Tarleton State has ascended to the No. 1 position in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll, marking the first-ever top national ranking for the football program. The Texans, which began playing in 1904, moved up from previously being ranked No. 2 according to a report published October 19.
The Tarleton State squad, coached by Todd Whitten, improved to a 7-0 record following a 49-35 victory over Central Arkansas on Saturday night. The win occurred hours after then-No. 1 South Dakota State lost to North Dakota. The Texans received 49 of the 57 first-place votes in the national media poll and have clinched a winning season, a feat the program has achieved every year since entering the FCS in 2020.
Stephen F. Austin holds the No. 2 ranking with a 7-0 record, following a 56-0 win at Nicholls during Week 7. The reigning FCS champion Montana State is ranked No. 3 after a 56-20 win at Eastern Washington. Other unbeaten teams include Harvard, which is ranked 15th with a 5-0 record.
The Stats Perform FCS Top 25 Poll is released each Monday during the regular season. The voting system awards 25 points for a first-place vote and decreases by one point for each subsequent position down to 25th place. The poll follows Week 7 games and includes various conference representatives, such as the Big Sky, CAA, Ivy League, and Missouri Valley Football Conference.
Looking ahead to Week 8, Tarleton State is scheduled to play at West Georgia on Oct. 24 at 2 p.m. ET. Stephen F. Austin will face No. 23 Southeastern Louisiana on Oct. 24 at 6 p.m., while Montana State is scheduled to play Weber State on Oct. 24 at 3 p.m.
