(Tuesday, September 15; Sioux Center, Iowa) The first in season football coaches' poll has been released by the NAIA and the Dordt Defenders are tied for 11^th in the voting with a 1-1 record.

Dordt had a bye week last week after starting the season with a loss to no. 6 Indiana Wesleyan in Marion, Indiana in August and the Defenders opened the 2026 GPAC season with a 41-7 win over Hastings on September 5.

Dordt will host no. 8 Morningside on Saturday, September 19 in a 1pm kickoff and the Mustangs are one of three teams from the GPAC in the top-25. Northwestern is no. 13 and Midland is in the receiving votes category of the poll.
Grand View (Iowa) and Keiser (Florida) remain the top two teams in the NAIA.

Dordt is tied with Marian (Indiana) in the polling. 
 

RANK	LAST	INSTITUTION [FIRST-PLACE VOTES]	RECORD
1	1	Grand View (Iowa) [13]	3-0
2	2	Keiser (Fla.)	1-1
3	5	Montana Tech	3-0
4	4	College of Idaho	2-0
5	6	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	3-0
6	T-9	Indiana Wesleyan	3-0
7	T-9	Friends (Kan.)	3-0
8	7	Morningside (Iowa)	2-1
9	3	Benedictine (Kan.)	2-1
10	14	Campbellsville (Ky.)	3-0
T-11	8	Dordt (Iowa)	1-1
T-11	12	Marian (Ind.)	2-1
13	24	Northwestern (Iowa)	2-1
14	16	St. Thomas (Fla.)	3-0
15	11	Carroll (Mont.)	1-1
16	15	Southeastern (Fla.)	2-0
17	19	Evangel (Mo.)	3-0
18	21	McPherson (Kan.)	3-0
T-19	RV	Louisiana Christian	3-0
T-19	13	William Penn (Iowa)	2-1
21	18	Montana Western	1-1
22	RV	Olivet Nazarene (Ill.)	2-0
23	25	Dakota State (S.D.)	2-1
T-24	RV	Baker (Kan.)	2-0
T-24	20	Georgetown (Ky.)	1-2

Dropped out of the Top 25: Reinhardt (Ga.), Saint Francis (Ind.), Southwestern (Kan.)
Receiving Votes: Cumberland (Tenn.), Cumberlands (Ky.), Kansas Wesleyan, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.), Midland (Neb.), Ottawa (Kan.), OUAZ (Ariz.), Pikeville (Ky.), Southwestern (Kan.), Taylor (ind.)