FHSU Athletics
WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State Football continued to receive votes in the latest AFCA Top 25 Poll released on Monday. The Tigers received 18 voting points, the seventh-highest among the receiving votes list. Fort Hays State plays host to Pittsburg State this Saturday (Sept. 19) at 7 p.m.
This is the second-straight week the Tigers are receiving votes in the poll. FHSU briefly held the No. 25 ranking nationally in the AFCA poll for the week prior to the game with CSU Pueblo on September 3. The Tigers were No. 23 in the D2Football.com Poll that week, but the loss to then No. 5/9 ranked CSU Pueblo pushed the Tigers back down into the receiving votes list of the AFCA poll.
Fort Hays State's opponent this week, Pittsburg State, is 0-3 to start the season. The Gorillas were ranked No. 4 in the AFCA preseason poll, then fell to No. 10 after a loss to top-ranked Ferris State in their season opener. A loss to Emporia State pushed the Gorillas down to No. 25 in the AFCA poll the following week, and then a one-point loss at West Alabama last week took the Gorillas completely out of the poll.
Representing the MIAA in both the AFCA and D2Football.com Polls this week are Northwest Missouri State at No. 7/5 and Emporia State at No. 17/16. Both teams are still unbeaten, ESU at 3-0 and NWMSU at 2-0. Joining FHSU in the receiving votes list of the AFCA Poll is Central Oklahoma and Central Missouri.
AFCA Top 25 Poll for September 14, 2026
Rank School Record Pts. Prev
1 Ferris St. (31) 3-0 775 1
2 Harding 2-0 744 2
3 Kutztown 2-0 705 3
4 Minnesota St. 3-0 668 4
5 CSU Pueblo 3-0 653 5
6 Grand Valley St. 3-0 629 6
7 Northwest Missouri St. 2-0 589 7
8 Western Colorado 3-0 546 8
9 Findlay 2-0 505 10
10 Western Oregon 2-0 463 12
11 Slippery Rock 2-0 438 13
12 Indiana (Pa.) 2-0 402 14
13 Valdosta St. 3-0 374 16
14 Minnesota-Duluth 2-1 342 15
15 Northeastern St. 3-0 295 18
16 Central Washington 0-2 281 9
17 Emporia St. 3-0 258 24
18 West Alabama 3-0 210 NR
19 Benedict 2-0 206 21
20 Augustana (S.D.) 2-1 162 22
21 Newberry 1-1 125 11
22 Carson-Newman 3-0 122 NR
23 Frostburg St. 1-1 109 23
24 Davenport 3-0 107 NR
25t Michigan Tech 2-1 45 20
25t Northwood 2-0 45 NR
Receiving Votes: Lenoir-Rhyne, 43; UT Permian Basin, 37; Northern St., 35; California (Pa.), 29; Henderson St., 24; Ashland, 18; Fort Hays St., 18; UIndy, 18; North Greenville, 14; Virginia Union, 11; Shepherd, 10; Black Hills St., 6; Central Oklahoma, 5; Wayne St. (Neb.), 3; Central Missouri, 2; Walsh, 2; Colorado Mesa, 1; Concord, 1.