WACO, TEX. – Four Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) football programs are ranked inside the Top 25 of 2016 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coaches' Poll after seven weeks of action, including Ferris State who rejoins the rankings at No. 25.
Grand Valley State improved to a perfect 7-0 record after a 41-3 pounding of Truman State from the GLVC. The Lakers remain at No. 2 for the sixth straight week prior to a road tilt at Hillsdale next Saturday. Ashland remained at No. 11 for the second consecutive week following a 63-6 dissecting of Lake Erie on the road as the Eagles moved to 6-1 on the season.
Wayne State moved up three spots to No. 22 in the coaches' poll after a dominant 47-14 performance and face upstart Saginaw Valley in Week 8. Ferris State spent just one week outside the Top 25 and will enter Week 8 as the No. 25-ranked team in Division II after a 45-23 victory over Northern Michigan thanks to four Reggie Bell rushing touchdowns. The Bulldogs are now 5-2 on the year and await Lake Erie this upcoming weekend.
| 2016 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches' Poll – October 17, 2016 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Rec. | Pts. | Prev. | Week 7 | Next Game |
| 1. | NW Missouri St. (30) | 7-0 | 750 | 1 | D. Northeastern St., 74-29 | Oct. 22 at Lindenwood |
| 2. | Grand Valley State | 7-0 | 717 | 2 | D. Truman St. (Mo.), 41-3 | Oct. 22 at Hillsdale |
| 3. | Shepherd | 6-0 | 689 | 3 | D. West Virginia St., 70-24 | Oct. 22 vs. Concord |
| 4. | Midwestern St. | 6-0 | 660 | 4 | D. Angelo St. (Texas), 28-21 | Oct. 22 at West Texas A&M |
| 5. | Tuskegee (Ala.) | 6-0 | 619 | 5 | Idle | Oct. 22 vs. Kentucky St. |
| 6. | Sioux Falls | 7-0 | 596 | 6 | D. Winona St., 41-30 | Oct. 22 vs. Concordia-St. Paul |
| 7. | Harding (Ark.) | 7-0 | 537 | 8 | D. SE Oklahoma St., 63-17 | Oct. 20 at East Central |
| 8. | California (Pa.) | 6-0 | 536 | 7 | D. Clarion (Pa.), 48-20 | Oct. 22 vs. Gannon |
| 9. | Texas A&M-Commerce | 5-1 | 496 | 9 | D. Western New Mexico, 38-24 | Oct. 22 at Angelo St. |
| 10. | North Alabama | 4-1 | 494 | 10 | D. Shorter (Ga.), 45-0 | Oct. 22 vs. North Greenville |
| 11. | Ashland | 6-1 | 458 | 11 | D. Lake Erie, 63-6 | Oct. 22 at Ky. Wesleyan |
| 12. | Emporia St. | 6-1 | 390 | 12 | D. Lindenwood, 35-28 | Oct. 22 at Pittsburg St. |
| 13. | Indiana (Pa.) | 5-1 | 387 | 13 | D. No. 16 Slippery Rock, 48-19 | Oct. 22 vs. Clarion |
| 14. | LIU-Post (N.Y.) | 7-0 | 343 | 14 | D. S. Connecticut St., 30-23 | Oct. 22 vs. American Int'l |
| 15. | Henderson St. | 6-1 | 333 | 15 | D. Arkansas-Monticello, 45-17 | Oct. 22 at S. Arkansas |
| 16. | Valdosta St. | 5-1 | 294 | 17 | D. Mississippi College, 42-41 | Oct. 22 vs. Delta St. |
| 17. | Azusa Pacific | 6-1 | 239 | 19 | D. Humboldt St., 45-13 | Oct. 22 at Simon Fraser |
| 18. | Assumption | 6-1 | 230 | 18 | D. St. Anselm (N.H.), 39-14 | Oct. 22 at New Haven |
| 19. | Florida Tech | 5-1 | 203 | 20 | D. Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 48-14 | Oct. 22 at West Alabama |
| 20. | UNC-Pembroke | 6-1 | 181 | 21 | D. Kentucky Wesleyan, 43-20 | Oct. 22 vs. Catawba |
| 21. | Bemidji St. | 6-1 | 148 | 22 | D. Minot St. (N.D.), 52-28 | Oct. 22 at No. 24 Minn.-Duluth |
| 22. | Wayne State | 6-1 | 141 | 25 | D. Walsh, 47-14 | Oct. 22 vs. Saginaw Valley |
| 23. | Fairmont St. | 7-0 | 87 | NR | D. Charleston (W.Va.), 21-13 | Oct. 22 at Virginia-Wise |
| 24. | Minnesota-Duluth | 6-1 | 56 | NR | D. Northern St. (S.D.), 39-19 | Oct. 22 vs. No. 21 Bemidji St. |
| 25. | Ferris State | 5-2 | 53 | NR | D. N. Michigan, 45-23 | Oct. 22 vs. Lake Erie |
