National Champ NDSU a Decisive Preseason No. 1 in Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll

Each week throughout
the college
football season, alumni, fans, media and the teams themselves
look to the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll to see who is rising and
moving within the national rankings. In
the 2025 preseason poll, North Dakota State remains No.
1.

And still No. 1.

Those are familiar words with defending national champion North
Dakota State, which on Monday was installed atop the Stats Perform
FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll. The Bison received 54 of the 56
first-place votes in the national media poll.

It marked the eighth time NDSU gained preseason No. 1. Over the
last 14 seasons, the Bison have captured 10 FCS championships,
including with a
35-32 win over Montana State in early January to cap coach Tim
Polasek’s first season.  

NDSU (14-2) returns 11 starters, including five who were named
to the
Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team, from a squad that
shared the Missouri Valley Football Conference title with South
Dakota and South Dakota State.

“I like our leadership,” Polasek said. “We don’t have the big
group of seniors that we had last year. And I hope people write
about that. Because whatever this team is, about Week 5 or 6, we’re
gonna know. And one thing we do have is leadership within all
levels of offense, defense and special teams.”

Montana State, the 2024 Big Sky Conference champ, was No. 2 in
the preseason poll. SDSU and South Dakota were No. 3 and 4,
respectively, while defending Southland Conference champion UIW
followed at No. 5.

Nine of the 13 FCS leagues were represented in the Top 25, led
by the Big Sky with six ranked teams.

The Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll will be released each Monday
during the regular season and one day after the FCS championship
game (scheduled for Jan. 5 in Nashville, Tennessee). 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.

Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll (2025
Preseason)

1. North Dakota State (14-2,
7-1 MVFC in 2024)

Points: 1,398 (54 of 56 first-place votes);
Final 2024 Ranking: 1; 2025 Season
Opener: Aug. 30 at The Citadel

2. Montana State (15-1, 8-0
Big Sky)

Points: 1,335 (1); Final 2024
Ranking: 2; 2025 Season Opener: Aug. 30
at Oregon

3. South Dakota State (12-3,
7-1 MVFC)

Points: 1,266; Final 2024
Ranking: 3; 2025 Season Opener: Aug. 30
vs. Sacramento State

4. South Dakota (11-3, 7-1
MVFC)

Points: 1,227 (1); Final 2024
Ranking: 4; 2025 Season Opener: Aug. 30
at Iowa State