Defending national champion Montana State is the unanimous No. 1-ranked team in the Stats Perform Top 25 ahead of the 2026 football season.
The Bobcats received all 57 first-place votes by the national media, an ode to their 35-34 overtime victory over Illinois State in the FCS championship game last January in Nashville, Tenn.
MSU's archrival, Montana, is ranked No. 2 in the poll, which was released on Monday.
Montana State, coached by Brent Vigen, went 14-2 overall last year with an 8-0 mark in the Big Sky Conference to win the league title, the second consecutive season in which the Cats ran the table in the conference.
The Grizzlies are coming off a 13-2 season in which they reached the FCS semifinals before falling to Montana State in the first playoff meeting between the in-state foes. Montana, which fell to the Bobcats twice last year, enters the season under new leadership with Bobby Kennedy taking over for departed head coach Bobby Hauck.
The Big Sky’s presence in the rankings extends beyond the Montana schools.
UC Davis checked in at No. 6, while Northern Arizona earned the No. 25 spot. Idaho State and returning conference member Southern Utah also received votes.
The Missouri Valley Football Conference also places multiple teams near the top of the preseason rankings, with South Dakota State at No. 3, national runner-up Illinois State at No. 4 and North Dakota at No. 10.
Elsewhere, the United Athletic Conference has two teams ranked in Tarleton State (No. 5) and Abilene Christian (No. 15), while the Coastal Athletic Association features three ranked programs in Rhode Island, Villanova and Monmouth.
North Dakota State, a perennial power and 10-time FCS national champion, departed the league for the FBS following the 2025 season when it was invited to join the Mountain West.
2026 Stats Perform preseason Top 25
1. Montana State (57 first-place votes)
2. Montana
3. South Dakota State
4. Illinois State
5. Tarleton State
6. UC Davis
7. Rhode Island
8. Villanova
9. Youngstown State
10. North Dakota
11. Lehigh
12. South Dakota
13. Stephen F. Austin
14. Tennessee Tech
15. Abilene Christian
16. Southern Illinois
17. Austin Peay
18. Yale
19. Southeastern Louisiana
20. Lamar
21. Mercer
22. Monmouth
23. UT Martin
24. South Carolina State
25. Northern Arizona
Others Receiving Votes:
Idaho State, Western Carolina, Harvard, New Hampshire, Alabama State, Jackson State, Southern Utah, Prairie View A&M, West Georgia, Texas Rio Grande Valley, Richmond, ETSU, Elon, Southeast Missouri, William & Mary, Delaware State, Drake, Furman.
