KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Montana Tech football team will begin the season ranked No. 11 in the NAIA, the national office announced Monday with its full preseason coaches' top 25 poll.
The Orediggers return a throng of talent from last season's 9-3 squad that reached the second round of the NAIA Football Championship Series, and Tech was picked as the preseason favorite in the newly formed Frontier Conference East Division.
Head coach
Kyle Samson returns five all-conference players from the 2024 team, including first-team return man and third-team receiver
Levi Torgerson and second-teamers
Shannen O'Brien (offensive line) and
Anthony Okes (defensive line). Defensive back
Payton Gonser and tight end
Derek Pearse were honorable mentions on the postseason awards teams.
Four other Frontier Conference teams checked into the rankings — Montana Western opens the season at No. 5, Dickinson State is No. 13, Southern Oregon sits at No. 22, and Carroll begins at No. 25.
Thursday's season-opener will be a marquee matchup as Montana Western pays a visit to Alumni Coliseum for the annual Copper Game, presented by Rocky Mountain Federal Credit Union. Kickoff on Bob Green Field is set for 6 p.m.
2025 NAIA Football Preseason Coaches' Poll
| RANK |
INSTITUTION |
2024 RECORD |
POINTS |
| 1 |
Grand View (Iowa) |
14-0 |
420 |
| 2 |
Keiser (Fla.) |
12-1 |
406 |
| 3 |
Morningside (Iowa) |
12-2 |
385 |
| 4 |
Benedictine (Kan.) |
11-3 |
382 |
| 5 |
Montana Western |
10-2 |
363 |
| 6 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
11-2 |
343 |
| 7 |
Northwestern (Iowa) |
9-3 |
327 |
| 8 |
St. Thomas (Fla.) |
9-2 |
307 |
| 9 |
Georgetown (Ky.) |
9-3 |
299 |
| 10 |
Texas Wesleyan |
9-3 |
291 |
| 11 |
Montana Tech |
9-3 |
283 |
| 12 |
Friends (Kan.) |
11-2 |
273 |
| 13 |
Dickinson State (N.D.) |
10-2 |
215 |
| 14 |
Southwestern (Kan.) |
11-2 |
213 |
| 15 |
MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.) |
9-2 |
212 |
| 16 |
Baker (Kan.) |
9-2 |
204 |
| 17 |
Southeastern (Fla.) |
7-2 |
199 |
| 18 |
OUAZ (Ariz.) |
8-2 |
171 |
| 19 |
Dordt (Iowa) |
8-2 |
158 |
| 20 |
Campbellsville (Ky.) |
9-2 |
134 |
| 21 |
Concordia (Neb.) |
8-2 |
132 |
| 22 |
Southern Oregon |
8-3 |
129 |
| 23 |
Marian (Ind.) |
8-2 |
118 |
| 24 |
Saint Francis (Ind.) |
8-4 |
106 |
| 25 |
Carroll (Mont.) |
7-3 |
83 |
Poll Methodology:
- The national poll is for publicity purposes only and does not influence the selection process for national championship consideration.
- A panel of head coaches representing each conference and the Continental Athletic Conference (Independents) votes in the poll.
- The Top 25 teams are selected using a points-based system:
- 30 points for a 1st-place vote, 29 for 2nd, 28 for 3rd, and so on.
- The highest and lowest rankings received by each team are discarded before final tallying.
- Teams receiving only one point are not listed as "receiving votes."
- For the Preseason Poll, there is no "previous ranking" column since it is the initial poll and differs from the prior rating system.
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