FHSU Athletics
Fort Hays State was tabbed No. 20 in the D2Football.com Top 25 Poll released on Sunday (Aug. 17). It is the third time the Tigers will start the season in the Top 25 of the D2Football.com Top 25 Poll, the last being in 2019 when they were ranked No. 8 in the nation to start the year.
The Tigers will open their season with a Top 25 matchup in regards to the D2Football.com Top 25 Poll. The No. 20 Tigers play host to No. 12 ranked Angelo State on the evening of Thursday, August 28 in Hays. Angelo State is ranked in both preseason top 25 polls, holding the No. 13 spot in the AFCA poll. FHSU received the fourth-most votes among teams outside of the top 25 in the AFCA poll. Both FHSU and ASU went 8-3 overall last year.
The Tigers are among four MIAA teams ranked in the D2Football.com Preseason Top 25 Poll, joining No. 3 Central Oklahoma, No. 10 Pittsburg State, and No. 24 Central Missouri.
Fort Hays State was ranked No. 19 in the final regular season D2Football.com Poll last year, but with falling short of the playoffs, they were left out of the final top 25 released by D2Football.com last year. FHSU spent time in both the D2Football.com and AFCA Top 25 last year, holding a ranking in four of the D2Football.com releases and once in the AFCA poll.
Below is the D2Football.com Preseason Top 25 for August 17, 2025.
Rank Team 2024 Record 2024 Final Rank
1. Ferris State ⦁ 14-1 ⦁ 1
2. Harding ⦁ 12-2 ⦁ 4
3. Central Oklahoma ⦁ 11-2 ⦁ 8
4. Minnesota State ⦁ 11-4 ⦁ 5
5. Kutztown ⦁ 11-1 ⦁ 7
6. Grand Valley State ⦁ 11-2 ⦁ 6
7. CSU Pueblo ⦁ 10-2 ⦁ 11
8. Western Colorado ⦁ 11-2 ⦁ 13
9. Slippery Rock ⦁ 12-2 ⦁ 3
10. Pittsburg State ⦁ 8-3 ⦁ 14
11. West Florida ⦁ 7-3 ⦁ NR
12. Angelo State ⦁ 8-3 ⦁ 24
13. Ouachita Baptist ⦁ 10-2 ⦁ 15
14. Lenoir-Rhyne ⦁ 10-3 ⦁ 21
15. Indianapolis ⦁ 10-2 ⦁ 25
16. Augustana ⦁ 8-4 ⦁ 23
17. Valdosta State ⦁ 13-1 ⦁ 2
18. California (Pa.) ⦁ 10-3 ⦁ 10
19 Bemidji State ⦁ 10-4 ⦁ 9
20. Fort Hays State ⦁ 8-3 ⦁ NR
21. Virginia Union ⦁ 10-4 ⦁ 12
22. Charleston ⦁ 11-1 ⦁ 18
23. West Alabama ⦁ 9-2 ⦁ 18
24. Central Missouri ⦁ 9-3 ⦁ 17
25. Ashland ⦁ 9-4 ⦁ 20