FCS Football Rankings Week 9: Tarleton State Stays No. 1, Lehigh Falls

See the Week 9 FCS football rankings for 2026, including the AFCA Coaches Poll Top 25, Tarleton State at No. 1, Lehigh's eight-spot drop and more.

Oct 30, 2026 by Ajay Shah

Replay: UNH vs UAlbany | Aug 28 @ 7 PM3:13:41

The top of the FCS football rankings isn't budging, but the rest of the Top 25 has plenty of movement.

No. 1 Tarleton State and No. 2 Stephen F. Austin remain undefeated at 8-0 after another pair of convincing victories, holding their spots atop the latest AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.

Meanwhile, North Dakota slipped three spots after its overtime loss to South Dakota, Lehigh dropped eight places following its second straight defeat, and three teams entered the rankings.

Here's how the Top 25 looks entering Week 9.

UPCOMING

2026 Campbell vs UAlbany

Tomorrow · 4:00 PM UTC

WATCH

AFCA FCS Football Rankings: Week 9 Top 25

Poll released Oct. 26, 2026. Records through games played Oct. 24. Previous rankings included.

Tarleton State (8-0) - Prev. 1
Stephen F. Austin (8-0) - Prev. 2
Montana State (7-1) - Prev. 3
Youngstown State (6-2) - Prev. 4
South Dakota State (6-2) - Prev. 5
South Dakota (7-2) - Prev. 6
Northern Arizona (6-2) - Prev. 7
Austin Peay (7-2) - Prev. 9
Illinois State (6-2) - Prev. 10
Tennessee Tech (7-1) - Prev. 11
North Dakota (6-3) - Prev. 8
Mercer (6-2) - Prev. 13
Lamar (6-2) - Prev. 15
Montana (5-3) - Prev. 14
Campbell (7-1) - Prev. 16
Harvard (6-0) - Prev. 17
Monmouth (6-2) - Prev. 18
East Tennessee State (6-2) - Prev. 20
Richmond (6-2) - Prev. 19
Lehigh (6-2) - Prev. 12
UC Davis (5-3) - Prev. 21
South Carolina State (6-2) - Prev. 25
Idaho State (5-3) - Prev. NR
Abilene Christian (4-4) - Prev. NR
UAlbany (5-3) - Prev. NR

Dropped Out: Jackson State (22), West Florida (23), Southeastern Louisiana (24).

Who Made The Biggest Moves In The FCS Rankings?

Lehigh suffered the biggest fall of the week, dropping eight spots from No. 12 to No. 20 after a 24-18 loss to Villanova. The Mountain Hawks have now lost two consecutive games after starting the season 6-0.

North Dakota also slipped three places to No. 11 after falling 26-23 in overtime to South Dakota. The Fighting Hawks erased a 17-point halftime deficit before Brayden White's walk-off touchdown secured the victory for the Coyotes.

Campbell climbed to No. 15 after defeating Maine 35-6, improving to 7-1. Quarterback Kamden Sixkiller threw for a school-record 450 yards in the victory.

South Carolina State made the week's biggest climb, moving three spots to No. 22, while Idaho State, Abilene Christian and UAlbany entered the Top 25.

Who Is No. 1 In FCS Football?

Tarleton State remains No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll after improving to 8-0 with a 49-6 victory over West Georgia.

The Texans received 25 of 26 first-place votes and 649 total points, maintaining their lead over No. 2 Stephen F. Austin.

The Lumberjacks earned the remaining first-place vote and 623 points after defeating Southeastern Louisiana 45-24.

How Can I Watch College Football On FloCollege In 2026?

Fans can watch FCS, Division II and Division III college football games live and on demand on FloCollege throughout the 2026 season.

Visit the FloFootball college football schedule to find upcoming games, dates, kickoff times and streaming information.

What College Football Games Are On FloCollege?

FloCollege streams FCS, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III college football games throughout the 2026 season.

The schedule changes each week. Fans can view the latest FloFootball schedule to see upcoming matchups and streaming information.

Where Can I Follow FloCollege Football?

Follow FloCollege Football on social media for college football news, rankings, scores, highlights and more.