(STATS) – The STATS FCS Top 25 on Sunday landed a bit back where it started.
Not only did North Dakota State and James Madison remain No. 1 and 2, respectively – as they have since the preseason – but all 13 conferences had at least one team receiving votes in the national media poll for the first time since early September. Champions from 10 conferences were part of the Top 25.
The Big Sky and Missouri Valley conferences led the way with four teams each followed by the CAA with three. North Dakota State (12-0), the Missouri Valley champ and the two-time defending national champion, was a unanimous No. 1 and CAA champ James Madison received every second-place vote.
A national panel of sports information and media relations directors, broadcasters, writers and other dignitaries select the STATS FCS Top 25. A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.
A final poll will be released on Jan. 13 following the FCS playoffs.
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STATS FCS Top 25 (Nov. 24)
1. North Dakota State (12-0), 3,800 points (152 first-place votes)
Previous Ranking: 1; Last Week’s Result: 21-7 win over Southern Illinois
2. James Madison (11-1), 3,648
Previous Ranking: 2; Last Week’s Result: 55-21 win over Rhode Island
3. Sacramento State (9-3), 3,367
Previous Ranking: 4; Last Week’s Result: 27-17 win over UC Davis
4. Weber State (9-3), 3,340
Previous Ranking: 6; Last Week’s Result: 38-10 win over Idaho State
5. Montana State (9-3), 3,193
Previous Ranking: 8; Last Week’s Result: 48-14 win over Montana
6. Northern Iowa (8-4), 2,891
Previous Ranking: 9; Last Week’s Result: 38-7 win over Western Illinois
7. Montana (9-3), 2,745
Previous Ranking: 3; Last Week’s Result: 48-14 loss to Montana
8. Villanova (9-3), 2,526
Previous Ranking: 10; Last Week’s Result: 55-33 win over Delaware
9. Central Arkansas (9-3), 2,327
Previous Ranking: 11; Last Week’s Result: 52-35 win over UIW
10. South Dakota State (8-4), 2,326
Previous Ranking: 5; Last Week’s Result: 24-21 loss to South Dakota
11. Wofford (8-3), 2,036
Previous Ranking: 14; Last Week’s Result: 31-11 win over The Citadel
12. Southeast Missouri (9-3), 2,032
Previous Ranking: 13; Last Week’s Result: 31-24 win over Murray State
13. Illinois State (8-4), 1,956
Previous Ranking: 7; Last Week’s Result: 21-3 loss to Youngstown State
14. Monmouth (10-2), 1,953
Previous Ranking: 15; Last Week’s Result: 48-13 win over Hampton
15. Kennesaw State (10-2), 1,558
Previous Ranking: 16; Last Week’s Result: 42-14 win over Gardner-Webb
16. Furman (8-4), 1,511
Previous Ranking: 9; Last Week’s Result: 64-7 win over Point
17. Central Connecticut State (11-1), 1,458
Previous Ranking: 19; Last Week’s Result: 43-10 win over Duquesne
18. Austin Peay (9-3), 1,279
Previous Ranking: 20; Last Week’s Result: 35-7 win over Eastern Illinois
19. Nicholls (8-4), 1,063
Previous Ranking: 23; Last Week’s Result: 28-27 win over Southeastern Louisiana
20. Florida A&M (9-2), 869
Previous Ranking: 12; Last Week’s Result: 31-27 loss to Bethune-Cookman
21. Dartmouth (9-1), 732
Previous Ranking: 22; Last Week’s Result: 29-23 win over Brown
22. Yale (9-1), 445
Previous Ranking: 24; Last Week’s Result: 50-43, 2-OT win over Harvard
23. North Carolina A&T (8-3), 419
Previous Ranking: 25; Last Week’s Result: 54-0 win over North Carolina Central
24. North Dakota (7-4), 357
Previous Ranking: N/R; Last Week’s Result: 36-18 win over Southern Utah
25. Albany (8-4), 352
Previous Ranking: N/R; Last Week’s Result: 31-26 win over Stony Brook
Dropped Out: Towson (19), Southeastern Louisiana (21)
Others Receiving Votes: Southeastern Louisiana 346, Towson 266, Southern Illinois 179, San Diego 151, Alcorn State 61, Princeton 60, Eastern Washington 50, South Carolina State 32, Sam Houston State 28, UT Martin 24, New Hampshire 15, Holy Cross 3, UC Davis 2