The Evangel football team moved into the NAIA Coaches’ Top 25 Monday to the No. 25 spot as released by the organization.
The Crusaders return to the Top 25 for the first time since the 2014 season where they spent one week at No. 25 before falling out. Evangel entered the Top 25 thanks to a four-game winning streak after Saturday’s 21-0 shutout of Missouri Valley.
Evangel sits at 6-3 overall and 3-0 in the Heart of America South Division. The Crusaders head to Avila on Saturday looking for their fifth straight win as the Eagles are also riding high after a 24-37 upset of MidAmerica Nazarene.
Four Heart teams are in the Coaches Top 25 with Baker at No. 2, Grand View at No. 6, Benedictine at No. 11, and Evangel at No. 25. Saint Francis (Ind.) holds the top spot in the poll for the 11th straight week as the top 10 remained unchanged.
2017 NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – No. 8 (October 30, 2017)
| RANK | LAST TIME^ | SCHOOL (1ST PLACE VOTES) | 2017 RECORD | TOTAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Saint Francis (Ind.) (15) | 9-0 | 340 |
| 2 | 2 | Baker (Kan.) | 9-0 | 327 |
| 3 | 3 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 7-0 | 312 |
| 4 | 4 | Morningside (Iowa) | 9-0 | 303 |
| 5 | 5 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 8-0 | 287 |
| 6 | 6 | Grand View (Iowa) | 8-1 | 272 |
| 7 | 7 | Southern Oregon | 8-0 | 266 |
| 8 | 8 | Langston (Okla.) | 8-0 | 241 |
| 9 | 9 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 7-0 | 237 |
| 10 | 10 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 7-1 | 227 |
| 11 | 12 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 8-1 | 213 |
| 12 | 13 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 6-1 | 191 |
| 13 | 14 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 8-1 | 183 |
| 14 | 15 | Dickinson State (N.D.) | 8-1 | 169 |
| 15 | 16 | Concordia (Mich.) | 8-1 | 159 |
| 16 | 17 | SAGU (Texas) | 7-1 | 139 |
| 17 | 11 | Montana Tech | 6-2 | 132 |
| 18 | 18 | Sterling (Kan.) | 7-2 | 122 |
| 19 | 19 | Tabor (Kan.) | 6-2 | 108 |
| 20 | 21 | Marian (Ind.) | 5-3 | 84 |
| 21 | 20 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 6-1 | 73 |
| 22 | 22 | Cumberland (Tenn.) | 6-3 | 57 |
| 23 | 23 | Arizona Christian | 6-3 | 50 |
| 24 | 24 | Doane (Neb.) | 5-3 | 34 |
| 25 | RV | Evangel (Mo.) | 6-3 | 13 |
Dropped from the Top 25: Dakota State (S.D.) (No. 25)
Others Receiving Votes: Kansas Wesleyan 11; Concordia (Neb.) 8; Dakota State (S.D.) 6; Rocky Mountain (Mont.) 6; Faulkner (Ala.) 5; Bluefield (Va.) 3; Peru State (Neb.) 3.
Top 25 Highlights (historical information dates back to 1999)
• Saint Francis has held the No. 1 ranking for 11-straight polls dating back to the 2016 postseason edition. Additionally, the top billing for the Cougars extends the streak of a Mid-States Football Association Mideast League (MSFAE) team holding the top-spot to 23-consecutive polls.
• Saint Francis kept its unbeaten season alive and extended its winning streak to 18-straight with a 70-0 victory over Lindenwood-Belleville (Ill.) last Saturday. The Cougars are 5-0 in the MSFAE and already own at least a share of the conference championship with only one game to play – Saturday against Taylor (Ind.).
• There was no movement in the top 10 this week.
• No. 25 Evangel (Mo.) joins the Top 25 for the first time since September 29, 2014 (No. 25). The Crusaders, which are the only newcomer to the poll this week, have quietly gone 6-3 this season and are currently tied with No. 2 Baker (Kan.) for first-place in the Heart of America Athletic Conference South Division. Evangel travels to Avila (Mo.) on Saturday before hosting a potential conference regular-season title game against Baker on Nov. 11.
• Carroll (Mont.) owns the most No. 1 rankings with 58, followed by former NAIA member Sioux Falls (S.D.) (55), No. 9 Georgetown (25), No. 4 Morningside (Iowa) (20), No. 10 Saint Xavier (Ill.) (14) and Saint Francis (14).
• Morningside holds the longest active streak with 134-straight Top 25 mentions. Additionally, the Mustangs have been ranked within the top 10 in 83-straight polls.
