WACO, Tex. – Bemidji State University Football has been ranked 16th in NCAA Division II in the 2025 American Football Coaches Association Preseason Poll. The Beavers are one of three Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference teams to crack the top 25.
Last season, the Beavers made a historical run into the quarterfinals of the NCAA Playoffs, the first in program history. The team finished 13th in the nation after falling to NSIC rival Minnesota State University, Mankato in the quarterfinals. MSU joins the Beavers in the AFCA Top 25, grabbing 11thafter their semifinal finish last season. Rounding out the NSIC representation on the list was Augustana University taking 23rd. The University of Minnesota Duluth also received votes in the poll.
2025 AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl – August 11, 2025
2024 2024
Rank School (1st votes) Rec. Pts. Rank* Season Opener Head Coach
1. Ferris St. (30) 14-1 773 1 Aug. 28 vs. No. 9 Pittsburg St. Tony Annese
2. Harding 12-2 734 4 Sept. 4 at Northwestern Oklahoma St. Paul Simmons
3. Grand Valley St. 11-2 669 6 Aug. 30 vs. Lincoln (Pa.) Scott Wooster
4. Slippery Rock (1) 12-2 576 3 Sept. 5 at Franklin Pierce Shawn Lutz
5. Central Oklahoma 11-2 569 9 Aug. 30 at UT-Permian Basin Adam Dorrel
6. Colorado St.-Pueblo 10-2 549 8 Aug. 28 vs. South Dakota Mines Philip Vigil
7. Kutztown 11-1 517 5 Sept. 4 vs. Assumption Jim Clements
8. West Florida 7-3 504 NR Aug. 29 vs. No. 17 Lenoir-Rhyne Kaleb Nobles
9. Pittsburg St. 8-3 451 17 Aug. 28 at No. 1 Ferris St. Tom Anthony
10. Western Colorado 11-2 450 10 Aug. 28 vs. West Texas A&M Jas Bains
11. Minnesota St. 11-4 449 7 Aug. 28 vs. Northwest Missouri St. Todd Hoffner
12. Valdosta St. 13-1 402 2 Aug. 30 vs. Clark Atlanta Graham Craig
13. Angelo St. 9-3 352 20 Aug. 28 at Fort Hays St. Jeff Girsch
14. Charleston 11-1 337 15 Aug. 28 vs. Livingstone Mike Tesch
15. California (Pa.) 10-3 275 12 Sept. 4 vs. No. 14 Charleston Gary Dunn
16. Bemidji St. 10-4 254 13 Aug. 28 at Michigan Tech Brent Bolte
17. Lenoir-Rhyne 10-3 248 16 Aug. 29 at No. 8 West Florida Doug Socha
18. Ouachita Baptist 10-2 246 14 Sept. 4 at East Central Todd Knight
19. Virginia Union 10-4 228 11 Aug. 31 vs. No. 24t Miles Alvin Parker
20. UIndy 10-2 191 19 Aug. 28 at Marian Chris Keevers
21. Central Washington 8-4 176 24 Aug. 28 vs. Colorado Mesa Chris Fisk
22. Central Missouri 9-3 149 NR Aug. 28 at Delta St. Josh Lamberson
23. Augustana (S.D.) 8-4 127 25 Aug. 30 vs. Missouri Western Jerry Olszewski
24t. Ashland 9-4 114 23 Sept. 4 at Indiana (Pa.) Doug Geiser
24t. Miles 10-3 114 22 Aug. 31 vs. No. 19 Virginia Union Chris Goode
*– Ranking in final AFCA Division II Poll of 2024
Others Receiving Votes: West Alabama, 113; Carson-Newman, 100; Wingate, 74; Fort Hays St., 66; Colorado School of Mines, 42; Saginaw Valley St., 35; Minnesota-Duluth, 29; Albany St., 26; Northwest Missouri St., 21; Indiana (Pa.), 16; UT-Permian Basin, 16; Delta St., 13; Findlay, 12; UNC-Pembroke, 12; Davenport, 10; Johnson C. Smith, 9; East Stroudsburg, 7; Fairmont St., 7; Southern Arkansas, 6; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 5; Colorado Mesa, 1; Truman St., 1.
The Beavers begin competition with a trip to Houghton, Mich. on Aug. 28 at 5 p.m. CST, taking on Michigan Technological University. They'll host the University of Sioux Falls Cougars on Sep. 13 at 1 p.m. at Chet Anderson Stadium to kick off the home season.
For more information on the Bemidji State Football program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversFB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and like them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversFB).
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's and women's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
