By FHSU Sports Information
WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State is ranked No. 18 in the latest edition of the AFCA Top 25 Poll, released on Monday (Sept. 17). The Tigers move down one spot in the poll after a pair of unranked undefeated teams made a leap past them this week. The Tigers are 2-1 overall after a 30-24 win over Washburn this past Saturday.
Fort Hays State remains one of four MIAA schools ranked in the Top 25 of the poll. Northwest Missouri State remains No. 4 this week, while Pittsburg State jumped from No. 23 to No. 15 this week. The Bearcats and Gorillas are the only remaining undefeated teams in the MIAA. Fort Hays State and Central Missouri hover in the same area of the poll, FHSU down one spot from No. 17 to No. 18, while UCM moves up one spot from No. 20 to a tie for No. 19.
The top seven teams in the poll remain the same. Undefeated teams, both 3-0, making a leap past the Tigers from unranked status this week are No. 16 Valdosta State and No. 17 Colorado School of Mines. Valdosta State posted a blowout win over No. 8 ranked West Alabama by a score of 58-24. That pushed West Alabama all the way down to No. 23 this week. Colorado School of Mines upended No. 9 ranked CSU-Pueblo 35-21. That pushed CSU-Pueblo down to No. 22 in the rankings.
Below is the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll for September 17, 2018.
| Rank | School (1st votes) | Record | Pts. | Prev. | Week 3 | Next Game |
| 1. | Texas A&M-Commerce (22) | 3-0 | 804 | 1 | D. Eastern New Mexico, 21-11 | Sept. 22 vs. No. 22 Colorado St.-Pueblo |
| 2. | Minnesota St. (6) | 3-0 | 789 | 2 | D. Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.), 46-13 | Sept. 22 at Winona St. (Minn.) |
| 3. | Indiana (Pa.) (4) | 3-0 | 745 | 3 | D. Lock Haven (Pa.), 59-17 | Sept. 22 vs. Mercyhurst (Pa.) |
| 4. | Northwest Missouri St. | 3-0 | 702 | 4 | D. Missouri Southern St., 63-0 | Sept. 22 at Central Oklahoma |
| 5. | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | 3-0 | 695 | 5 | D. Northern Michigan, 47-14 | Sept. 22 vs. Michigan Tech |
| 6. | Ferris St. (Mich.) (1) | 3-0 | 674 | 6 | D. Northwood (Mich.), 53-10 | Sept. 22 at Northern Michigan |
| 7. | Midwestern St. (Texas) | 3-0 | 645 | 7 | D. UT-Permian Basin (Texas), 43-21 | Sept. 22 vs. Angelo St. (Texas) |
| 8. | West Georgia | 3-0 | 560 | 10 | D. Albany St. (Ga.), 45-21 | Sept. 22 vs. Florida Tech |
| 9. | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 3-0 | 499 | 14 | D. Southeastern Oklahoma St., 32-16 | Sept. 22 vs. East Central (Okla.) |
| 10. | West Florida | 2-1 | 436 | 13 | D. Shorter (Ga.), 51-7 | Sept. 22 at Mississippi College |
| 11. | Minnesota-Duluth | 3-0 | 431 | 16 | D. St. Cloud State (Minn.), 41-17 | Sept. 22 vs. Bemidji St. (Minn.) |
| 12. | Central Washington | 2-1 | 361 | 15 | D. Humboldt St. (Calif.), 49-0 | Sept. 22 at Simon Fraser (B.C.) |
| 13. | West Chester (Pa.) | 3-0 | 360 | 18 | D. Seton Hill (Pa.), 59-14 | Sept. 22 vs. Millersville (Pa.) |
| 14. | Colorado Mesa | 3-0 | 352 | 19 | D. Western St. Colorado, 24-20 | Sept. 22 vs. Chadron St. (Neb.) |
| 15. | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | 3-0 | 300 | 23 | D. Northeastern St. (Okla.), 45-7 | Sept. 22 vs. Nebraska-Kearney |
| 16. | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 3-0 | 295 | NR | D. No. 8 West Alabama, 58-24 | Sept. 22 vs. Shorter (Ga.) |
| 17. | Colorado School of Mines | 3-0 | 247 | NR | D. No. 9 Colorado St.-Pueblo, 35-21 | Sept. 22 at New Mexico Highlands |
| 18. | Fort Hays St. (Kan.) | 2-1 | 245 | 17 | D. Washburn (Kan.), 30-24 | Sept. 22 at Missouri Southern St. |
| 19t. | Harding (Ark.) | 2-1 | 197 | 21 | D. Southern Nazarene (Okla.), 42-0 | Sept. 22 vs. Oklahoma Baptist |
| 19t. | Central Missouri | 2-1 | 197 | 20 | D. Missouri Western St., 51-14 | Sept. 22 at Washburn (Kan.) |
| 21. | Southern Arkansas | 3-0 | 180 | 25 | D. Southwestern Oklahoma St., 36-12 | Sept. 22 vs. Northwestern Oklahoma St. |
| 22. | Colorado St.-Pueblo | 2-1 | 154 | 9 | Lost to Colorado School of Mines, 35-21 | Sept. 22 at No. 1 Texas A&M-Commerce |
| 23. | West Alabama | 2-1 | 142 | 8 | Lost to Valdosta St. (Ga.), 58-24 | Sept. 22 at Limestone (S.C.) |
| 24. | Azusa Pacific (Calif.) | 3-0 | 132 | NR | D. Western Oregon, 28-17 | Sept. 22 at North Alabama |
| 25. | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 1-1 | 106 | 22 | Idle | Sept. 22 vs. William Jewell (Mo.) |
Others Receiving Votes: Winona St. (Minn.), 104; Sioux Falls (S.D.), 86; Florida Tech, 71; Notre Dame (Ohio), 47; Ohio Dominican, 40; Tarleton St. (Texas), 37; Fairmont St. (W.Va.), 25; Kutztown (Pa.), 20; Edinboro (Pa.), 16; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 11; Ashland (Ohio), 10; Findlay (Ohio), 6; Hillsdale (Mich.), 3; Bowie St. (Md.), 1.