Two-time defending Football Championship Subdivision champion South Dakota State sits atop the 2024 Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25, which was announced on Monday.
The Jackrabbits garnered 52 of the 56 first-place votes and tallied 1,396 points after completing a perfect 15-0 season in 2023 and running the program’s overall winning streak to 29 games.
SDSU is scheduled to face six teams in the preseason poll during the upcoming season, starting with the Sept. 7 home opener against No. 14 Incarnate Word. Five Missouri Valley Football Conference opponents are ranked, including No. 2 North Dakota State and fifth-ranked South Dakota.
NDSU received three first-place votes, while third-place Montana State of the Big Sky Conference received the other first-place vote. Montana, which the Jackrabbits defeated 23-3 in the 2023 national title game rounded out the top five.
Other MVFC rivals in the poll include No. 10 Southern Illinois, No. 19 Illinois State, 24th-ranked North Dakota and No. 25 Youngstown State. Illinois State is the lone ranked MVFC squad not on the Jackrabbits’ schedule this season. Northern Iowa is receiving votes.
The Jackrabbits have now appeared in the top 25 of 160 consecutive Stats Perform polls dating back to October 2012, including holding the No. 1 ranking for each of the last 22 surveys since midway through the 2022 season.
1. South Dakota State (2023: 15–0, 8–0 MVFC), 1,396 points (52 1st-place votes)
Final 2023 Ranking: 1; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Oklahoma State
2. North Dakota State (11-4, 5-3 MVFC), 1,327 (3)
Final 2023 Ranking: 3; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 at Colorado
3. Montana (13-2, 7-1 Big Sky), 1,285
Final 2023 Ranking: 2; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 vs. Missouri State
4. Montana State (8-4, 6-2 Big Sky), 1,199 (1)
Final 2023 Ranking: 9; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 24 at New Mexico
5. South Dakota (10-3, 7-1 MVFC), 1,155
Final 2023 Ranking: 4; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 vs. Northern State
6. Villanova (10-3, 7-1 CAA), 1,151
Final 2023 Ranking: 6; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 vs. Youngstown State
7. Idaho (9-4, 6-2 Big Sky), 1,021
Final 2023 Ranking: 8; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Oregon
8. Sacramento State (8-5, 4-4 Big Sky), 874
Final 2023 Ranking: 13; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 at San Jose State
9. Chattanooga (8-5, 6-2 SoCon), 868
Final 2023 Ranking: 14; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Tennessee
10. Southern Illinois (8-5, 4-4 MVFC), 832
Final 2023 Ranking: 12; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at BYU
11. Central Arkansas (7-4, 4-2 UAC), 724
Final 2023 Ranking: NR; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Arkansas State
12. Furman (10-3, 7-1 SoCon), 678
Final 2023 Ranking: 7; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Ole Miss
13. Richmond (9-4, 7-1 CAA), 625
Final 2023 Ranking: 15; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Virginia
14. UIW (8-2, 6-1 Southland), 605
Final 2023 Ranking: 22; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 vs. Northern Colorado
15. William & Mary (6-5, 4-4 CAA), 546
Final 2023 Ranking: NR; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 vs. VMI
16. UAlbany (11-4, 7-1 CAA), 527
Final 2023 Ranking: 5; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 vs. LIU
17. Lafayette (9-3, 5-1 Patriot), 359
Final 2023 Ranking: 21; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 at Buffalo
18. UC Davis (7-4, 5-3 Big Sky), 351
Final 2023 Ranking: 24; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at California
19. Illinois State (6-5, 4-4 MVFC), 350
Final 2023 Ranking: NR; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Iowa
20. Western Carolina (7-4, 5-3 SoCon), 318
Final 2023 Ranking: 23; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 at NC State
21. Tarleton State (8-3, 4-2 UAC), 302
Final 2023 Ranking: NR; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 24 vs. McNeese
22. Weber State (6-5, 4-4 Big Sky), 268
Final 2023 Ranking: NR; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Washington
23. Nicholls (6-5, 7-0 Southland), 201
Final 2023 Ranking: NR; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Louisiana Tech
24. North Dakota (7-5, 5-3 MVFC), 197
Final 2023 Ranking: 16; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 31 at Iowa State
25. Youngstown State (8-5, 5-3 MVFC), 177
Final 2023 Ranking: 19; 2024 Season Opener: Aug. 29 at Villanova
Others Receiving Votes (Schools Listed on Two or More Ballots)
Elon (6-5, 6-2 CAA) 174; UT Martin (8-3, 5-1 Big South-OVC) 169; Eastern Illinois (8-3, 4-2 Big South-OVC) 139; Mercer (9-4, 6-2 SoCon) 98; Florida A&M (12-1, 8-0 SWAC) 65; North Carolina Central (9-3, 4-1 MEAC) 52; Austin Peay (9-3, 6-0 UAC) 51; Alabama State (7-4, 5-3 SWAC) 17; Holy Cross (7-4, 5-1 Patriot) 17; Eastern Washington (4-7, 3-5 Big Sky) 14; Drake (8-4, 8-0 Pioneer) 8; Duquesne (7-4, 6-1 NEC) 8; Harvard (8-2, 5-2 Ivy) 6; Samford (6-5, 4-4 SoCon) 6; Northern Iowa (6-5, 5-3 MVFC) 4
