FCS Football Rankings: 2025 Way-Too-Early Top 25
FCS Football Rankings: 2025 Way-Too-Early Top 25
North Dakota State or Montana State football? See who's No. 1 in our Way-Too-Early Top 25 FCS rankings going into the 2025 football season.
Looking ahead to the FCS Football season, the rankings look eerily similar to how they did at the end of the 2024 season.
- Subscribe to FloCollege To Watch College Sports Live And On-Demand
- The Best NCAA Division 2 NFL Draft Prospects In The 2025 Class
- Trinidad Chambliss Highlights: Here's What To Know About Ole Miss' New QB
North Dakota State football is looking to go back-to-back for the first time since 2019, when its streak ended after winning eight national championships in a row.
The Bison will have several challengers and a tough road ahead, as the Missouri Valley Conference boasts five teams in the Way-Too-Early Top 25.
Here's everything you need to know in the Way-To-Early Top 25.
How To Watch CAA Football In 2025
The Coastal Athletic Association streams on FloCollege, FloFootball and the FloSports app year round.
NDSU Football: The Defending Champs
The Bison finished with a 15-1 overall record in 2024, claiming their 10th National Title and making their 11th appearance in the championship game in 14 years.
Though this will be the Bison’s first game without quarterback Cam Miller since 2021, they are a program known for developing talent, sending Miller to the Las Vegas Raiders with a sixth-round pick and offensive lineman Grey Zabel to the Seattle Seahawks with the 17th overall pick.
The Bison will start off their season with a game at The Citadel, where they will start the bid for their 11th FCS National Championship.
Montana State Football: Back To Glory
The Bobcats fell in heartbreaking fashion to the Bison in the 2024 FCS National Championship game, but will look to reclaim their crown as the top team in FCS with their fifth championship. They aren’t afraid of any challenge as the Bobcats are taking on defending Big 10 champion Oregon in Eugene to open the season.
The Bobcats dominated the Big Sky, going undefeated until falling to the Bison, finishing 2024 with a 14-1 record. While the 2025 team will be young, there have been some standout players, but there is still healthy competition for the starting quarterback spot.
New Coach, Old Roots: South Dakota State Football
The Bobcats just hired head coach Dan Jackson, a former SDSU football player and coach to lead the team back to winning in the FCS Championship. As a graduate assistant, Jackson was part of the SDSU program that went to 13 straight FCS Playoffs.
The Jackrabbits share the Missouri Valley Conference with the Bison and the teams had a 1-2 finish last season, but are looking to dethrone the Bison. The Jackrabbits finished with a 14-3 record last season, with their only losses coming to FBS opponent Oklahoma State and two losses to the Bison.
South Dakota Football: Missouri Valley Challengers
In one of the toughest FCS conferences, the South Dakota Coyotes are looking to take down in-state rival, South Dakota State. The Coyotes ended the 2024 season with an 11-3 record, losing only to Wisconsin, South Dakota State and Montana State. Just like the Jackrabbits, the Coyotes have a new head coach in Travis Johansen, who was promoted to the position from defensive coordinator.
UC Davis Football: Big Sky Hopefuls
After finishing second in the Big Sky in 2024, the Aggies are looking to make a deep run in the FCS Championship and advance past the quarterfinals. UC Davis finished with an 11-3 record last season and is returning senior quarterback Miles Hastings, who threw for 4,493 yards and 38 touchdowns in 2024.
The Way-Too-Early FCS Football Rankings 2025
- North Dakota State Bison (14-2)
- Montana State Bobcats (15-1)
- South Dakota State Jackrabbits (12-3)
- South Dakota Coyotes (11-3)
- UC Davis Aggies (11-3)
- Incarnate Word Cardinals (11-3)
- Mercer Bears (11-3)
- Idaho Vandals (10-4)
- Villanova Wildcats (10-4)
- Illinois State Red Birds (10-4)
- Rhode Island Rams (11-3)
- Tarleton State Texans (10-4)
- Montana Grizzlies (9-5)
- Abilene Christian Wildcats (9-5)
- Jackson State Tigers (12-2)
- Richmond Spiders (10-3)
- Southeast Missouri State Redhawks (9-4)
- Tennessee Martin Skyhawks (9-5)
- Tennessee State Tigers (9-4)
- South Carolina State Bulldogs (9-3)
- Lehigh Mountain Hawks (9-4)
- Northern Arizona Lumberjacks (8-5)
- Missouri State Bears (8-4)
- New Hampshire Wildcats (8-5)
- Eastern Kentucky Colonels (8-5)
Archived Footage On FloFootball
Watch The 2025 College Football Season On FloFootball
FloFootball is the home of the best FCS, Division II and Division III football action all season long.
Don't miss the latest college football action by bookmarking the FloFootball schedule page for the latest games.
Join The College Football Conversation
- Follow us on Twitter @FloCollegeFB
- Follow us on Instagram @FloCollegeFootball
- Follow us on TikTok @FloFootball
- Watch us on YouTube
- Like us on Facebook