WACO, TEXAS – The University of Sioux Falls Football Team (9-2), which ranks second in NCAA DII in total defense and scoring defense, was ranked No. 18 in the American College Football Association (AFCA) NCAA Division II Coaches Top-25 Week 11 Poll, which was released Monday by the AFCA. It is the final poll to be released in the regular season. The NCAA DII Football Championships, which includes USF among 28 teams to earn berths, begin on Saturday, Nov. 18.

The Cougars, directed by first-year head football coach Jon Anderson, have been ranked in 47 straight polls by the AFCA, which is the longest current streak of any NSIC school. In the latest poll, USF received 268 ballot points.
   
USF, which will face No. 5 Midwestern State on Saturday at 1 p.m., in Wichita Falls, Texas, in the first round of the NCAA DII Football Championships, is among four NSIC teams ranked. Those NSIC teams include Minnesota State at No. 1 (22 first place votes and 834 points), No. 12 Winona State (471 points), No. 18 Sioux Falls and No. 23 Minnesota Duluth (108 points). Behind MSU in the top five is Shepherd (W. Va), Indiana (Pa.), Fort Hays (Kan.), and Midwestern State.
 
The Cougars have recorded nine wins for the fourth straight year and the fifth time in six seasons at NCAA DII.
 
USF, which has clinched a 24th straight winning seasons, opened the 2017 season at No. 17 in the AFCA preseason poll before jumping to No. 9 after week one. After moving to No. 7 three weeks ago, USF moved to No. 6 for two weeks before falling to No. 18 in the week six poll (10-9-17). The Cougars moved up three spots No. 15 in the week seven poll, jumped to No. 14 in the week eight rankings and was No. 13 for two weeks before falling to No.18 after a 27-23 loss to No. 1 Minnesota State, a game USF led 23-13 with five minutes left in the fourth quarter. USF has been ranked in every AFCA poll since opening at No. 24 on Sept. 22, 2014.  A year ago, USF was ranked in the Top-10 for the final eight polls of the regular season. As a result, USF has been ranked in the AFCA Top-10 13 times.  

AFCA 2017 NCAA DII Coaches Poll – Week 11 - Final Regular Season Poll
1. Minnesota State (22), 1-0, 834, 1
2. Shepherd (W. Va) (7), 10-0, 800, 2
3. Indiana (Pa.) (2), 11-0, 778, 3
4. Fort Hays State (Kan.), 11-0, 730, 5
5. Midwestern State (Texas), 8-0, 702, 4
6. Indianapolis (Ind.), 11-0, 672, 6
7.  Central Washington, 11-0, 661, 7
8. Texas A&M Commerce, 9-1, 602, 8T
9. Ashland (Ohio), 10-1, 584, 10
10. Ferris State (Mich.), 9-1, 543, 11
11. Virginia State, 10-0, 514, 15
12. Winona State (Minn.), 10-1, 471, 17
13. Northwest Missouri State, 359, 18
14. Bowie State (Md.), 9-1, 353, 19
15. Assumption (Mass.), 9-1, 333, 8T
16. Wingate (N.C.), 9-1, 285, 12
17. West Alabama, 9-2, 272, 22
18. Sioux Falls, 9-2, 268, 13
19. Shippensburg (Pa.), 10-1, 261, 25
20. Colorado State-Pueblo, 9-2, 223, 23
21. Humboldt State (Calif.), 8-2, 174, 16
22. Colorado Mesa, 9-2, 147, 14
23. Minnesota Duluth, 9-2, 108, NR
24. Eastern New Mexico, 8-2, 90, 20
25. Quachita Baptist (Ark.), 9-2, 72, NR
 
Dropped Out: Findlay (Ohio) (21), West Georgia (24)

Others Receiving Votes: Findlay (Ohio), 49; California (Pa.), 40; Catawba (N.C.), 35; Grand Valley St. (Mich.), 18; Delta St. (Miss.), 12; West Georgia, 10; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 9; Harding (Ark.), 9; Slippery Rock (Pa.), 4; West Florida, 4; Central Missouri, 3; Kutztown (Pa.), 1; LIU-Post (N.Y.), 1; Ohio Dominican, 1; Tuskegee (Ala.), 1.