Ferris State football ranked No. 3 in the nation in American Football Coaches Association poll

The Ferris State University football team has been ranked as the preseason No. 3 team in the country by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), solidifying its status among the nation’s elite.

On Monday, the AFCA released its 2024 Division II Coaches Preseason Poll, with the Bulldogs securing the third position overall, earning 590 total points and one first-place vote.

Previously, the Bulldogs were ranked fourth in a summer preseason poll by Lindy’s Sports.

Defending national champion Harding University from Arkansas topped the AFCA poll with 672 points and 25 out of 27 possible first-place votes. The University of Central Missouri came in second with 620 points, followed by Ferris State, Grand Valley State University with 566 points, and Colorado School of Mines with 564 points, rounding out the top five.

In their opening week, Ferris State will face Pittsburg State University from Kansas, which is ranked sixth in the AFCA poll. Notably, five of the top six teams come from Super Region Three, including Ferris State.

Ferris State and GVSU are the only teams from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) ranked in the preseason top 25. Davenport University received votes just outside the rankings, accumulating 21 points.

Entering his 12th season, head coach Tony Annese, a two-time D2Football.com National Coach of the Year, is leading the Bulldogs, who aim for their nation-leading 10th consecutive NCAA Division II playoff appearance. The Bulldogs have reached the D2 National Semifinals five times in the past seven years, including three appearances in the National Championship game.

With a strong returning core from the previous season, Ferris State is also favored to win the GLIAC according to last week’s preseason coaches poll.

Over the last three seasons, the Bulldogs have an impressive 36-4 overall record and have made it to the NCAA Division II Playoffs for nine straight years.

Ferris State boasts the best winning record in D2 Football over the past nine seasons, with a record of 63-6 in their last four seasons, including back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022.

Under Annese’s leadership since 2012, Ferris State has the highest winning percentage in the GLIAC and the best overall record for collegiate programs in Michigan at 123-20 (.860).

The Bulldogs will kick off their season with a matchup against preseason-ranked Pittsburg State on Saturday, August 31, in Pittsburg, Kansas, before returning home for their opener against Lake Erie on Saturday, September 7, at Top Taggart Field.