WACO, TEX.– Fresh off their first FCS national title in 2022, South Dakota State will begin the 2023 season at No. 1 in the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Jackrabbits earned 24 first-place votes and will begin defense of their title against Western Oregon on August 31. The team South Dakota State beat in the championship game sits in the No. 2 position. North Dakota State, who received one first-place vote, will face Eastern Washington on September 2 in Minneapolis at U.S. Bank Stadium.

There aren’t any Top 25 matchups in the first week of action, but one Top 25 team begins play before anybody else. No. 22 Mercer will face North Alabama in the FCS Kickoff Classic on Saturday, August 26 in Montgomery, Alabama. This will be the first meeting between those two programs.
 

Rank	School (1st votes)	Pts.	Season Opener
1	South Dakota St. (24)	624	Aug. 31 vs. Western Oregon
2	North Dakota St. (1)	596	Sept. 2 vs. Eastern Washington
3	Montana St.	567	Sept. 2 vs. Utah Tech
4	William & Mary	510	Aug. 31 at Campbell
5	Holy Cross	459	Sept. 2 vs. Merrimack
6	Furman	438	Aug. 31 vs. Tennessee Tech
7	UIW	424	Sept. 2 at UTEP
8	Sacramento St.	421	Aug. 31 at Nicholls St.
9	Samford	414	Aug. 31 vs. Shorter
10	Weber St.	325	Aug. 31 vs. Central Washington
11	Southeast Missouri St.	322	Sept. 2 at Kansas St.
12	New Hampshire	304	Sept. 2 at Stonehill
13	Idaho	288	Aug. 31 at Lamar
14	Montana	285	Sept. 2 vs. Butler
15	Southeastern Louisiana	259	Sept. 2 at Mississippi St.
16	Richmond	235	Sept. 2 vs. Morgan St.
17	UC Davis	226	Aug. 31 at Texas A&M-Commerce
18	North Dakota	188	Sept. 2 vs. Drake
19	North Carolina Central	139	Sept. 2 vs. Winston-Salem St.
20	Northern Iowa	137	Sept. 2 at Iowa St.
21	Delaware	124	Aug. 31 at Stony Brook
22	Mercer	123	Aug. 26 vs. North Alabama
23	Rhode Island	73	Aug. 31 at Georgia St.
24	Gardner-Webb	72	Sept. 2 at Appalachian St.
25	Florida A&M	70	Sept. 3 vs. Jackson St.

Others Receiving Votes: Yale, 64; Eastern Kentucky, 59; Fordham, 58; Jackson St., 37; Elon, 30; St. Thomas (Minn.), 30; Youngstown St., 28; Princeton, 26; Southern Illinois, 26; UT Martin, 23; Central Arkansas, 22; Chattanooga, 13; North Carolina A&T, 13; Illinois St., 12; Northern Arizona, 12; Southern, 9; Davidson, 7; St. Francis (Pa.), 7; Tennessee Tech, 6; Howard, 5; Pennsylvania, 5; Abilene Christian, 4; Austin Peay, 3; Campbell, 2; Villanova, 1.