2021 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings

The 2021 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) football rankings consists of two human polls, in addition to various publications' preseason polls. Unlike the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), college football's governing body, the NCAA, bestows the national championship title through a 24-team tournament.[1] The following weekly polls determine the top 25 teams at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level of college football for the 2021 season. The STATS poll is voted by media members while the Coaches' Poll is determined by coaches at the FCS level.

2021 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings
Season2021
PostseasonSingle-elimination
NCAA Division I FCS football rankings
2022 →

Legend

Legend
 Increase in ranking
 Decrease in ranking
 Not ranked previous week
 Selected for NCAA FCS Playoffs
(Italics) Number of first place votes
(#–#) Win–loss record
т Tied with team above or below also with this symbol

STATS poll

Preseason
August 18[2]
Week 1
September 6[3]
Week 2
September 13[4]
Week 3
September 20[5]
Week 4
September 27[6]
Week 5
October 4[7]
Week 6
October 11[8]
Week 7
October 18[9]
Week 8
October 25[10]
Week 9
November 1[11]
Week 10
November 8[12]
Week 11
November 15[13]
Week 12
November 22[14]
Final
January 10[15]
1.Sam Houston State (39)Sam Houston State (1–0) (32)Sam Houston State (2–0) (33)Sam Houston State (2–0) (31)Sam Houston State (3–0) (32)Sam Houston State (4–0) (29)Sam Houston State (5–0) (39)Sam Houston State (5–0) (35)Sam Houston State (6–0) (44)Sam Houston State (7–0) (40)Sam Houston State (8–0) (50)Sam Houston State (9–0) (50)Sam Houston State (10–0) (49)North Dakota State (14–1) (50)1.
2.James Madison (8)South Dakota State (1–0) (11)South Dakota State (2–0) (9)South Dakota State (2–0) (8)South Dakota State (3–0) (10)South Dakota State (4–0) (15)Eastern Washington (6–0) (9)Eastern Washington (7–0) (14)North Dakota State (7–0) (6)North Dakota State (8–0) (10)James Madison (8–1)James Madison (9–1)James Madison (10–1)Montana State (12–3)2.
3.South Dakota State (4)James Madison (1–0) (2)James Madison (2–0) (5)James Madison (3–0) (9)James Madison (3–0) (5)James Madison (4–0) (6)North Dakota State (5–0) (2)North Dakota State (6–0) (1)Southern Illinois (6–1)James Madison (7–1)Montana State (8–1)Montana State (9–1)North Dakota State (10–1) (1)James Madison (12–2)3.
4.North Dakota StateMontana (1–0) (5)Montana (2–0) (3)Montana (2–0) (2)Montana (3–0) (3)Eastern Washington (5–0)Southern Illinois (5–1)Southern Illinois (6–1)Villanova (6–1)Montana State (7–1)South Dakota State (7–2)North Dakota State (9–1)Eastern Washington (9–2)South Dakota State (11–4)4.
5.DelawareNorth Dakota State (1–0)North Dakota State (2–0)North Dakota State (3–0)North Dakota State (3–0)North Dakota State (4–0)Montana (4–1)Villanova (5–1)James Madison (6–1)Eastern Washington (7–1)North Dakota State (8–1)Eastern Washington (8–2)Montana (9–2)Sam Houston State (11–1)5.
6.Weber StateDelaware (1–0)Delaware (2–0)Eastern Washington (3–0)Eastern Washington (4–0)Montana (3–1)Villanova (4–1)South Dakota State (5–1)Montana State (7–1)Southeastern Louisiana (7–1)UC Davis (8–1)Villanova (8–2)Villanova (9–2)Montana (10–3)6.
7.Southern IllinoisEastern Washington (1–0)Eastern Washington (2–0)Southern Illinois (2–1)Southern Illinois (3–1)UC Davis (5–0)South Dakota State (4–1)James Madison (5–1)Eastern Washington (7–1)Southern Illinois (6–2)Eastern Washington (7–2)Montana (8–2)Montana State (9–2)Eastern Washington (10–3)7.
8.North DakotaSouthern Illinois (1–0)Southern Illinois (1–1)Delaware (2–1)UC Davis (4–0)Southern Illinois (4–1)James Madison (4–1)Montana State (6–1)Southeastern Louisiana (6–1)UC Davis (7–1)Villanova (7–2)East Tennessee State (9–1)Sacramento State (9–2)Villanova (10–3)8.
9.MontanaNorth Dakota (1–0)Weber State (1–1)Jacksonville State (2–1)Delaware (2–1)Delaware (3–1)Montana State (5–1)Southeastern Louisiana (5–1)UC Davis (7–1)South Dakota State (6–2)Montana (7–2)Kennesaw State (9–1)East Tennessee State (10–1)East Tennessee State (11–2)9.
10.Jacksonville StateWeber State (0–1)Jacksonville State (1–1)North Dakota (2–1)North Dakota (2–1)Montana State (4–1)East Tennessee State (6–0)UC Davis (6–1)South Dakota State (5–2)Villanova (6–2)Kennesaw State (8–1)UC Davis (8–2)Kennesaw State (10–1)Sacramento State (9–3)10.
11.Eastern WashingtonMontana State (0–1)North Dakota (1–1)Villanova (3–0)Montana State (3–1)Villanova (3–1)Southeastern Louisiana (4–1)Montana (4–2)Montana (5–2)Montana (6–2)East Tennessee State (8–1)Sacramento State (8–2)South Dakota State (8–3)Kennesaw State (11–2)11.
12.Montana StateVillanova (1–0)Villanova (2–0)UC Davis (3–0)Villanova (3–1)East Tennessee State (5–0)Rhode Island (5–0)Kennesaw State (5–1)Kennesaw State (6–1)Kennesaw State (7–1)Sacramento State (7–2)South Dakota State (7–3)Missouri State (8–3)Incarnate Word (10–3)12.
13.MonmouthSoutheastern Louisiana (1–0)Montana State (1–1)Montana State (2–1)East Tennessee State (4–0)North Dakota (2–2)UC Davis (5–1)UT Martin (5–1)East Tennessee State (7–1) тNorthern Iowa (5–3)UT Martin (8–1)UT Martin (9–1)Incarnate Word (9–2)UT Martin (10–3)13.
14.Central ArkansasUC Davis (1–0)UC Davis (2–0)Weber State (1–2)Southeastern Louisiana (2–1)Southeastern Louisiana (3–1)Delaware (3–2)East Tennessee State (6–1)UT Martin (6–1) тEast Tennessee State (7–1)Southeastern Louisiana (7–2)Missouri State (7–3)UC Davis (8–3)Missouri State (8–4)14.
15.Southeastern LouisianaEast Tennessee State (1–0)Southeastern Louisiana (1–1)East Tennessee State (3–0)Northern Iowa (2–1)Missouri State (3–1)Kennesaw State (4–1)South Dakota (5–2)Sacramento State (5–2)UT Martin (7–1)Southern Illinois (6–3)Southeastern Louisiana (8–2)Jackson State (10–1)Southeastern Louisiana (9–4)15.
16.VillanovaJacksonville State (0–1)East Tennessee State (2–0)Southeastern Louisiana (2–1)Missouri State (2–1)Northern Iowa (3–1)Northern Iowa (3–2)Incarnate Word (5–1)Northern Iowa (4–3)Sacramento State (6–2)Missouri State (6–3)South Dakota (7–3)UT Martin (9–2)Southern Illinois (8–5)16.
17.VMIAustin Peay (1–0)Missouri State (1–1)Northern Iowa (2–1)Jacksonville State (2–2)Kennesaw State (3–1)UT Martin (4–1)Missouri State (4–2)Missouri State (4–3)Missouri State (5–3)Incarnate Word (7–2)Southern Illinois (7–3)South Dakota (7–4)UC Davis (8–4)17.
18.ChattanoogaVMI (1–0)Northern Iowa (1–1)Missouri State (1–1)VMI (3–1)Rhode Island (4–0)Incarnate Word (4–1)Rhode Island (5–1)VMI (5–2)VMI (6–2)Jackson State (8–1)Incarnate Word (8–2)Southeastern Louisiana (8–3)South Dakota (7–5)18.
19.Kennesaw StateCentral Arkansas (0–1)Austin Peay (1–1)Austin Peay (2–1)Weber State (1–3)Weber State (2–3)Weber State (2–3)Sacramento State (4–2)Princeton (6–0)Jackson State (7–1)South Dakota (6–3)Jackson State (9–1)Dartmouth (9–1)Holy Cross (10–3)19.
20.Austin PeayMonmouth (0–1)Monmouth (1–1)Monmouth (2–1)Kennesaw State (2–1)Incarnate Word (4–1)Missouri State (3–2)Northern Iowa (3–3)Jackson State (6–1)Princeton (7–0) тNorthern Iowa (5–4)Dartmouth (8–1)Stephen F. Austin (8–3)Dartmouth (9–1)20.
21.Northern IowaNorthern Iowa (0–1)Richmond (2–0)New Hampshire (3–0)Rhode Island (3–0)UT Martin (3–1)South Dakota (4–2)VMI (5–2)South Dakota (5–3)William & Mary (6–2) тVMI (6–3)Mercer (7–2)Southern Illinois (7–4)Stephen F. Austin (8–4)21.
22.NichollsKennesaw State (1–0)VMI (1–1)VMI (2–1)Richmond (2–2)New Hampshire (3–2)North Dakota (2–3)Princeton (5–0)Incarnate Word (5–2)Incarnate Word (6–2)Chattanooga (6–3) тStephen F. Austin (7–3)Florida A&M (9–2)Jackson State (11–2)22.
23.UC DavisMissouri State (0–1)New Hampshire (2–0)Kennesaw State (2–1)UT Martin (3–1)Stephen F. Austin (3–2)New Hampshire (3–2)Delaware (3–3)Weber State (3–4)South Dakota (5–3)Dartmouth (7–1) тFlorida A&M (8–2)Princeton (9–1)Northern Iowa (6–6)23.
24.Missouri StateHoly Cross (1–0)Kennesaw State (1–1)Richmond (2–1)Incarnate Word (3–1)Jacksonville State (2–3)Jacksonville State (3–3)Jackson State (5–1)Rhode Island (5–2)Weber State (4–4)Prairie View A&M (7–1)Princeton (8–1)Holy Cross (9–2)Princeton (9–1)24.
25.North Carolina A&TRichmond (1–0)Central Arkansas (0–2)Central Arkansas (1–2)New Hampshire (3–1)Nicholls (2–2)Princeton (4–0)Dartmouth (5–0)Eastern Kentucky (5–2)Eastern Kentucky (6–2)William & Mary (6–3)Rhode Island (7–3)Mercer (7–3)Florida A&M (9–3)25.
Preseason
August 18[2]
Week 1
September 6[3]
Week 2
September 13[4]
Week 3
September 20[5]
Week 4
September 27[6]
Week 5
October 4[7]
Week 6
October 11[8]
Week 7
October 18[9]
Week 8
October 25[10]
Week 9
November 1[11]
Week 10
November 8[12]
Week 11
November 15[13]
Week 12
November 22[14]
Final
January 10[15]
Dropped:
  • No. 18 Chattanooga
  • No. 22 Nicholls
  • No. 25 North Carolina A&T
Dropped:
No. 24 Holy Cross
NoneDropped:
  • No. 19 Austin Peay
  • No. 20 Monmouth
  • No. 25 Central Arkansas
Dropped:
  • No. 18 VMI
  • No. 22 Richmond
Dropped:
  • No. 23 Stephen F. Austin
  • No. 25 Nicholls
Dropped:
  • No. 19 Weber State
  • No. 22 North Dakota
  • No. 23 New Hampshire
  • No. 24 Jacksonville State
Dropped:
  • No. 23 Delaware
  • No. 25 Dartmouth
Dropped:
  • No. 24 Rhode Island
Dropped:
  • No. 20т Princeton
  • No. 24 Weber State
  • No. 25 Eastern Kentucky
Dropped:
  • No. 20 Northern Iowa
  • No. 21 VMI
  • No. 22т Chattanooga
  • No. 24 Prairie View A&M
  • No. 25 William & Mary
Dropped:
  • No. 25 Rhode Island
Dropped:
  • No. 25 Mercer

Coaches' poll

Preseason
August 16[16]
Week 1
September 7[17]
Week 2
September 13[18]
Week 3
September 20[19]
Week 4
September 27[20]
Week 5
October 4[21]
Week 6
October 11[22]
Week 7
October 18[23]
Week 8
October 25, 2021[24]
Week 9
November 1[25]
Week 10
November 8[26]
Week 11
November 15[27]
Week 12
November 22[28]
Final
January 10, 2022[29]
1.Sam Houston State (18)Sam Houston State (1–0) (23)Sam Houston State (2–0) (25)Sam Houston State (2–0) (24)Sam Houston State (3–0) (26)Sam Houston State (4–0) (24)Sam Houston State (5–0) (27)Sam Houston State (5–0) (26)Sam Houston State (6–0) (27)Sam Houston State (7–0) (27)Sam Houston State (8–0) (28)Sam Houston State (9–0) (27)Sam Houston State (10–0) (27)North Dakota State (14–1) (24)1.
2.James Madison (9)James Madison (1–0) (1)James Madison (2–0) (1)James Madison (3–0) (3)James Madison (3–0) (1)James Madison (4–0) (1)Eastern Washington (6–0) (1)Eastern Washington (7–0) (2)North Dakota State (7–0)North Dakota State (8–0)James Madison (8–1)James Madison (9–1)James Madison (10–1)Montana State (12–3)2.
3.North Dakota StateSouth Dakota State (1–0) (3)South Dakota State (2–0) (2)South Dakota State (2–0) (1)South Dakota State (3–0) (1)South Dakota State (4–0) (1)North Dakota State (5–0)North Dakota State (6–0)Southern Illinois (6–1)James Madison (7–1)Montana State (8–1)Montana State (9–1) (1)North Dakota State (10–1)James Madison (12–2)3.
4.South Dakota State (1)North Dakota State (1–0)North Dakota State (2–0)Montana (2–0)Montana (3–0)Eastern Washington (5–0) (2)Southern Illinois (5–1)Southern Illinois (6–1)Villanova (6–1)Montana State (7–1)UC Davis (8–1)North Dakota State (9–1)Kennesaw State (10–1)Sam Houston State (11–1)4.
5.DelawareMontana (1–0) (1)Montana (2–0)North Dakota State (3–0)North Dakota State (4–0)North Dakota State (4–0)Villanova (4–1)Villanova (5–1)James Madison (6–1)Eastern Washington (7–1)Kennesaw State (8–1)Kennesaw State (9–1)Montana (9–2)South Dakota State (11–4)5.
6.Weber StateDelaware (1–0)Eastern Washington (2–0)Eastern Washington (3–0)Eastern Washington (4–0)Montana (3–1)Montana (4–1)James Madison (5–1)Montana State (7–1)Southeastern Louisiana (7–1)North Dakota State (8–1)Eastern Washington (8–2)Eastern Washington (9–2)Montana (10–3)6.
7.North DakotaNorth Dakota (1–0)Delaware (2–0)Villanova (3–0)Southern Illinois (3–1)Southern Illinois (4–1)James Madison (4–1)South Dakota State (5–1)Eastern Washington (7–1)UC Davis (7–1)South Dakota State (7–2)Montana (8–2)Villanova (9–2)East Tennessee State (11–2)7.
8.Jacksonville StateEastern Washington (1–0)Weber State (1–1)Southern Illinois (2–1)UC Davis (4–0)UC Davis (5–0)South Dakota State (4–1)Montana State (6–1)Southeastern Louisiana (6–1)Kennesaw State (7–1)Eastern Washington (7–2)UT Martin (9–1)East Tennessee State (10–1)Villanova (10–3)8.
9.MontanaSouthern Illinois (1–0)Southern Illinois (1–1) тJacksonville State (2–1)Villanova (3–1)Villanova (3–1)Montana State (5–1)Southeastern Louisiana (5–1)UC Davis (7–1)Southern Illinois (6–2)Montana (7–2)Villanova (8–2)Montana State (9–2)Eastern Washington (10–3)9.
10.Southern IllinoisWeber State (0–1)Villanova (2–0) тUC Davis (3–0)Delaware (2–1)Delaware (3–1)East Tennessee State (6–0)UC Davis (6–1)Kennesaw State (6–1)Montana (6–2)UT Martin (8–1)East Tennessee State (9–1)Missouri State (8–3)Kennesaw State (11–2)10.
11.Montana StateVillanova (1–0)Jacksonville State (1–1)Delaware (2–1)North Dakota (2–1)Montana State (4–1)Southeastern Louisiana (4–1)Kennesaw State (5–1)Montana (5–2)UT Martin (7–1)Villanova (7–2)UC Davis (8–2)South Dakota State (8–3)Sacramento State (9–3)11.
12.MonmouthUC Davis (1–0)UC Davis (2–0)Montana State (2–1)Montana State (3–1)Northern Iowa (3–1)UC Davis (5–1)Montana (4–2)UT Martin (6–1)South Dakota State (6–2)East Tennessee State (8–1)Southeastern Louisiana (8–2)Sacramento State (9–2)UT Martin (10–3)12.
13.Central ArkansasMontana State (0–1)Montana State (1–1)North Dakota (2–1)Northern Iowa (2–1)East Tennessee State (5–0)Kennesaw State (4–1)UT Martin (5–1)South Dakota State (5–2)Villanova (6–2)Southeastern Louisiana (7–2)South Dakota State (7–3)UT Martin (9–2)Incarnate Word (10–3)13.
14.Eastern WashingtonSoutheastern Louisiana (1–0)North Dakota (1–1)Northern Iowa (2–1)East Tennessee State (4–0)Southeastern Louisiana (3–1)Rhode Island (5–0)East Tennessee State (6–1)East Tennessee State (7–1)East Tennessee State (7–1)Missouri State (6–3)Missouri State (7–3)Jackson State (10–1)Missouri State (8–4)14.
15.VillanovaNorthern Iowa (0–1)Northern Iowa (1–1)Weber State (1–2)Southeastern Louisiana (2–1)North Dakota (2–2)Delaware (3–2)South Dakota (5–2)Princeton (6–0)Northern Iowa (5–3)Jackson State (8–1)Southern Illinois (7–3)Incarnate Word (9–2)Southeastern Louisiana (9–4)15.
16.Northern IowaCentral Arkansas (0–1)Southeastern Louisiana (1–1)Southeastern Louisiana (2–1)Missouri State (2–1)Missouri State (3–1)UT Martin (4–1)Harvard (5–0)Jackson State (6–1)Princeton (7–0)Southern Illinois (6–3)South Dakota (7–3)UC Davis (8–3)UC Davis (8–4)16.
17.Southeastern LouisianaJacksonville State (0–1)East Tennessee State (2–0)East Tennessee State (3–0)Jacksonville State (2–2)Kennesaw State (3–1)Northern Iowa (3–2)Princeton (5–0)Northern Iowa (4–3)Jackson State (7–1)South Dakota (6–3)Jackson State (9–1)Southeastern Louisiana (8–3)Southern Illinois (8–5)17.
18.ChattanoogaAustin Peay (1–0)Richmond (2–0)Missouri State (3–0)Weber State (1–3)Weber State (2–3)Weber State (2–3)Missouri State (4–2)VMI (5–2)VMI (6–2)Sacramento State (7–2)Sacramento State (8–2)Princeton (9–1)Stephen F. Austin (8–4)18.
19.VMIEast Tennessee State (1–0)Missouri State (1–1)Monmouth (2–1)Chattanooga (1–2)Chattanooga (2–2)Harvard (4–0)Rhode Island (5–1)Eastern Kentucky (5–2)Eastern Kentucky (6–2)Chattanooga (6–3)Incarnate Word (8–2)Stephen F. Austin (8–3)Jackson State (11–2)19.
20.Kennesaw StateVMI (1–0)Monmouth (1–1)Austin Peay (2–1)Kennesaw State (2–1)Rhode Island (4–0)Princeton (4–0)Jackson State (5–1)Missouri State (4–3)Missouri State (5–3)VMI (6–3)Princeton (8–1)Dartmouth (9–1) тSouth Dakota (7–5)20.
21.UC DavisMonmouth (0–1)Austin Peay (1–1)Richmond (2–1)Richmond (2–2)UT Martin (3–1)South Dakota (4–2)Jacksonville State (3–3)Harvard (5–1)South Dakota (5–3)Incarnate Word (7–2)Dartmouth (8–1)South Dakota (7–4) тPrinceton (9–1)21.
22.RichmondRichmond (1–0)Chattanooga (1–1)New Hampshire (3–0)VMI (3–1)Harvard (3–0) тJacksonville State (3–3)Eastern Kentucky (5–2)South Dakota (5–3)Sacramento State (6–2)Princeton (7–1)Stephen F. Austin (7–3)Florida A&M (9–2)Holy Cross (10–3)22.
23.NichollsKennesaw State (1–0)New Hampshire (2–0)Chattanooga (1–2)Rhode Island (3–0)Jacksonville State (2–3) тMissouri State (3–2)VMI (5–2)Sacramento State (5–2) тWilliam & Mary (6–2)Dartmouth (7–1)Mercer (7–2)Southern Illinois (7–4)Dartmouth (9–1)23.
24.North Carolina A&TChattanooga (0–1)Central Arkansas (0–2)Central Arkansas (1–2) тHoly Cross (3–1) тPrinceton (3–0)North Dakota (2–3)Northern Iowa (3–3)Weber State (3–4) тWeber State (4–4)Northern Iowa (5–4)Monmouth (7–3)Holy Cross (9–2)Florida A&M (9–3)24.
25.Austin PeayMissouri State (0–1)Furman (2–0)Kennesaw State (2–1) тUT Martin (3–1) тMonmouth (3–2)Jackson State (4–1)Delaware (3–3)Rhode Island (5–2)Chattanooga (5–3)Eastern Kentucky (6–3)Florida A&M (8–2)Northern Iowa (6–5)Northern Iowa (6–6)25.
Preseason
August 16[16]
Week 1
September 7[17]
Week 2
September 13[18]
Week 3
September 20[19]
Week 4
September 27[20]
Week 5
October 4[21]
Week 6
October 11[22]
Week 7
October 18[23]
Week 8
October 25, 2021[24]
Week 9
November 1[25]
Week 10
November 8[26]
Week 11
November 15[27]
Week 12
November 22[28]
Final
January 10, 2022[29]
Dropped:
  • No. 23 Nicholls
  • No. 24 North Carolina A&T
Dropped:
  • No. 20 VMI
  • No. 23 Kennesaw State
Dropped:
  • No. 25 Furman
Dropped:
  • No. 19 Monmouth
  • No. 20 Austin Peay
  • No. 22 New Hampshire
  • No. 24т Central Arkansas
Dropped:
  • No. 21 Richmond
  • No. 22 VMI
  • No. 24т Holy Cross
Dropped:
  • No. 19 Chattanooga
  • No. 25 Monmouth
Dropped:
  • No. 18 Weber State
  • No. 24 North Dakota
Dropped:
  • No. 21 Jacksonville State
  • No. 25 Delaware
Dropped:
  • No. 21 Harvard
  • No. 25 Rhode Island
Dropped:
  • No. 23 William & Mary
  • No. 24 Weber State
Dropped:
  • No. 19 Chattanooga
  • No 20. VMI
  • No. 24 Northern Iowa
  • No. 25 Eastern Kentucky
Dropped:
  • No. 23 Mercer
  • No. 24 Monmouth
None

References