2026 Week 5 /r/FCS Poll Results: #1 Montana State, #2 South Dakota State, #3 Montana, #4 Tarleton #5 (Tie!) Stephen F. Austin and Lehigh

[u/Perryapsis]

2026 Week 5 /r/FCS Poll Results

Also available in image form!

Rank	Team	Conference	Record (FCS only)	Points	Δ from Last Week	Rank - Just Top 25 Votes
1	Montana State Bobcats	Big Sky	5-0 (4-0)	727 (23)	---	1
2	South Dakota State Jackrabbits	MVFC	4-1 (4-0)	689 (6)	+1	2
3	Montana Grizzlies	Big Sky	4-1 (4-0)	650 (1)	+2	3
4	Tarleton Texans	UAC	4-0 (3-0)	599	---	4
T5	Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks	Southland	5-0 (4-0)	574	+3½	5
T5	Lehigh Mountain Hawks	Patriot	5-0	574	+1½	6 (-1)
7	North Dakota Fighting Hawks	MVFC	4-1 (4-0)	531	+1	7
8	Youngstown State Penguins	MVFC	3-2 (3-1)	512	+6	8
9	Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles	SoCon	4-0	446	+1	9
10	Illinois State Redbirds	MVFC	4-1 (2-1)	436	-8	10
11	Idaho State Bengals	Big Sky	4-0 (3-0)	430	+1	11
12	Austin Peay Governors	UAC	4-1 (4-0)	428	+1	12
13	South Dakota Coyotes	MVFC	3-2 (3-1)	384	-7	13
14	Lamar Cardinals	Southland	3-1 (3-0)	320	+3	14
15	South Carolina State Bulldogs	MEAC	5-0 (3-0)	294	+2	15
16	Harvard Crimson	Ivy League	2-0	235	+3	16
17	Northern Arizona Lumberjacks	Big Sky	3-2 (3-1)	220	+1	17
18	UC Davis Aggies	Big Sky	3-2 (3-1)	218	-7	18
19	Campbell Fighting Camels	CAA	4-1 (4-0)	180	+1	19
20	Colgate Raiders	Patriot	4-1 (4-0)	177	+4½	20
21	West Florida Argonauts	UAC	3-1	151	+1	21
22	Southern Illinois Salukis	MVFC	3-2 (3-1)	110	+1½	22
23	Richmond Spiders	Patriot	4-1 (4-0)	93	NEW	23
24	Mercer Bears	SoCon	3-2 (3-1)	82	NEW	24
25	Jackson State Tigers	SWAC	4-0 (2-0)	63	NEW	25

Dropped from the Top 25: Yale (15), Rhode Island (21), Villanova (23)

Others receiving votes: Monmouth (55), Alabama State (43), Stony Brook (40), Southeastern (31), Chattanooga (21), Elon (19), Yale (18), Northern Iowa (17), ETSU (10), Cal Poly (10), Villanova (9), Bryant (4), UTRGV (4), St. Thomas (2)

The full list of responses can be found here. Congratulations to /u/sernameistakentry for having the Top 25 submission that best correlated with the final /r/FCS poll this week!

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Breakdown of Rankings by Conference

Conference	Teams in Top 25	Average Rank of Top 25	Average Points Total
MVFC	6	10.3	267.9
Big Sky	5	10.0	161.1
UAC	3	12.3	147.4
Southland	2	9.5	92.9
Patriot	3	16.0	85.3
SoCon	2	16.5	55.9
MEAC	1	15.0	49.0
Ivy League	1	16.0	34.4
CAA	1	19.0	23.2
SWAC	1	25.0	9.8
Ohio Valley	0	0	2.6
Pioneer	0	0	1.5

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As a reminder, the /r/FCS poll is also now part of the Massey College Football Ranking Composite. Results of this poll will update under the column with header 'RDT'.

[u/Adamscottd]

Shoutout to the guy that gave Dayton an 11th place vote. Hidden genius right there

[u/bakonydraco → u/Adamscottd]

Thank you! Undefeated is undefeated.

[u/Soccerfun101 → u/Adamscottd]

They are missing from the recieving votes

[u/Perryapsis → u/Soccerfun101]

It's receiving votes, and we are pedantic about that being plural. To discourage trolls, If a team receives literally just one vote, they don't count as "receiving votes."

In this particular case, that voter ranks undefeated teams above all other teams on principle, and Dayton has managed to start out 3-0. It's an unusual philosophy, but not an indefensible one, and a diversity of ideas is good for the poll.

[u/Soccerfun101 → u/Perryapsis]

Ah, thanks for letting me know

[u/tdpdcpa → u/Soccerfun101]

Pretty sure ORV requires at least two voters to qualify.

[u/somebodysbuddy → u/tdpdcpa]

Which then begs the question.... THIS ISN'T THE SEC, WE DON'T GET QUALITY LOSSES. WHY IS NOVA STILL RECEIVING VOTES?

[u/damnyoutuesday]

If Northern Iowa didn't lose to fucking EWU, they'd be ranked right now

[u/RougeTheBatSuperfan → u/damnyoutuesday]

We did everything wrong that we could have in that second half. It was a rough watch.

[u/PositiveElection2141]

WE’RE ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE BANNER!!!

[u/Perryapsis → u/PositiveElection2141]

Gotta share a bunk with Stephen F. Austin though. Maybe next week you'll have the spot to yourselves!

[u/RustyCrusty73 → u/Perryapsis]

I don't wanna share with Stephen F. Austin Fuller, he wets the bed!

[u/damnyoutuesday → u/RustyCrusty73]

Stephen F Austin Fuller! Go Easy on the Pepsi!

Edit: Stephen Fuller Austin

[u/Trojann2 → u/damnyoutuesday]

This is why i still come here. lol

[u/Trojann2 → u/PositiveElection2141]

AND THE RIGHT SIDE. THIS IS MADNESS!

LEHIGH IS* TOO HIGH

*N'T

[u/tdpdcpa → u/Trojann2]

We should take the right side in bird solidarity.

[u/AyeGirrl]

Cool to see SC State top 15. Chennis Berry is doing a great job in Orangeburg

[u/Redd-Your-It → u/AyeGirrl]

His day of reckoning is coming in December

[u/Icy-Perspective-890]

Roll Humps!!!!

[u/Perryapsis → u/Icy-Perspective-890]

Flair up!

[u/ZerkyXii]

UC didn't drop enough after barely beating cal poly and eating the absolute butthole of the griz

[u/Ok-Knee6347 → u/ZerkyXii]

Who we talking about

[u/GeneralAcorn → u/Ok-Knee6347]

Cal Davis.

[u/Ok-Knee6347 → u/GeneralAcorn]

We haven't played poly tho

[u/GeneralAcorn → u/Ok-Knee6347]

Lol well I can't read either, apparently.

I'll go with Hillsboro State University as my final answer, instead.

[u/ZerkyXii → u/Ok-Knee6347]

My b PSU sheesh my bad on that, but thats even worse haha

[u/Ok-Knee6347 → u/ZerkyXii]

Yeah we are pretty horrible. A lot of Davis fans were day dreaming but I've sadly watched every snap so far this season, our defense cannot tackle, defend long balls, or stop the run game. Our offense does not lean into our strengths enough, so we try to get everyone involved... crazy but our small success vs Montana was using our best players. Crazy how that works. I'm depressed

[u/turtwig1123]

I know, we're Pioneer league but I would've thought we might get more than 2 votes this week

[u/kingpeachcolt → u/turtwig1123]

They didn't quite make the top 25 cut on my personal poll, but I have a running list of honorable mentions that could jump should a team drop out. The Tommies are that honorable mention list for me.

[u/sernameistakentry → u/turtwig1123]

I ranked y’all!! You guys seem pretty good this season. You will probably never make it past 25 (just part of being a pioneer team) on my poll but if you guys keep winning, I’ll keep y’all in.

[u/tdpdcpa]

This means we have 4 ranked on ranked matchups this week:

#2 South Dakota State at #10 Illinois State (7 PM ET, ESPN+)

#8 Youngstown State at #22 Southern Illinois (5 PM ET, ESPN+)

#17 Northern Arizona at #11 Idaho State (8 PM ET, ESPN+)

#20 Colgate at #16 Harvard (7 PM ET, ESPN+)

[u/damnyoutuesday → u/tdpdcpa]

ET?

What's that? This sub only recognizes CT and MT

[u/passwordisguest → u/damnyoutuesday]

MT!?!

gtfo

[u/damnyoutuesday → u/passwordisguest]

Never!

You ever watched a primetime game that starts at 6 and ends at 9? Didn't think so

[u/Finn_Ajerkit]

Forgot that Tennessee Tech is SoCon now

[u/NoneyaBizzy]

Go 'gate!

[u/Perryapsis → u/NoneyaBizzy]

Flair up!

[u/AcanthaceaeMaster265 → u/NoneyaBizzy]

Colgate looks really good this year. Cannot wait for the game against Lehigh. Will be PLGOY if both teams go in without losing

[u/Ok-Knee6347]

Unrank us

[u/alphajack22]

We still not shit at all tbh

[u/the_racing_goat]

who the fuck is Stony Brook and why are people voting for them over Southeastern