Morningside is ranked third in the new NAIA football poll.For the 24th time since 1999, Georgetown (Ky.) boasts the No. 1 ranking in the NAIA Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll. The Tigers slid up one spot after previous No. 1 Marian (Ind.) fell, 23-6, at then-No. 5 Saint Xavier (Ill.) on Nov. 3.
The 2012 NAIA Football Championship Series 16-team field and first round pairings will be announced on Sunday at 3 p.m. CST on www.NAIA.org. The certified conference champions rated in the top 20 (including ties) in the Final Coaches' Top 25 Poll, which will be announced on Sunday at 1 p.m., will automatically qualify for the Football Championship Series. The highest rated independent team - provided it is ranked in the top 20 - shall also automatically qualify. The remaining at-large berths will be awarded based on the final ranking.
The Nos. 2 - 4 all improved one position after Marian's loss. No. 2 Missouri Valley notched the remaining first-place vote and 298 points. The Vikings joined Georgetown and Morningside (Iowa) as the only remaining unbeaten teams at 9-0 with a 35-21 victory against then-No. 15 Evangel (Mo.) on Nov. 3. Third-ranked Morningside captured 294 points to crack the top three for only the second time since 2005.
|
RANK
|
LAST TIME
|
SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES)
|
2012 RECORD
|
TOTAL POINTS
|
|
1
|
2
|
Georgetown (Ky.) (13)
|
9-0
|
314
|
|
2
|
3
|
Missouri Valley (1)
|
9-0
|
298
|
|
3
|
4
|
Morningside (Iowa)
|
9-0
|
294
|
|
4
|
5
|
Saint Xavier (Ill.)
|
8-1
|
278
|
|
5
|
1
|
Marian (Ind.)
|
8-1
|
258
|
|
6
|
6
|
Saint Francis (Ind.)
|
7-2
|
245
|
|
7
|
7
|
Montana Tech
|
8-1
|
243
|
|
8
|
8
|
Cumberlands (Ky.)
|
9-1
|
225
|
|
9
|
9
|
Grand View (Iowa)
|
8-2
|
221
|
|
10
|
11
|
St. Ambrose (Iowa)
|
8-1
|
207
|
|
11
|
12
|
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.)
|
7-2
|
204
|
|
T12
|
13
|
Baker (Kan.)
|
7-2
|
172
|
|
T12
|
14
|
Southern Oregon
|
7-2
|
172
|
|
14
|
17
|
Northwestern (Iowa)
|
8-2
|
159
|
|
15
|
10
|
William Penn (Iowa)
|
8-2
|
151
|
|
16
|
19
|
Ottawa (Kan.)
|
7-2
|
133
|
|
17
|
20
|
Tabor (Kan.)
|
7-2
|
120
|
|
18
|
21
|
Bethel (Tenn.)
|
7-3
|
115
|
|
19
|
15
|
Evangel (Mo.)
|
7-3
|
89
|
|
20
|
24
|
Doane (Neb.)
|
6-3
|
79
|
|
21
|
RV
|
Cumberland (Tenn.)
|
7-3
|
72
|
|
22
|
16
|
Carroll (Mont.)
|
6-4
|
57
|
|
23
|
RV
|
Bacone (Okla.)
|
6-2
|
33
|
|
24
|
RV
|
St. Francis (Ill.)
|
6-4
|
28
|
|
25
|
18
|
Benedictine (Kan.)
|
6-4
|
25
|
Others receiving votes: Valley City State (N.D.) 21; Hastings (Neb.) 7; Robert Morris (Ill.) 5.
