The 2025 FCS season is less than 90 days away.
As anticipation builds, we look ahead to the upcoming year with our preseason Top 25 media poll.
How was this Top 25 ranking formed?
Our Top 25 media poll included ballots from HERO Sports’ Sam Herder, Kevin Marshall of FCS Nation Radio, Zach McKinnell of The Bluebloods and FCS Football Central, and Jamie Williams of FCS Fans Nation. Each slot was given a point total, and the four rankings were combined and ordered by total points.
Check out HERO Sports FCS throughout the summer for in-depth previews of each team below.
FCS Preseason Top 25
1. North Dakota State (4 1st-place votes)
2. Montana State
3. South Dakota State
4. South Dakota
5. UIW
6. Tarleton State
t7. Illinois State
t7. Montana
9. Rhode Island
10. Idaho
11. UC Davis
t12. Mercer
t12. Sacramento State
14. Villanova
15. Jackson State
16. Southern Illinois
17. Lehigh
18. Western Carolina
19. Northern Arizona
20. Tennessee Tech
t21. Monmouth
t21. Stephen F. Austin
23. Harvard
24. Abilene Christian
25. Stony Brook
Received votes (ordered from most voting points to least): Richmond, Chattanooga, East Tennessee State, North Dakota, Southern Utah, North Carolina Central, UT Martin
