FAYETTE, Iowa - The American Football Coaches Association released the 2026 AFCA Division II Coaches Poll on Tuesday. Upper Iowa received three votes in the poll, marking the first time the Peacocks have received votes in a preseason AFCA poll.Â
Reigning champions Ferris State (Mich.) were picked No. 1 with 31 first-place votes. The Bulldogs have won four out of the last five Division II National Championships.Â
UIndy was the top team from the GLVC, tying for ninth with 451 votes. Truman State (Mo.) received 13 votes in the poll. Other teams from UIU's region featured No. 5 Minnesota State, No. 9 Grand Valley State (Mich.), No. 12 Minnesota Duluth, No. 13 Ashland (Ohio), No. 16 Findlay (Ohio), No. 20 Augustana (S.D.), Northwood (Ohio) with 50 votes, Michigan Tech with 31 votes, and Davenport (Ohio) with two votes.Â
Upper Iowa faces three teams this season featured in Tuesday's poll. UIU heads back to Houghton, Michigan, for the second straight season to face Michigan Tech on Sept. 19. The Peacocks host Truman State for homecoming on Oct. 10 and UIndy for senior day on Nov. 14.Â
The Peacocks are coming off a 9-3 season in 2025, marking the most wins in a single season in program history. The 16 combined wins over the last two seasons are also the most in a two-season span for UIU. Upper Iowa finished last season by winning its first postseason game for the program, 37-28, over Hillsdale (Mich.) in the Albanese Candy Bowl.
UIU starts the season on Aug. 29 against Jamestown (N.D.) at Harms-Eischeid Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.
The full AFCA Preseason Coaches Poll can be found below.
| Rank |
School (1st votes) |
2025 Rec. |
Pts. |
2025 Rank |
Season Opener |
Head Coach |
|
| 1 |
Ferris St. (31) |
16-0 |
775 |
1 |
Aug. 27 at No. 4 Pittsburg St. |
Tony Annese |
|
| 2 |
Harding |
15-1 |
738 |
2 |
Sept. 3 vs. Northwestern Oklahoma St. |
Roddy Mote |
|
| 3 |
Kutztown |
14-1 |
684 |
3 |
Sept. 3 at Assumption |
Jim Clements |
|
| 4 |
Pittsburg St. |
10-3 |
647 |
6 |
Aug. 27 vs. No. 1 Ferris St. |
Tom Anthony |
|
| 5 |
Minnesota St. |
10-4 |
587 |
8 |
Aug. 27 at Colorado Mesa |
Todd Hoffner |
|
| 6 |
Colorado St.-Pueblo |
10-2 |
581 |
11 |
Aug. 27 vs. Central Missouri |
Philip Vigil |
|
| 7 |
Central Washington |
10-2 |
478 |
13 |
Sept. 5 at Cal Poly |
Scott Power |
|
| 8 |
Northwest Missouri St. |
9-3 |
470 |
17 |
Aug. 29 at Texas A&M-Kingsville |
John McMenamin |
|
| 9t. |
Grand Valley St. |
7-3 |
451 |
NR |
Aug. 27 at Charleston |
Scott Wooster |
|
| 9t. |
UIndy |
11-2 |
451 |
10 |
Aug. 27 vs. Marian |
Chris Keevers |
|
| 11 |
Western Colorado |
10-3 |
379 |
12 |
Aug. 27 at West Texas A&M |
Jas Bains |
|
| 12 |
Minnesota-Duluth |
10-2 |
372 |
16 |
Aug. 27 at Slippery Rock |
Curt Wiese |
|
| 13 |
Ashland |
10-3 |
328 |
15 |
Sept. 3 vs. No. 25 Indiana (Pa.) |
Doug Geiser |
|
| 14 |
Virginia Union |
9-3 |
318 |
21 |
Aug. 28 at Lenoir-Rhyne |
Alvin Parker |
|
| 15 |
Newberry |
12-2 |
276 |
4 |
Sept. 5 vs. Reinhardt |
Todd Knight |
|
| 16 |
Findlay |
10-2 |
250 |
19 |
Sept. 5 at No. 9t UIndy |
Tyler Johns |
|
| 17 |
Frostburg St. |
11-3 |
228 |
14 |
Sept. 5 at Shepherd |
Eric Wagoner |
|
| 18 |
UT Permian Basin |
11-3 |
197 |
5 |
Aug. 29 at UT Rio Grande Valley |
Chris Softley |
|
| 19 |
Wingate |
9-3 |
183 |
NR |
Aug. 27 at UNC Pembroke |
Rashaan Jordan |
|
| 20 |
Augustana (S.D.) |
9-2 |
181 |
25 |
Aug. 27 at Missouri Western |
Jerry Olszewski |
|
| 21 |
Albany St. |
12-2 |
172 |
7 |
Aug. 29 at Florida A&M |
David Bowser |
|
| 22 |
Western Oregon |
8-3 |
165 |
NR |
Aug. 29 at Colorado Mines |
Arne Ferguson |
|
| 23 |
Johnson C. Smith |
10-2 |
159 |
18 |
Aug. 29 at Benedict |
Maurice Flowers |
|
| 24 |
Ouachita Baptist |
7-4 |
146 |
NR |
Sept. 3 vs. East Central |
Todd Knight |
|
| 25 |
Indiana (Pa.) |
7-4 |
97 |
NR |
Sept. 3 at No. 13 Ashland |
Paul Tortorella |
|
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2025
Others Receiving Votes:Â Valdosta St., 86; Chadron St., 83; Central Oklahoma, 64; North Greenville, 61; Slippery Rock, 56; California (Pa.), 53; Northwood, 50; Delta St., 33; Michigan Tech, 31; Assumption, 29; Bentley, 27; Benedict, 25; Lenoir-Rhyne, 21; Colorado Mines, 18; Northeastern St., 16; Southern Arkansas, 14; Charleston, 13; Fort Hays St., 13; Truman St., 13; West Texas A&M, 10; UNC Pembroke, 8; Central Missouri, 7; Edward Waters, 7; Henderson St., 6; Angelo St., 4; East Stroudsburg, 4; Nebraska-Kearney, 4; Upper Iowa, 3; Davenport, 2; Carson-Newman, 1.
