The Northwest Missouri State University football team has earned the No. 6 ranking in the 2023 Preseason American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) poll.
With a consistent track record of success, the Bearcats have secured 10 or more wins for four consecutive seasons. Northwest boasts an impressive NCAA Division II record of 18 consecutive playoff appearances, a streak that carries into the upcoming 2023 season.
Under the leadership of Head Coach Rich Wright, who is embarking on his seventh year at the helm, the team has flourished. Coach Wright’s tenure has yielded a remarkable 52-13 record with the Bearcats. Within the MIAA (Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association), Northwest has achieved a strong 46-8 standing, capturing conference championships in 2018, 2019, and 2021.
The preseason poll highlights three MIAA teams, with Pittsburg State securing the No. 4 spot, Northwest ranking at No. 6, and Emporia State earning the No. 19 position. Bearcat Stadium will be the stage for pivotal matchups against both Pittsburg State (scheduled for Oct. 21) and Emporia State (slated for Sept. 7).’
Here is the latest NCAA Division II Football Coaches Poll ranking as of August 15, 2023:
- Ferris St. (Mich.) (29) – 14-1
- Colorado School of Mines – 13-3
- Grand Valley St. (Mich.) – 12-1
- Pittsburg St. (Kan.) – 12-1
- Angelo St. (Tex.) – 12-1
- Northwest Missouri St. – 10-3
- West Florida – 12-2
- Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) – 11-1
- Minnesota St. – 10-3
- Delta St. (Miss.) – 11-2
- Bemidji St. (Minn.) – 10-3
- Ashland (Ohio) – 10-2
- Shepherd (W.Va.) – 13-2
- Harding (Ark.) – 9-2
- Slippery Rock (Pa.) – 10-3
- Indiana (Pa.) – 10-2
- Benedict (S.C.) (1) – 11-1
- Virginia Union – 9-2
- Emporia St. (Kan.) – 9-3
- Indianapolis (Ind.) – 9-2
- Wingate (N.C.) – 11-3
- West Georgia – 8-2
- Assumption (Mass.) – 8-3
- Newberry (S.C.) – 9-2
- Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) – 8-3
Others Receiving Votes: Notre Dame (Ohio), Davenport (Mich.), Colorado St.-Pueblo, Bowie St. (Md.), Truman St. (Mo.), Central Washington, Limestone (S.C.), Winona St. (Minn.), Wayne St. (Neb.), Henderson St. (Ark.), Fayetteville St. (N.C.), Tuskegee (Ala.), Morehouse (Ga.), Findlay (Ohio), Fort Valley St. (Ga.), Ohio Dominican, Tiffin (Ohio), California (Pa.), Washburn (Kan.), Charleston (W.Va.), Millersville (Pa.), Mars Hill (N.C.), Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.), Texas A&M-Kingsville, Western Colorado, Kutztown (Pa.), Wayne St. (Mich.), Winston-Salem St. (N.C.), Gannon (Pa.), Central Oklahoma, Central St. (Ohio), New Haven (Conn.), Sioux Falls (S.D.), Southern Arkansas, Bluefield St. (W.Va.), Minnesota-Duluth, Nebraska-Kearney, West Alabama.
