KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) released the first NAIA 2022 Football Coaches' Top 25 Poll today. Montana Tech entered the poll at No. 21 after not receiving votes in the preseason edition of the national poll.
 
The Orediggers (2-0) opened the 2022 season with a pair of convincing victories. On the road in La Grande, Oregon, the Orediggers opened the season with a 38-3 win against Eastern Oregon. Last week in the Copper Game home opener in Butte, Tech defeated (RV) Carroll College 26-10.
 
Last season's national champion Morningside (Iowa) 2-0 received all of the first place votes and sits on top of the poll.
 
Montana Western (2-1) is the highest ranked Frontier Conference team but dropped two spots from the preseason poll to No. 17. The Bulldogs lost their opener on the road to Carroll College and picked up wins over Eastern Oregon and Dickinson State who was ranked in the previous poll and fell out of the top 25 this week.
 
The College of Idaho was receiving votes in the preseason poll jumped all the way to No. 17. The Yotes defeated MSU-Northern and than-ranked No. 19 Rocky Mountain in week two. Rocky was dropped from the poll but is still receiving votes.
 
The ranking is the first time the Orediggers have entered the poll under second year head coach Kyle Samson. Montana Tech hosts Rocky Mountain this Saturday on Bob Green Field at Alumni Coliseum.