The Ashland football team is in the top-25 after the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) NCAA Division II Coaches' Poll was released on Tuesday.
The poll has the Eagles slotted at number 20 after upsetting No. 10 Notre Dame College, 31-14 on Thursday. The loss dropped Notre Dame to No. 21 in the rankings.
This is Ashland's first time in the AFCA poll since the 2019 preseason and the highest ranking for the Eagles since Sept. 2018.
While Ashland is the only Great Midwest team represented in the top 25, both Tiffin and Ohio Dominican are receiving votes. In week one, Ohio Dominican defeated the defending Great Midwest Champions Findlay, 28-14 and Tiffin pitched a, 42-0, shutout against conference foe Walsh.
| Rank |
School (1st votes) |
Season Opener |
Next Game |
| 1 |
Ferris St. (Mich.) (28) |
D. Central Washington, 36-20 |
Sept. 10 at No. 14 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) |
| 2 |
Northwest Missouri St. |
D. Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 33-19 |
Sept. 10 at Lincoln (Mo.) |
| 3 |
Valdosta St. (Ga.) |
D. Keiser (Fla.), 36-21 |
Sept. 10 vs. Virginia Union |
| 4 |
Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (1) |
D. No. 4 Co. School of Mines, 25-22 |
Sept. 10 at No. 21t Colorado St.-Pueblo |
| 5 |
Shepherd (W.Va.) |
D. Southern Connecticut St., 48-7 |
Sept. 10 vs. Edinboro (Pa.) |
| 6 |
Angelo St. (Tex.) |
D. Chadron St. (Neb.), 35-0 |
Sept. 10 at No. 12 Colorado School of Mines |
| 7 |
West Florida (1) |
D. Warner (Fla.), 52-3 |
Sept. 10 at Southwest Baptist (Mo.) |
| 8 |
Harding (Ark.) |
D. East Central (Okla.), 29-12 |
Sept. 10 vs. Southeastern Oklahoma St. |
| 9 |
Bowie St. (Md.) |
D. No. 16 New Haven (Conn.), 27-20 |
Sept. 10 at Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) |
| 10 |
West Georgia |
D. Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 38-7 |
Sept. 10 at Morehouse (Ga.) |
| 11 |
Nebraska-Kearney |
D. Missouri Southern, 24-7 |
Sept. 8 vs. Pittsburg St. (Kan.) |
| 12 |
Co. School of Mines |
Lost to No. 5 GVSU (Mich.), 25-22 |
Sept. 10 vs. No. 6 Angelo St. (Tex.) |
| 13 |
Newberry (S.C.) |
D. Allen (S.C.), 40-6 |
Sept. 10 at North Greenville (S.C.) |
| 14 |
Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) |
D. Virginia St., 38-19 |
Sept. 10 vs. No. 1 Ferris St. (Mich.) |
| 15 |
Albany St. (Ga.) |
D. Mississippi College, 28-14 |
Sept. 10 at Florida A&M |
| 16 |
Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) |
D. Oklahoma Baptist, 42-32 |
Sept. 10 vs. Southern Nazarene (Okla.) |
| 17 |
California (Pa.) |
D. Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 35-15 |
Sept. 10 at Kutztown (Pa.) |
| 18 |
Slippery Rock (Pa.) |
D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 42-10 |
Sept. 10 at West Chester (Pa.) |
| 19 |
Augustana (S.D.) |
D. Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.), 28-14 |
Sept. 10 vs. Bemidji St. (Minn.) |
| 20 |
Ashland (Ohio) |
D. No. 10 Notre Dame (Ohio), 31-14 |
Sept. 10 at Findlay (Ohio) |
| 21t. |
Colorado St.-Pueblo |
D. No. 24 Midwestern St. (Tex.), 59-27 |
Sept. 10 vs. No. 4 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) |
| 21t. |
Notre Dame (Ohio) |
Lost to Ashland (Ohio), 31-14 |
Sept. 10 vs. Wheeling (W.Va.) |
| 23 |
West Texas A&M |
D. No. 17 Western Colorado, 44-6 |
Sept. 10 at Adams St. (Colo.) |
| 24 |
New Haven (Conn.) |
Lost to No. 8 Bowie St. (Md.), 27-20 |
Sept. 10 vs. Southern Connecticut |
| 25 |
Indianapolis (Ind.) |
D. Saint Xavier (Ill.), 57-0 |
Sept. 10 at Tiffin (Ohio) |
Dropped Out: Kutztown (Pa.) (13), Western Colorado (17), Bemidji St. (Minn.) (22), Midwestern St. (Tex.) (24)=
Others Receiving Votes: Washburn (Kan.), 56; Kutztown (Pa.), 53; Minnesota St., 53; Pittsburg St. (Kan.), 52; Frostburg St. (Md.), 42; Minnesota-Duluth, 31; Tiffin (Ohio), 27; Western Colorado, 25; Henderson St. (Ark.), 23; Indiana (Pa.), 20; Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), 18; Virginia Union, 8; Bemidji St. (Minn.), 7; West Alabama, 7; Colorado Mesa, 4; Assumption (Mass.), 3; Ohio Dominican, 3; Missouri Western St., 1; Emporia St. (Kan.), 1.