1997 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings

The 1997 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings are from the Sports Network poll of Division I-AA head coaches, athletic directors, sports information directors and media members. This is for the 1997 season.

Legend

  Increase in ranking
  Decrease in ranking
  Not ranked previous week
(#–#)
   Win–loss record
(Italics)
   Number of first place votes
т
 Tied with team above or below also with this symbol

The Sports Network poll

Preseason
[1]		Week 1
Sept 2[2]		Week 2
Sept 9[3]		Week 3
Sept 16[4]		Week 4
Sept 23[5]		Week 5
Sept 30[6]		Week 6
Oct 7[7]		Week 7
Oct 14[8]		Week 8
Oct 21[9]		Week 9
Oct 28[10]		Week 10
Nov 4[11]		Week 11
Nov 11[12]		Week 12
Nov 18[13]
1.MontanaMontana (0–0)Montana (0–0) (63)Montana (1–0) (62)Montana (2–0) (91)Montana (3–0) (91)Youngstown State (5–0) (56)Youngstown State (6–0) (65)Villanova (6–0) (74)Villanova (7–0) (89)Villanova (8–0) (83)Villanova (9–0) (83)Villanova (10–0) (83)1.
2.Troy StateTroy State (1–0)Troy State (2–0) (10)Troy State (2–0) (10)Youngstown State (3–0)Youngstown State (4–0)Montana (3–1) (24)Montana (4–1) (21)McNeese State (6–0) (16)Western Illinois (7–1) (3)Western Illinois (8–1) (6)Western Illinois (9–1) (6)Western Illinois (9–1) (3)2.
3.Northern IowaWilliam & Mary (1–0)William & Mary (2–0) (3)William & Mary (3–0) (7)Western Kentucky (4–0)Western Kentucky (5–0)Villanova (4–0) (8)Villanova (5–0) (4)Western Illinois (6–1) (2)Delaware (7–1) (1)Delaware (8–1) (1)Delaware (9–1) (1)Delaware (10–1)3.
4.William & MaryNorthern Iowa (0–0)Delaware (1–0)Western Illinois (3–0)Villanova (3–0)Villanova (3–0)McNeese State (5–0) (3)McNeese State (6–0) (4)Delaware (6–1) (1)Youngstown State (6–1)Youngstown State (7–1)Youngstown State (8–1)Youngstown State (9–1) (1)4.
5.Appalachian StateWestern Illinois (1–0)Western Illinois (2–0)Youngstown State (2–0)Northern Arizona (2–1)Northern Arizona (3–1)Western Illinois (4–1) (1)Western Illinois (5–1)Youngstown State (6–1) (2)Western Kentucky (7–1)Western Kentucky (8–1)Western Kentucky (9–1)Western Kentucky (9–1)5.
6.Eastern IllinoisDelaware (0–0)East Tennessee State (2–0)Western Kentucky (3–0)Appalachian State (1–1)Appalachian State (2–1)Delaware (4–1)Delaware (5–1)Montana (4–2)Southern (7–0) (1)Southern (8–0) (3)Eastern Washington (9–1) (4)Eastern Washington (10–1) (6)6.
7.Northern ArizonaEast Tennessee State (1–0)Youngstown State (2–0)Northern Arizona (1–1)Troy State (2–1)Troy State (3–1)Western Kentucky (5–1)Western Kentucky (5–1)Western Kentucky (6–1)Stephen F. Austin (6–1)Stephen F. Austin (7–1) (2)McNeese State (8–1) (1)McNeese State (9–1)7.
8.DelawareAppalachian State (0–0)Northern Arizona (0–1)Jackson State (3–0)Western Illinois (3–1)William & Mary (4–1)East Tennessee State (4–1) (1)Southern (5–0)Southern (6–0)Eastern Illinois (7–1)Eastern Washington (8–1) (2)Georgia Southern (8–2)Georgia Southern (9–2) (1)8.
9.Western IllinoisYoungstown State (1–0)Western Kentucky (2–0)Appalachian State (0–1)William & Mary (3–1)Western Illinois (3–1)Southern (5–0)Georgia Southern (5–1) (1)Eastern Illinois (6–1)McNeese State (6–1)Eastern Illinois (8–1)Hampton (8–1) (2)Hampton (9–1) (1)9.
10.Western KentuckyNorthern Arizona (0–1)Furman (1–0)Villanova (2–0)Delaware (2–1)McNeese State (4–0)Eastern Illinois (5–1)Eastern Illinois (5–1)Stephen F. Austin (5–1)Northern Arizona (6–2) (1)McNeese State (7–1)Florida A&M (7–2)Florida A&M (8–2)10.
11.Youngstown StateWestern Kentucky (1–0)Appalachian State (0–1)Delaware (1–1)McNeese State (3–0)Delaware (3–1)Georgia Southern (4–1)Northern Arizona (4–2)Northern Arizona (5–2)Eastern Washington (7–1) (1)Georgia Southern (7–2)Montana (6–3)Montana (7–3)11.
12.East Tennessee StateMurray State (1–0)Jackson State (2–0)Northern Iowa (1–1)Florida A&M (3–0)Florida A&M (4–0)Northern Arizona (3–2)Stephen F. Austin (4–1)Eastern Washington (6–1)East Tennessee State (5–2)Hampton (7–1)Southern (8–1)Southern (9–1)12.
13.Murray StateFurman (0–0)Northern Iowa (0–1)Southern (3–0)Southern (4–0)Southern (4–0)Stephen F. Austin (3–1)Jackson State (5–1)East Tennessee State (4–2)Hampton (7–1)Montana (5–3)Jackson State (7–2)Stephen F. Austin (8–2)13.
14.Jackson StateJackson State (1–0)Stephen F. Austin (2–0)East Tennessee State (2–1)East Tennessee State (2–1)East Tennessee State (3–1)Appalachian State (2–2)East Tennessee State (4–2)William & Mary (6–2)Georgia Southern (6–2)Jackson State (7–2)Stephen F. Austin (7–2)Jackson State (8–2)14.
15.Stephen F. AustinStephen F. Austin (1–0)Southern (2–0)Florida A&M (2–0)Nicholls State (2–1)Eastern Illinois (4–1)Jackson State (5–1)Nicholls State (4–2)Hampton (6–1)Montana (4–3)Florida A&M (6–2)Appalachian State (6–3)Appalachian State (7–3)15.
16.FurmanFlorida A&M (1–0)Florida A&M (1–0)McNeese State (2–0)Eastern Illinois (3–1)Stephen F. Austin (3–1)Florida A&M (4–1)Troy State (4–2)Georgia Southern (5–2) (1)Jackson State (6–2)Northern Arizona (6–3)Eastern Illinois (8–2)Eastern Illinois (8–2)16.
17.SouthernSouthern (1–0)Murray State (1–1)Stephen F. Austin (2–1)Stephen F. Austin (2–1)Georgia Southern (3–1)Northern Iowa (3–2)Murray State (5–2)Northern Iowa (4–3)Florida A&M (5–2)Appalachian State (5–3)South Carolina State (8–1)Hofstra (8–2)17.
18.Florida A&MNorthwestern State (0–0)Villanova (1–0)Furman (1–1)Furman (1–1)Furman (2–1)Nicholls State (3–2)William & Mary (5–2)South Carolina State (6–0)Appalachian State (4–3)Dayton (9–0)Dayton (9–0)Cal Poly (9–1)18.
19.HowardVillanova (1–0)Eastern Illinois (1–1)Eastern Illinois (2–1)Jackson State (3–1)Jackson State (4–1)Troy State (3–2)Hampton (5–1)Furman (4–2)Cal Poly (7–0) (1)South Carolina State (7–1)East Tennessee State (6–3)Eastern Kentucky (7–3)19.
20.Northwestern StateHoward (0–0)McNeese State (1–0)Georgia Southern (1–1)Georgia Southern (2–1)Eastern Washington (4–0)Murray State (4–2)Eastern Washington (5–1)Jackson State (5–2)William & Mary (6–3)East Tennessee State (5–3)Liberty (8–1)Northeastern (8–2)20.
21.New HampshireEastern Kentucky (0–0)Georgia Southern (1–1)Eastern Washington (2–0)Eastern Washington (3–0)Northwestern State (2–1)Richmond (4–1)Florida A&M (4–2)Florida A&M (5–2)Dayton (8–0)Hofstra (7–2)Hofstra (7–2)Northwestern State (7–3)21.
22.Eastern KentuckyNew Hampshire (0–0)Eastern Kentucky (0–1)Chattanooga (2–0)Chattanooga (2–0)James Madison (3–1)SW Texas State (3–1)Furman (3–2)Appalachian State (3–3)South Carolina State (6–1)Liberty (7–1)Cal Poly (8–1)South Carolina State (8–2)22.
23.Nicholls StateGeorgia Southern (1–0)Howard (0–1)Northwestern State (1–1)Northern Iowa (1–2)Northern Iowa (2–2)William & Mary (4–2)South Carolina State (5–0)Dayton (7–0)Chattanooga (6–1)Cal Poly (7–1)Eastern Kentucky (6–3)Dayton (9–1)23.
24.SW Missouri StateEastern Illinois (0–1)Northwestern State (0–1)Weber State (2–0)Northwestern State (1–1)Nicholls State (2–2)Connecticut (4–0)Northern Iowa (3–3)North Carolina A&T (5–1)Hofstra (6–2)Eastern Kentucky (5–3)Northeastern (7–2)Bucknell (10–0)24.
25.BuffaloBuffalo (1–0)Nicholls State (1–1)Nicholls State (1–1)James Madison (2–1)Murray State (2–2)Hampton (4–1)SW Texas State (3–2)Troy State (4–3)Nicholls State (5–3)Northeastern (6–2)Northwestern State (6–3)Liberty (8–2)25.
Preseason
[1]		Week 1
Sept 2[2]		Week 2
Sept 9[3]		Week 3
Sept 16[4]		Week 4
Sept 23[5]		Week 5
Sept 30[6]		Week 6
Oct 7[7]		Week 7
Oct 14[8]		Week 8
Oct 21[9]		Week 9
Oct 28[10]		Week 10
Nov 4[11]		Week 11
Nov 11[12]		Week 12
Nov 18[13]
Dropped:
  • 23 Nicholls State
  • 24 SW Missouri State
Dropped:
  • 22 New Hampshire
  • 25 Buffalo
Dropped:
  • 17 Murray State
  • 22 Eastern Kentucky
  • 23 Howard
Dropped:
24 Weber State		Dropped:
22 Chattanooga		Dropped:
  • 18 Furman
  • 20 Eastern Washington
  • 21 Northwestern State
  • 22 James Madison
Dropped:
  • 14 Appalachian State
  • 21 Richmond
  • 24 Connecticut
Dropped:
  • 15 Nicholls State
  • 17 Murray State
  • 25 SW Texas State
Dropped:
  • 17 Northern Iowa
  • 19 Furman
  • 24 North Carolina A&T
  • 25 Troy State
Dropped:
  • 20 William & Mary
  • 23 Chattanooga
  • 25 Nicholls State
Dropped:
16 Northern Arizona		Dropped:
19 East Tennessee State

References

  1. ^ "Top 25 (TSN poll)". Great Falls Tribune. Great Falls, Montana. August 20, 1997. p. S1. Retrieved May 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  2. ^ "The Sports Network Division I-AA poll". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. September 3, 1997. p. D5. Retrieved May 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  3. ^ "Division I-AA poll". South Florida Sun Sentinel. Fort Lauderdale, Florida. September 9, 1997. p. 11C. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  4. ^ "I-AA Poll". Reno Gazette-Journal. Reno, Nevada. September 16, 1997. p. 5C. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  5. ^ "NCAA I-AA poll". The Salina Journal. Salina, Kansas. September 23, 1997. p. B2. Retrieved May 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  6. ^ "Div. I-AA Poll". Hattiesburg American. Hattiesburg, Mississippi. October 1, 1997. p. 2B. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  7. ^ "College Football NCAA I-AA Top 25". Lansing State Journal. Lansing, Michigan. October 7, 1997. p. 2C. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  8. ^ "NCAA Div. I-AA Poll". The Index-Journal. Greenwood, South Carolina. October 14, 1997. p. 5B. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  9. ^ "NCAA Div. I-AA poll". Iowa City Press-Citizen. Iowa City, Iowa. October 21, 1997. p. 2B. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  10. ^ "Div I-AA Poll". Asheville Citizen-Times. Asheville, North Carolina. October 28, 1997. p. D4. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  11. ^ "Div. I-AA poll". Iowa City Press-Citizen. Iowa City, Iowa. November 4, 1997. p. 2B. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  12. ^ "Division I-AA". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. November 11, 1997. p. C6. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  13. ^ "Div. I-AA Poll". Longview News-Journal. Longview, Texas. November 18, 1997. p. 2D. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon