The defending national champion North Dakota State University Bison are ranked No. 1 in the Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25. NDSU received 52 of the 54 first-place votes in the national media poll.
The Bison are returning 13 starters from last year’s team that won the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC) with a 7-1 conference record and 14-1 overall record.
The MVFC is well represented in the preseason poll including No. 1 North Dakota State (14-1), No. 2 South Dakota State (11-4), No. 5 Missouri State (8-4), No. 9 Southern Illinois (8-5), and No. 21 Northern Iowa (6-6).
2022 Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25
Team (First-Place Votes) 2021 W-L
1. North Dakota State (52) 14-1, 7-1 MVFC
2. South Dakota State (2) 11-4, 5-3 MVFC
3. Montana 10-3, 6-2 Big Sky
4. Montana State 12-3, 7-1 Big Sky
5. Missouri State 8-4, 6-2 MVFC
6. Villanova 10-3, 7-1 CAA
7. Sacramento State 9-3, 8-0 Big Sky
8. Kennesaw State 11-2, 6-0 Big South
9. Southern Illinois 8-5, 5-3 MVFC
10. Stephen F. Austin 8-4, 4-2 ASUN-WAC
11. East Tennessee State 11-2, 7-1 SoCon
12. Chattanooga 6-5, 5-3 SoCon
13. Eastern Washington 10-3, 6-2 Big Sky
14. Incarnate Word 10-3, 7-1 Southland
15. Jackson State 11-2, 8-0 SWAC
16. Holy Cross 10-3, 6-0 Patriot
17. Southeastern Louisiana 9-4, 6-2 Southland
18. Tennessee-Martin 10-3, 5-1 OVC
19. Delaware 5-6, 3-5 CAA
20. Weber State 6-5, 5-3 Big Sky
21. Northern Iowa 6-6, 4-4 MVFC
22. Rhode Island 7-4, 4-4 CAA
23. Mercer 7-3, 6-2 SoCon
24. Richmond 6-5, 4-4 CAA
25. UC Davis 8-4, 5-3 Big Sky
Others Receiving Votes: South Dakota (7-5, 5-3 Missouri Valley), Eastern Kentucky (7-4, 4-2 ASUN-WAC), Florida A&M (9-3, 7-1 SWAC), William & Mary (6-5, 4-4 CAA), Dartmouth (9-1, 6-1 Ivy), Monmouth (7-4, 6-1 Big South), Harvard (8-2, 5-2 Ivy), Princeton (9-1, 6-1 Ivy), Central Arkansas (5-6, 3-3 ASUN-WAC), Furman (6-5, 4-4 Southern), South Carolina State (7-5, 5-0 MEAC), Sacred Heart (8-4, 6-1 Northeast), Elon (6-5, 5-3 CAA), North Carolina A&T (5-6, 3-4 Big South)