KANSAS CITY, Mo.- For the first time since the 2021 preseason poll, Carson-Newman's football program is nationally ranked.
The Eagles debuted in 25th in the D2Football.com Media Poll released Monday afternoon. C-N is receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll.
Carson-Newman and Lenoir-Rhyne (12th) are the only two South Atlantic Conference programs ranked by D2Football.com. Carson-Newman sits in 29th in the others receiving votes category in the AFCA Poll. The Bears are the only SAC team ranked in the AFCA Poll - checkin in in sixth.
This is Carson-Newman's 144th week ranked since the year 2000 by either D2Football.com or the AFCA. Carson-Newman has been nationally ranked more than any other league institution since the turn of the century.
The Eagles are off to a 3-0 start, their best since 2013. C-N finds itself ranked in the month of September (outside of a preseason poll) for the first time since 2014.
C-N will be in action Saturday at 6 p.m. at Catawba. Pregame coverage begins at 5 p.m. with the AEC Tailgate Show on Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville), MIX 105.5 (WSEV-FM, Sevierville) and online at cneagles.com/live.
D2Football.com Poll
| Rank | Team | Record | Previous Rank |
| 1 | Harding | 3-0 | 1 |
| 2 | Grand Valley State | 3-0 | 2 |
| 3 | Valdosta State | 4-0 | 3 |
| 4 | Minnesota State | 4-0 | 4 |
| 5 | Pittsburg State | 3-1 | 6 |
| 6 | Ferris State | 2-1 | 7 |
| 7 | Colorado Mines | 3-0 | 5 |
| 8 | Kutztown | 3-0 | 8 |
| 9 | Central Washington | 2-1 | 9 |
| 10 | Slippery Rock | 3-0 | 10 |
| 11 | Central Missouri | 2-1 | 11 |
| 12 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 3-0 | 12 |
| 13 | Western Colorado | 3-0 | 14 |
| 14 | Indianapolis | 3-0 | 15 |
| 15 | Emporia State | 4-0 | 18 |
| 16 | Ouachita Baptist | 3-0 | 16 |
| 17 | Henderson State | 3-0 | 17 |
| 18 | West Alabama | 4-0 | NR |
| 19 | Augustana | 2-1 | 19 |
| 20 | West Florida | 1-1 | 13 |
| 21 | Bemidji State | 3-1 | 21 |
| 22 | Charleston | 3-0 | 22 |
| 23 | Central Oklahoma | 3-0 | 25 |
| 24 | CSU Pueblo | 3-1 | NR |
| 25 | Carson-Newman | 3-0 | NR |
2024 AFCA Division II Coaches Poll, presented by Hudl – September 23, 2023
|
Rank |
School (1st votes) |
Rec. |
Pts. |
Prev. |
Week 3 |
Next Game |
|
1 |
Harding (Ark.) (29) |
3-0 |
725 |
1 |
D. Arkansas-Monticello, 63-3 |
Sept. 28 vs. No. 20 Henderson St. (Ark.) |
|
2 |
Grand Valley St. (Mich.) |
3-0 |
687 |
2 |
D Wisconsin-La Crosse, 20-13 |
Sept. 28 vs. No. 21 West Florida |
|
3 |
Valdosta St. (Ga.) |
4-0 |
661 |
3 |
D. Erskine (S.C.), 73-0 |
Sept. 28 vs. No. 17 West Alabama |
|
4 |
Colorado School of Mines |
3-0 |
632 |
4 |
D. Chadron St. (Neb.), 13-12 |
Sept. 28 vs. Black Hills St. (S.D.) |
|
5 |
Ferris St. (Mich.) |
2-1 |
594 |
5 |
Idle |
Sept. 28 at American International (Mass.) |
|
6 |
Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) |
3-0 |
562 |
6 |
D. Mars Hill (N.C.), 29-21 |
Sept. 28 vs. Tusculum (Tenn.) |
|
7 |
Minnesota St. |
4-0 |
523 |
8 |
D. Minot St. (N.D.), 40-6 |
Sept. 28 at Concordia (Minn.) |
|
8 |
Kutztown (Pa.) |
3-0 |
508 |
7 |
D. Gannon (Pa.), 37-7 |
Sept. 28 at East Stroudsburg (Pa.) |
|
9 |
Slippery Rock (Pa.) |
3-0 |
481 |
9 |
D. Shippensburg (Pa.), 33-7 |
Sept. 28 vs. Edinboro (Pa.) |
|
10 |
Pittsburg St. (Kan.) |
3-1 |
474 |
10 |
D. Washburn (Kan.), 39-31 |
Oct. 5 vs. Missouri Western St. |
|
11 |
Emporia St. (Kan.) |
4-0 |
418 |
13 |
D. Missouri Western St., 30-27 OT |
Sept. 28 at Northwest Missouri St. |
|
12 |
Central Missouri |
2-1 |
400 |
11 |
D. Davenport (Mich.), 32-31 |
Sept. 28 vs. Nebraska-Kearney |
|
13 |
Central Washington |
2-1 |
346 |
14 |
D. West Texas A&M, 45-3 |
Sept. 28 vs. Western New Mexico |
|
14 |
Western Colorado |
3-0 |
336 |
15 |
D. Adams St. (Colo.), 38-0 |
Sept. 28 at New Mexico Highlands |
|
15 |
Indianapolis (Ind.) |
3-0 |
292 |
16 |
D. Wayne St. (Mich.), 30-6 |
Sept. 28 vs. Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) |
|
16 |
Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) |
3-0 |
282 |
17 |
D. Southern Arkansas, 25-20 |
Sept. 28 vs. Arkansas-Monticello |
|
17 |
West Alabama |
4-0 |
272 |
23 |
D. No. 12 West Florida, 35-33 2OT |
Sept. 28 at No. 3 Valdosta St. (Ga.) |
|
18 |
Augustana (S.D.) |
2-1 |
241 |
18 |
D. Northern St. (S.D.), 41-7 |
Sept. 28 at Minnesota St.-Moorhead |
|
19 |
Charleston (W.Va.) |
3-0 |
200 |
19 |
D. North Carolina-Pembroke, 58-36 |
Sept. 28 at Concord (W.Va.) |
|
20 |
Henderson St. (Ark.) |
3-0 |
170 |
20 |
D. Arkansas Tech, 27-12 |
Sept. 28 at No. 1 Harding (Ark.) |
|
21 |
West Florida |
1-1 |
169 |
12 |
Lost to No. 23 West Alabama, 35-33 2OT |
Sept. 28 at No. 2 Grand Valley St. (Mich.) |
|
22 |
Colorado St.-Pueblo |
3-1 |
160 |
22 |
D. Colorado Mesa, 38-14 |
Sept. 28 at Adams St. (Colo.) |
|
23 |
Central Oklahoma |
3-0 |
107 |
NR |
D. Nebraska-Kearney, 32-17 |
Sept. 28 vs. Fort Hays St. (Kan.) |
|
24 |
Delta St. (Miss.) |
3-1 |
96 |
24t |
D. Fort Valley St. (Ga.), 27-24 |
Sept. 28 at Erskine (S.C.) |
|
25 |
Indiana (Pa.) |
3-0 |
23 |
NR |
D. Millersville (Pa.), 42-14 |
Sept. 28 vs. Clarion (Pa.) |
Dropped Out: Virginia Union (21), Wingate (N.C.) (24t)
Others Receiving Votes: Johnson C. Smith (N.C.), 17; Findlay (Ohio), 12; Bemidji St. (Minn.), 8; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 7; Davenport (Mich.), 7; Southern Arkansas, 3; Clark Atlanta (Ga.), 2; East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 2; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 2; Frostburg St. (Md.), 2; Virginia Union, 2; Angelo St. (Tex.), 1; New Haven (Conn.), 1.