Top Three Teams in FCS Polls Remain Same

CHARLESTON, Ill. – The top three ranked schools in both FCS football polls were the only thing that remained the same as the final two weeks of the regular season come to a close.  North Dakota State remained No. 1 with Eastern Illinois No. 2 and Eastern Washington No. 3 heading into the final weekend of action.

Eastern Illinois won the outright Ohio Valley Conference Championship with a 52-14 win over Jacksonville State.  The Panthers jumped out to a 35-0 lead in the first quarter and cruised into what will be their 15th FCS playoff appearance when the field is released this Sunday morning.

EIU still has one regular season game remaining on the road when they play at UT Martin this Saturday at 1 p.m. on ESPN3.  The Skyhawks are the only OVC team to have beaten EIU in the last two seasons.

North Dakota State won the Missouri Valley Conference title and remained No. 1 in both polls with all of the first place votes in both the Sports Network and FCS Coaches poll.  EIU was No. 2 and Eastern Washington third after the Eagles won the Big Sky Conference Championship over the weekend.  Maine moved up to fourth in both polls after winning the Colonial Athletic Association title.

The Sports Network Top 25 included Montana in fifth followed by McNeese State, Towson, Southeastern Louisiana, Sam Houston State and Northern Arizona in tenth.  Coastal Carolina led teams 11 through 20 followed by Fordham, Montana State, Bethune-Cookman, Youngstown State, South Dakota State, Lehigh, Charleston Southern, William & Mary and Southern Utah.  The final five ranked teams included New Hampshire, Princeton, Chattanooga, Samford and Tennessee State.

The FCS Coaches Top 25 had Towson fifth with Montana, Coastal Carolina, McNeese State, Sam Houston State and Southeastern Louisiana completing the top ten.  Fordham was 11th followed by Northern Arizona, Montana State, Bethune-Cookman, Lehigh, Charleston Southern, South Dakota State, Youngstown State, Princeton and William & Mary in the top twenty.  The final five ranked teams included Chattanooga, Southern Utah, Samford, New Hampshire and Tennessee State.

Southern Utah, Samford and Tennessee State were new additions to both polls.  New Hampshire was a newly ranked team in the FCS Coaches poll.