STEPHENVILLE, Texas — The 2025 college football season at the FCS level officially ended on Monday, and both major national rankings released their final polls on Tuesday, slotting Tarleton State as No. 6 in both.
 
The Texans, who tied their program-record for wins in a single-season at 12 and made a run to the FCS Playoffs Quarterfinals, were ranked No. 6 in both the Stats Perform Top 25 Poll and the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.
 
The No. 6 final ranking marks a new best for the Texans ending a season in their short NCAA Division I era. It was a historic 2025 campaign all-around for Tarleton State, who won a United Athletic Conference co-championship, finished 12-2 overall and 7-1 in UAC play. Tarleton State became the first FCS team since 1993 (Troy) to make the quarterfinals in one of its first two seasons of playoff eligibility (8+ team format in FCS), and the Texans are the first active FCS program to accomplish that feat since 1985 (Eastern Washington).
 
In the final Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll, the Texans earned 1,112 points, behind No. 1 Montana State (1,400 points), No. 2 Illinois State (1,327 points), No. 3 Montana (1,271 points), tied-No. 4 North Dakota State (1,181 points) and tied-No. 4 Villanova (1,181 points). A first-place vote is worth 25 points, a second-place vote 24 points, all the way down to one point for a 25th-place vote.
 
In the final AFCA FCS Coaches Poll, Tarleton State earned 419 points, with No. 1 Montana State at 525 points, No. 2 Illinois State at 504 points, No. 3 Montana at 472 points, No. 4 Villanova at 427 points and No. 5 North Dakota State at 426 points. The AFCA FCS Coaches Poll is voted on by the panel chosen by random draw, conference by conference plus independents, from a pool of coaches who have indicated to the AFCA their willingness to participate. Each coach submits a Top-25 with a first-place vote worth 25 points, second-place 24, and so on down to one point for 25th.
 
Tarleton State is one of two UAC teams in both rankings, and one of three UAC teams in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. Abilene Chrisitan is No. 12 in both polls, and West Georgia is ranked No. 24 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll.
 
The final Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll:
 
1. Montana State (14-2, 8-0 Big Sky)
Points: 1,400 (56 of 56 first-place votes); Previous Ranking: 2; Postseason Results: 21-13 win over Yale; 44-28 win over Stephen F. Austin; 48-23 win over Montana; 35-34 OT win over Illinois State
 
2. Illinois State (12-5, 5-3 MVFC)
Points: 1,327; Previous Ranking: T17; Postseason Results: 21-3 win at Southeastern Louisiana; 29-28 win at North Dakota State; 42-31 win at UC Davis; 30-14 win at Villanova; 35-34 OT loss to Montana State
 
3. Montana (13-2, 7-1 Big Sky)
Points: 1,271; Previous Ranking: 3; Postseason Results: 50-29 win over South Dakota State; 52-22 win over South Dakota; 48-23 loss at Montana State
 
T4. North Dakota State (12-1, 8-0 MVFC)
Points: 1,181; Previous Ranking: 1; Postseason Result: 29-28 loss to Illinois State
 
T4. Villanova (12-3, 7-1 CAA)
Points: 1,181; Previous Ranking: 9; Postseason Results: 52-7 win over Harvard; 14-7 win at Lehigh; 26-21 win at Tarleton State; 30-14 loss to Illinois State
 
6. Tarleton State (12-2, 7-1 UAC)
Points: 1,112; Previous Ranking: 5; Postseason Results: 31-13 win over North Dakota; 26-21 loss to Villanova
 
7. Stephen F. Austin (11-3, 8-0 Southland)
Points: 992; Previous Ranking: 10; Postseason Results: 41-34 win over Abilene Christian; 44-28 loss at Montana State
 
8. UC Davis (9-4, 6-2 Big Sky)
Points: 985; Previous Ranking: 11; Postseason Results: 47-26 win over Rhode Island; 42-31 loss to Illinois State   
 
9. South Dakota (10-5, 6-2 MVFC)
Points: 947; Previous Ranking: 12; Postseason Results: 38-17 win over Drake; 47-0 win at Mercer; 52-22 loss at Montana
 
10. Lehigh (12-1, 7-0 Patriot)
Points: 902; Previous Ranking: 4; Postseason Results: 14-7 loss to Villanova
 
11. Rhode Island (11-3, 8-0 CAA)
Points: 816; Previous Ranking: 8; Postseason Results: 27-19 win over Central Connecticut State; 47-26 loss at UC Davis
 
12. Abilene Christian (9-5, 7-1 UAC)
Points: 711; Previous Ranking: 13; Postseason Results: 38-20 win over Lamar; 41-34 loss at Stephen F. Austin
 
13. South Dakota State (9-5, 4-4 MVFC)
Points: 686; Previous Ranking: 16; Postseason Results: 41-3 win over New Hampshire; 50-29 loss at Montana
 
14. North Dakota (8-6, 5-3 MVFC)
Points: 633; Previous Ranking: 19; Postseason Results: 31-6 win at Tennessee Tech; 31-13 loss at Tarleton State
 
15. Yale (9-3, 6-1 Ivy)
Points: 628; Previous Ranking: 24; Postseason Results: 43-42 win at Youngstown State; 21-13 loss at Montana State
 
16. Tennessee Tech (11-2, 8-0 OVC-Big South)
Points: 607; Previous Ranking: 6; Postseason Result: 31-6 loss to North Dakota
 
17. Mercer (9-3, 8-0 SoCon)
Points: 584; Previous Ranking: 7; Postseason Results: 47-0 loss to South Dakota
 
18. Youngstown State (8-5, 5-3 MVFC)
Points: 433; Previous Ranking: 14; Postseason Result: 43-42 loss to Yale
 
19. Southeastern Louisiana (9-4, 7-1 Southland)
Points: 358; Previous Ranking: T17; Postseason Results: 21-3 loss to Illinois State
 
20. Harvard (9-2, 6-1 Ivy)
Points: 242; Previous Ranking: 15; Postseason Result: 52-7 loss at Villanova
 
21. South Carolina State (10-3, 5-0 MEAC)
Points: 206; Previous Ranking: NR; Postseason Result: 40-38, four-OT win over Prairie View A&M
 
22. Monmouth (9-3, 6-2 CAA)
Points: 187; Previous Ranking: 21; Postseason Results: No games
 
23. New Hampshire (8-5, 6-2 CAA)
Points: 165; Previous Ranking: 22; Postseason Result: 41-3 loss at South Dakota State
 
24. Lamar (8-5, 5-3 Southland)
Points: 159; Previous Ranking: 25; Postseason Result: 38-20 loss at Abilene Christian
 
25. Southern Illinois (7-5, 4-4 MVFC)
Points: 147; Previous Ranking: 23; Postseason Results: No games