2021 NAIA football rankings
| Season | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Postseason | Single-elimination |
| National champions | Morningside |
| Runner up | Grand View |
The 2021 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) football rankings are conducted on a week-to-week basis, starting after week three.
Legend
| Increase in ranking | ||
| Decrease in ranking | ||
| Not ranked previous week or no change | ||
| Selected for NAIA Playoff | ||
(#–#)
|
Win–loss record | |
(Italics)
|
Number of first place votes | |
т
|
Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
NAIA Coaches' poll
| Preseason August 2[1] | Week 1 September 13[2] | Week 2 September 20[3] | Week 3 September 27[4] | Week 4 October 4[5] | Week 5 October 11[6] | Week 6 October 18[7] | Week 7 October 25[8] | Week 8 November 1[9] | Week 9 November 8[10] | Week Final November 14[11] | Week Postseason December 20[12] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Lindsey Wilson (18) | Lindsey Wilson (2–0) (18) | Lindsey Wilson (2–0) (18) | Lindsey Wilson (3–0) (18) | Lindsey Wilson (4–0) (18) | Lindsey Wilson (5–0) (18) | Lindsey Wilson (6–0) (18) | Lindsey Wilson (7–0) (18) | Lindsey Wilson (8–0) (18) | Lindsey Wilson (9–0) (18) | Lindsey Wilson (10–0) (18) | Morningside (14–0) (18) | 1. |
| 2. | Northwestern (IA) | Northwestern (IA) (3–0) | Northwestern (IA) (4–0) | Northwestern (IA) (5–0) | Northwestern (IA) (6–0) | Northwestern (IA) (6–0) | Northwestern (IA) (7–0) | Northwestern (IA) (8–0) | Northwestern (IA) (9–0) | Morningside (9–0) (1) | Morningside (10–0) (1) | Grand View (14–1) | 2. |
| 3. | Morningside | Morningside (2–0) | Morningside (3–0) (1) | Morningside (3–0) (1) | Morningside (4–0) (1) | Morningside (5–0) (1) | Morningside (6–0) (1) | Morningside (7–0) (1) | Morningside (8–0) (1) | Grand View (10–0) | Grand View (11–0) | Lindsey Wilson (12–1) | 3. |
| 4. | Keiser | Grand View (3–0) | Grand View (4–0) | Grand View (5–0) | Grand View (6–0) | Grand View (6–0) | Grand View (7–0) | Grand View (8–0) | Grand View (9–0) | Northwestern (IA) (9–1) | Northwestern (IA) (10–1) | Northwestern (IA) (12–2) | 4. |
| 5. | Grand View | Concordia (MI) (1–0) | Concordia (MI) (2–0) | Concordia (MI) (2–0) | Concordia (MI) (3–0) | Concordia (MI) (4–0) | Concordia (MI) (5–0) | Baker (KS) (7–1) | Baker (KS) (8–1) | Kansas Wesleyan (10–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (7–3) | Marian (IN) (9–3) | 5. |
| 6. | Concordia (MI) | Olivet Nazarene (1–0) | Reinhardt (2–1) | Keiser (2–1) | Keiser (3–1) т | Keiser (4–1) | Baker (KS) (6–1) | Kansas Wesleyan (8–0) | Kansas Wesleyan (9–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (6–3) | Reinhardt (9–2) | Concordia (MI) (9–2) | 6. |
| 7. | Baker (KS) | Reinhardt (1–1) | Keiser (1–1) | Marian (IN) (3–1) | Marian (IN) (4–1) т | Baker (KS) (5–1) | Kansas Wesleyan (7–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (6–1) | Indiana Wesleyan (6–2) | Reinhardt (8–2) | Marian (IN) (8–2) | Keiser (9–3) | 7. |
| 8. | Reinhardt | Keiser (1–1) | Marian (IN) (2–1) | Georgetown (KY) (3–0) | Georgetown (KY) (4–0) | Kansas Wesleyan (6–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (5–1) | Reinhardt (6–2) | Reinhardt (7–2) | Marian (IN) (7–2) | Concordia (MI) (8–1) | Southwestern (KS) (9–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Marian (IN) | Marian (IN) (1–1) | Georgetown (KY) (2–0) | Baker (KS) (4–1) | Baker (KS) (5–1) | OUAZ (6–0) | OUAZ (6–0) | Marian (IN) (6–2) | Marian (IN) (6–2) | Concordia (MI) (7–1) | Southwestern (KS) (9–1) | Reinhardt (9–3) | 9. |
| 10. | Olivet Nazarene | Bethel (KS) (2–0) | Baker (KS) (3–1) | Kansas Wesleyan (4–0) | Kansas Wesleyan (5–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (4–1) | Reinhardt (5–2) | Concordia (MI) (5–1) | Concordia (MI) (6–1) | Bethel (KS) (9–1) | Kansas Wesleyan (10–1) | Kansas Wesleyan (10–2) | 10. |
| 11. | Dickinson State | Georgetown (KY) (2–0) | Eastern Oregon (3–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (3–0) | OUAZ (5–0) | Reinhardt (4–2) | Marian (IN) (5–2) | Bethel (KS) (7–1) | Bethel (KS) (8–1) | Baker (KS) (8–2) | Keiser (7–2) | OUAZ (8–1) | 11. |
| 12. | Bethel (KS) | Baker (KS) (2–1) | Kansas Wesleyan (3–0) | OUAZ (4–0) | Reinhardt (3–2) | Olivet Nazarene (4–1) | Bethel (KS) (6–1) | Keiser (5–2) | Keiser (6–2) | Keiser (7–2) | Saint Xavier (8–2) | Saint Xavier (8–3) | 12. |
| 13. | Georgetown (KY) | Eastern Oregon (2–0) | Saint Francis (IN) (1–0) | Reinhardt (2–2) | Olivet Nazarene (3–1) | Georgetown (KY) (4–1) | Keiser (4–2) | Rocky Mountain (6–1) | Southwestern (KS) (7–1) | Southwestern (KS) (8–1) | Baker (KS) (9–2) | Baker (KS) (9–2) | 13. |
| 14. | Dordt | Saint Francis (IN) (0–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (2–0) | Olivet Nazarene (2–1) | Indiana Wesleyan (3–1) | Marian (IN) (4–2) | Faulkner (6–0) | Langston (7–0) | Saint Xavier (6–2) | Saint Xavier (7–2) | OUAZ (8–1) | Central Methodist (9–3) | 14. |
| 15. | Arizona Christian | Avila (2–0) | Avila (3–0) | Bethel (KS) (3–1) | Southwestern (KS) (5–0) | Valley City State (6–0) | Dordt (5–1) | Southwestern (KS) (6–1) | OUAZ (6–1) | OUAZ (7–1) | Georgetown (KY) (8–2) | Dickinson State (8–3) | 15. |
| 16. | Saint Francis (IN) | Kansas Wesleyan (2–0) т | OUAZ (3–0) | Southwestern (KS) (4–0) | Bethel (KS) (4–1) | Bethel (KS) (5–1) | Rocky Mountain (5–1) | OUAZ (6–1) | Georgetown (KY) (6–2) | Rocky Mountain (7–2) | Central Methodist (9–2) | Georgetown (KY) (8–2) | 16. |
| 17. | Benedictine (KS) | Roosevelt (1–0) т | Olivet Nazarene (1–1) | Roosevelt (1–1) | Valley City State (5–0) | Faulkner (5–0) | Southwestern (KS) (6–1) | Olivet Nazarene (5–2) | Rocky Mountain (6–2) | Georgetown (KY) (7–2) | Bethel (KS) (9–2) т | Indiana Wesleyan (7–4) | 17. |
| 18. | Eastern Oregon | OUAZ (2–0) | Bethel (KS) (2–1) | Eastern Oregon (3–1) | Saint Xavier (3–1) | Dordt (4–1) | Langston (6–0) | Saint Xavier (5–2) | Langston (7–1) | College of Idaho (7–2) | Dickinson State (8–2) т | Montana Western (8–4) | 18. |
| 19. | College of Idaho | Dordt (1–1) | Roosevelt (1–1) | Valley City State (4–0) | Dordt (3–1) | Rocky Mountain (5–1) | Olivet Nazarene (4–2) | Faulkner (6–1) | College of Idaho (6–2) | Dickinson State (7–2) | Montana Western (8–3) | Bethel (KS) (9–2) | 19. |
| 20. | Roosevelt | Southwestern (KS) (2–0) | Valley City State (3–0) | Montana Western (4–1) | Faulkner (4–0) | Southwestern (KS) (5–1) | Georgetown (KY) (4–2) | Dordt (5–2) | Dickinson State (6–2) | St. Francis (IL) (6–2) | Arizona Christian (8–2) | Arizona Christian (8–2) | 20. |
| 21. | Avila | Valley City State (2–0) | Southwestern (KS) (3–0) | Dordt (3–1) | Cumberlands (KY) (4–0) | Montana Western (5–2) | Saint Xavier (4–2) | Georgetown (KY) (5–2) | St. Francis (IL) (5–2) | Arizona Christian (7–2) | Rocky Mountain (7–3) | Rocky Mountain (7–3) | 21. |
| 22. | Southeastern | Arizona Christian (1–1) | Dordt (2–1) | Saint Xavier (2–1) | Avila (4–1) | Langston (5–0) | Montana Western (5–2) | Bethel (TN) (6–2) | Culver–Stockton (7–2) | Central Methodist (8–2) | Culver–Stockton (8–3) | Culver–Stockton (8–3) | 22. |
| 23. | OUAZ | Montana Western (2–1) | Montana Western (3–1) | College of Idaho (3–1) | Rocky Mountain (4–1) | Saint Xavier (3–2) | Valley City State (6–1) | St. Thomas (FL) (8–0) | Bethel (TN) (6–3) | Montana Western (7–3) | Dordt (7–3) | Dordt (7–3) | 23. |
| 24. | Kansas Wesleyan | Rocky Mountain (2–0) | Arizona Christian (2–1) | Avila (3–1) | Montana Western (4–2) | St. Thomas (FL) (6–0) | Bethel (TN) (5–2) | Dickinson State (5–2) | Arizona Christian (6–2) | Culver–Stockton (7–3) | Faulkner (8–2) | Faulkner (8–2) | 24. |
| 25. | Southwestern (KS) | Indiana Wesleyan (1–0) | Faulkner (3–0) | Saint Francis (IN) (1–1) | Langston (5–0) | College of Idaho (4–2) | St. Thomas (FL) (7–0) | College of Idaho (5–2) | Montana Western (6–3) |
| College of Idaho (7–3) | College of Idaho (7–3) | 25. |
| Preseason August 2[1] | Week 1 September 13[2] | Week 2 September 20[3] | Week 3 September 27[4] | Week 4 October 4[5] | Week 5 October 11[6] | Week 6 October 18[7] | Week 7 October 25[8] | Week 8 November 1[9] | Week 9 November 8[10] | Week Final November 14[11] | Week Postseason December 20[12] | ||
| Dropped: College of Idaho (1–1) Dickinson State (0–2) Benedictine (KS) (1–2) | Dropped: Rocky Mountain (2–1) | Dropped: Arizona Christian (2–2) Faulkner (3–0) | Dropped: College of Idaho (3–2) Eastern Oregon (3–2) Roosevelt (1–2) | Dropped: Cumberlands (KY) (4–1) Avila (4–2) | Dropped: College of Idaho (4–2) | Dropped: Montana Western (5–3) Valley City State (6–2) | Dropped: Olivet Nazarene (5–3) Faulkner (6–2) Dordt (5–3) St. Thomas (FL) (8–1) | Dropped: Bethel (TN) (6–4) | Dropped: St. Francis (IL) (6–3) Langston (7–3) | None |
References
- ^ "NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll - Preseason (August 2)". NAIA. August 2, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ "NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll - Week One (September 13)". NAIA. September 13, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ "NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll - Week Two (September 20)". NAIA. September 20, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ "NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll - Week Three (September 27)". NAIA. September 27, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ "NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll - Week Four (October 4)". NAIA. October 4, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ "NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll - Week Five (October 11)". NAIA. October 11, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ "NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll - Week Six (October 18)". NAIA. October 18, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ "NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll - Week Seven (October 25)". NAIA. October 25, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ "NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll - Week Eight (November 1)". NAIA. November 1, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ "NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll - Week Nine (November 8)". NAIA. November 8, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ "NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll - Final (November 14)". NAIA. November 14, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ "NAIA Football FirstDown PlayBook Top 25 Poll - Postseason (December 22)". NAIA. December 22, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2025.