| 13. | Portland State (1–1) | Livingston (2–1) | California (PA) (3–0) | Valparaiso (5–0) | Winston–Salem State (4–1) | Winston–Salem State (5–1) | Norfolk State (5–2) | Butler (7–2) | Sacramento State (7–2) | Butler (8–2) | Butler (8–2) т | 13. |
| 14. | IUP (1–1) | IUP (1–1) | Indiana Central (3–0–1) | North Alabama (3–1) т | Millersville (5–0) | Norfolk State (5–2) т | Northern Michigan (6–2) | Sacramento State (6–2) | Northeast Missouri State (7–2) | Sacramento State (8–2) | American International (8–2) | 14. |
| 15. | Northeast Missouri State (2–0) | Hampton (3–0) | Portland State (2–2) | Santa Clara (3–1) т | Butler (5–1) | Northern Michigan (5–2) т | Butler (6–2) | Albany State (7–1) | American International (7–2) | American International (8–2) | Santa Clara (8–2–1) | 15. |
| 16. | Mississippi College (1–1) | UC Davis (0–1) | Bloomsburg (3–0) | Millersville (4–0) | Northern Michigan (4–2) | Valparaiso (6–1) | American International (6–2) | Hampton (7–1) | Cal State Hayward (6–2) | Hampton (9–1) | Clarion (8–2) | 16. |
| 17. | UC Davis (0–1) т | Texas A&I (1–1) | North Alabama (2–1) т | Butler (4–1) | Clarion (5–1) | Hampton (6–1) | Hampton (7–1) | Cal State Hayward (5–2) | West Chester (7–2) | Clarion (8–2) | Mississippi College (7–2–1) | 17. |
| 18. | East Texas State (1–0) т | Indiana Central (2–0–1) | Santa Clara (2–1) т | South Dakota State (3–2) | Indiana Central (4–0–2) | American International (5–2) т | Cal State Hayward (5–2) | West Chester (6–2) | Hampton (8–1) | North Dakota State (8–2–1) | Winston–Salem State (9–2) | 18. |
| 19. | Northern Michigan (1–1) | California (PA) (2–0) | Valparaiso (4–0) | Winston–Salem State (3–1) | Valparaiso (5–1) | Cal State Hayward (4–2) т | Sacramento State (5–2) т | Northeast Missouri State (6–2) | Clarion (8–2) | Indiana Central (7–1–2) | Sacramento State (8–3) | 19. |
| 20. | Southern Connecticut State (1–0) | Morningside (3–0) | Butler (3–1) | Clarion (4–1) | Abilene Christian (3–1–1) | Millersville (5–1) т | Clarion (6–2) т | Clarion (7–2) | Indiana Central (7–1–2) | Texas A&I (7–3) | Texas A&I (8–3) | 20. |
| 21. | | | | | | | Millersville (6–1) т | | | | | 21. |
| | Week 1 Sept 18 | Week 2 Sept 25 | Week 3 Oct 2 | Week 4 Oct 9 | Week 5 Oct 16 | Week 6 Oct 23 | Week 7 Oct 30 | Week 8 Nov 6 | Week 9 Nov 13 | Week 10 Nov 20 | Week 11 Nov 27 | |
| | | Dropped: 6 Cal Poly8 Nebraska–Omaha10 Troy State13 Portland State15 Northeast Missouri State18 East Texas State | Dropped: 7 North Dakota State13 Livingston15 Hampton17 Texas A&I20 Morningside | Dropped: 11 Southern Connecticut State13 California (PA)14 Indiana Central15 Portland State | Dropped: 6 Cal State Hayward18 South Dakota State | Dropped: 12 St. Cloud State15 Butler17 Clarion20 Abilene Christian | Dropped: 12 North Dakota State16 Valparaiso | Dropped: 12 Winston–Salem State13 Norfolk State14 Northern Michigan20 Millersville | Dropped: 15 Albany State | Dropped: 16 Cal State Hayward17 West Chester | Dropped: 19 Indiana Central | |