KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The final Netting Professionals NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 sees five Frontier Conference teams ranked inside the top 25, announced by the national office Sunday evening as the postseason gets underway next weekend for the NAIA Football Championship Series First Round.
Montana Tech was one of the top four teams that held steady in the final release, while Dakota State (S.D.) climbed into the top 25 at No. 24.
Several teams climbed in the final edition, but none as much as the four-spot jump from the College of Idaho from No. 13 to No. 9.
The Orediggers finished their regular season with an undefeated 11-0 record and ranked at No. 4, breaking away the tie with Friends (Kan.), which is also 11-0 and at No. 5. Tech collected 388 points to the final regular-season national poll. Montana Tech shut down Valley City State (N.D.) 41-0 in the regular-season finale to clinch the Frontier East Division outright title and will remain at home for the postseason action on Nov. 29.
College of Idaho rallied back to defeat Southern Oregon 24-21 in the final regular-season action last Saturday. The Yotes finished their regular season with a 9-1 record and earned the Frontier West Division outright title with 6-0 record. C of I collected 308 points and earned a first-round bye as the No. 8 national seed.
Carroll held on to a 13-0 shutout victory over Eastern Oregon in the regular-season finale on Saturday. The Saints improved their overall record to 8-2 and tallied 251 points to the national poll. They finished the regular season ranked 13th.
Montana Western moved up one spot from No. 18 to No. 17 with an overall record of 7-3 and 219 points. The Bulldogs were off on their regular-season finale.
Dakota State entered the NAIA’s top 25 national poll after winning its fifth consecutive game and seventh win in the past eight games. The Trojans are 8-2 overall, collecting 102 points to the national poll. View the complete poll.
UMW and DaSU did not advance to the NAIA Football Championship Series (FCS).
