By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
WACO, Texas – Fort Hays State received votes in the preseason release of the AFCA Division II Top 25 Poll, released on Monday (Aug. 12). The MIAA has three teams ranked among the Top 25, including two in the Top 10, and FHSU joins Emporia State among the receiving votes list to give the MIAA five teams referenced in the first release of the poll.
The Tigers will take on a nationally ranked opponent in their season opener on August 29 in Hays, facing No. 24 ranked Angelo State. The Rams finished last year at 7-3 overall and were in the NCAA Division II playoffs in both 2021 and 2022. The Thursday night kickoff is set to begin at 7 p.m.
Representing the MIAA in the Top 10 are 2023 conference co-champions Central Missouri and Pittsburg State. Central Missouri will begin the 2024 season ranked No. 2 in the nation, led by 2023 D2CCA Offensive Player of the Year and Harlon Hill Trophy Award winner Zach Zebrowski. Pittsburg State is tabbed No. 6 in the preseason poll. Both teams finished at 11-2 overall after going 10-1 in the regular season. Northwest Missouri State gives the MIAA three teams inside the Top 25, ranked No. 22 in the poll coming off a 7-4 season in 2023.
Emporia State and Fort Hays State are among the receiving votes section. The Hornets received 18 votes and the Tigers received six. ESU finished 9-3 overall in 2023, winner of the Corsicana Bowl in Texas. FHSU finished at 7-4 overall in 2023.
Fort Hays State has been in the receiving votes section of the AFCA Top 25 Poll three out of the last four seasons, going back to 2019 (no season in 2020). The last time the Tigers were ranked in the Top 25 of the AFCA poll was during the 2019 season on September 9, when they were tabbed No. 25. They started at No. 8 in the poll that season.
The Tigers play in Super Region 3, which opens the year with five of the top six teams in the country including defending national champion Harding. Colorado School of Mines at No. 5 is the only school that breaks the group up. The Orediggers fell to Harding in the 2023 Division II national title game.
Below is the 2024 AFCA Preseason Top 25 Poll.
| Rank | School | Record | Pts. | Rank* | Season Opener |
| 1. | Harding (Ark.) (25) | 15-0 | 672 | 1 | Sept. 5 vs. Southern Nazarene (Okla.) |
| 2. | Central Missouri | 11-2 | 620 | 6 | Sept. 7 vs. Northeastern St. (Okla.) |
| 3. | Ferris St. (Mich.) (1) | 8-3 | 590 | 9 | Aug. 31 at No. 6 Pittsburg St. (Kan.) |
| 4. | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) (1) | 11-2 | 566 | 3 | Sept. 5 vs. Central St. (Ohio) |
| 5. | Colorado School of Mines | 14-1 | 564 | 2 | Sept. 5 vs. West Texas A&M |
| 6. | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | 11-2 | 540 | 5 | Aug. 31 vs. No. 3 Ferris St. (Mich.) |
| 7. | Valdosta St. (Ga.) | 12-2 | 516 | 8 | Aug. 31 vs. Albany St. (Ga.) |
| 8. | Central Washington | 9-4 | 418 | 17 | Sept. 7 at San Diego (Calif.) |
| 9. | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | 13-2 | 416 | 4 | Sept. 7 vs. Bowie St. (Md.) |
| 10. | Kutztown (Pa.) | 12-3 | 413 | 7 | Sept. 5 vs. Assumption (Mass.) |
| 11. | Slippery Rock (Pa.) | 12-2 | 384 | 10 | Sept. 7 vs. New Haven (Conn.) |
| 12. | West Florida | 8-4 | 330 | 23 | Sept. 5 vs. McKendree (Ill.) |
| 13. | Minnesota St. | 9-3 | 232 | 21 | Aug. 29 at No. 22 Northwest Missouri St. |
| 14. | Augustana (S.D.) | 11-2 | 231 | 13 | Sept. 5 at Mary (N.D.) |
| 15. | Western Colorado | 10-2 | 230 | 15 | Sept. 7 vs. Midwestern St. (Tex.) |
| 16. | Indianapolis (Ind.) | 9-2 | 216 | 22 | Sept. 7 at Hillsdale (Mich.) |
| 17. | Minnesota-Duluth | 9-2 | 214 | 25 | Aug. 29 at Northern Michigan |
| 18. | Delta St. (Miss.) | 10-2 | 212 | 11 | Aug. 29 at Mars Hill (N.C.) |
| 19. | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | 9-2 | 209 | NR | Sept. 5 vs. Southwestern Oklahoma St. |
| 20. | Virginia Union | 10-2 | 183 | 20 | Aug. 31 at Kentucky St. |
| 21. | Texas-Permian Basin | 10-2 | 169 | 18 | Aug. 31 vs. Western New Mexico |
| 22. | Northwest Missouri St. | 7-4 | 167 | NR | Aug. 29 vs. No. 13 Minnesota St. |
| 23. | Charleston (W.Va.) | 10-2 | 102 | 19 | Aug. 31 at Livingstone (N.C.) |
| 24. | Angelo St. (Tex.) | 7-3 | 89 | NR | Aug. 29 at Fort Hays St. (Kan.) |
| 25. | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | 9-3 | 70 | 16 | Aug. 29 vs. Michigan Tech |
Others Receiving Votes: Benedict (S.C.), 64; Henderson St. (Ark.), 56; Virginia St., 54; Tiffin (Ohio), 34; Southern Arkansas, 24; Ashland (Ohio), 21; Davenport (Mich.), 21; Wingate (N.C.), 20; Emporia St. (Kan.), 18; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 17; Albany St. (Ga.), 15; Findlay (Ohio), 14; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 12; California (Pa.), 11; Oklahoma Baptist, 11; Shepherd (W.Va.), 8; New Haven (Conn.), 7; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 6; Wayne St. (Neb.), 3; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 2; Truman St. (Mo.), 2; Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 1; Indiana (Pa.), 1.