1987 NCAA Division II football rankings

The 1987 NCAA Division II football rankings are from the NCAA Division II football committee. This is for the 1987 season.

Legend

  Increase in ranking
  Decrease in ranking
  Not ranked previous week
(#–#)
  Win–loss record
(Italics)
  Number of first place votes
т
Tied with team above or below also with this symbol

NCAA Division II Football Committee poll

Preseason
Week 1
Sept 8
Week 2
Sept 15
Week 3
Sept 22
Week 4
Sept 29
Week 5
Oct 6
Week 6
Oct 13
Week 7
Oct 20
Week 8
Oct 27
Week 9
Nov 3
Week 10
Nov 10
Week 11
Nov 17
1. North Dakota State (4) North Dakota State (0–0) (4) South Dakota (2–0) (4) South Dakota (3–0) (4) South Dakota (4–0) (4) South Dakota (5–0) (4) South Dakota (6–0) (4) Northern Michigan (7–0) (4) Northern Michigan (8–0) (4) Northern Michigan (9–0) (4) Texas A&I (8–1) (4) Texas A&I (9–1) (4) 1.
2. South Dakota South Dakota (1–0) Texas A&I (2–0) UCF (2–0) Northern Michigan (4–0) Northern Michigan (5–0) Northern Michigan (6–0) Texas A&I (5–1) Texas A&I (6–1) Texas A&I (7–1) West Chester (9–1) West Chester (9–1) 2.
3. Troy State Texas A&I (1–0) UCF (1–0) Northern Michigan (3–0) Portland State (3–1) т Texas A&I (3–1) Texas A&I (4–1) West Chester (6–1) West Chester (7–1) West Chester (8–1) Portland State (8–1–1) Portland State (9–1–1) 3.
4. Texas A&I UC Davis (0–0) West Chester (2–0) Albany State (2–0) Texas A&I (2–1) т Portland State (4–1) West Chester (5–1) Portland State (5–1–1) Portland State (6–1–1) Portland State (7–1–1) Troy State (8–1–1) Troy State (9–1–1) 4.
5. UC Davis UCF (1–0) Northern Michigan (2–0) Texas A&I (2–1) West Chester (3–1) т West Chester (4–1) Portland State (4–1–1) Tuskegee (6–0) Eastern New Mexico (8–0) Eastern New Mexico (9–0) UCF (7–2) Northern Michigan (9–1) 5.
6. IUP West Chester (1–0) Portland State (2–0) Portland State (2–1) т North Dakota State (2–1) North Dakota State (3–1) North Dakota State (4–1) Eastern New Mexico (7–0) Troy State (6–1–1) Troy State (7–1–1) Northern Michigan (9–1) IUP (9–1) 6.
7. Albany State Portland State (1–0) UC Davis (0–0) West Chester (2–1) т Valdosta State (3–0) Valdosta State (4–0) Tuskegee (5–0) North Alabama (6–0) IUP (6–1) IUP (7–1) IUP (8–1) Mankato State (9–2) 7.
8. Grand Valley State Albany State (1–0) Albany State (1–0) North Dakota State (1–1) UCF (2–1) Millersville (4–0) Eastern New Mexico (6–0) Cal Poly (6–0) North Alabama (6–0–1) UCF (6–2) Mankato State (8–2) Butler (8–1–1) 8.
9. Portland State Ashland (0–0) South Dakota State (1–0) Valdosta State (2–0) Millersville (3–0) Tuskegee (4–0) North Alabama (5–0) IUP (5–1) Santa Clara (6–1) Mankato State (7–2) Eastern New Mexico (9–1) Angelo State (7–2) 9.
10. UCF New Haven (0–0) North Dakota State (0–1) Ashland (2–0) Jacksonville State (3–0) Eastern New Mexico (5–0) IUP (4–1) South Dakota (6–1) New Haven (6–1) New Haven (7–1) New Haven (8–1) UC Davis (7–2) 10.
11. West Chester South Dakota State Ashland (1–0) т Millersville (2–0) Tuskegee (4–0) IUP (3–1) Cal Poly (5–0) Troy State (5–1–1) UCF (5–2) т Winston–Salem State (7–1) Tuskegee (8–1) UCF (7–3) 11.
12. Ashland Valdosta State Valdosta State (1–0) т Jacksonville State (2–0) UC Davis (1–1) North Alabama (4–0) Troy State (4–1–1) New Haven (5–1) Mankato State (6–2) т Butler (6–1–1) Butler (7–1–1) Winston–Salem State (8–2) 12.
13. Valdosta State Northern Michigan Millersville (1–0) Santa Clara (2–0) Eastern New Mexico (4–0) Cal Poly (4–0) New Haven (4–1) UCF (4–2) Butler (5–1–1) Tuskegee (7–1) Angelo State (6–2) Eastern New Mexico (9–2) 13.
14. New Haven Southeast Missouri State Jacksonville State (2–0) Grand Valley State (2–1) IUP (2–1) Mankato State (4–1) т Fort Valley State (3–1) Santa Clara (5–1) Cal Poly (6–1) South Dakota (7–2) UC Davis (6–2) Bloomsburg (8–3) 14.
15. Central Missouri State   Southeast Missouri State (1–1) Tuskegee (3–0) North Alabama (3–0) New Haven (3–1) т Angelo State (4–1) North Dakota State (5–1) Winston–Salem State (6–1) Valdosta State (6–2) Winston–Salem State (7–2) Hampton (9–2) 15.
16. South Dakota State   Southern Utah State (2–0) Eastern New Mexico (3–0) Delta State (3–0) Fort Valley State (3–1) Ashland (4–1) Mankato State (5–2) Tuskegee (6–1) Clarion (6–2) Clarion (7–2) New Haven (8–2) 16.
17. Abilene Christian   Grand Valley State (1–1) IUP (1–1) т New Haven (2–1) Ashland (3–1) UCF (3–2) Ashland (4–1–1) North Dakota State (5–2) Cal State Northridge (6–2) Cal Poly (6–2) Ashland (7–2–1) 17.
18. Fort Valley State   Tuskegee (2–0) North Alabama (3–0) т Ashland (2–1) т Troy State (3–1–1) Grand Valley State (4–2) Butler (4–1–1) Clarion (5–2) т Angelo State (6–2) Virginia State (8–1) Alabama A&M (7–3) 18.
19. Millersville Millersville East Stroudsburg (1–0) North Dakota (2–0) т Cal Poly (3–0) т Clarion (3–1) Santa Clara (4–1) Winston–Salem State (5–1) Valdosta State (5–1) т Santa Clara (6–2) Cal State Northridge (6–3) Minnesota–Duluth (7–3) 19.
20. West Texas State   Nebraska–Omaha (2–0) Delta State (2–0) Mankato State (3–0) Angelo State (3–1) т Butler (4–1) т Bloomsburg (5–2) Angelo State (5–2) North Alabama (6–1–1) Bloomsburg (7–3) т Tuskegee (8–2) 20.
21.           Butler (3–1) т Mansfield (4–1) т       Valdosta State (6–2) т   21.
22.           Santa Clara (3–1) т             22.
Preseason
Week 1
Sept 8
Week 2
Sept 15
Week 3
Sept 22
Week 4
Sept 29
Week 5
Oct 6
Week 6
Oct 13
Week 7
Oct 20
Week 8
Oct 27
Week 9
Nov 3
Week 10
Nov 10
Week 11
Nov 17
Dropped:
  • 3 Troy State
  • 6 IUP
  • 8 Grand Valley State
  • 15 Central Missouri State
  • 17 Abilene Christian
  • 18 Fort Valley State
  • 20 West Texas State
Dropped:
10 New Haven
Dropped:
  • 7 UC Davis
  • 9 South Dakota State
  • 15 Southeast Missouri State
  • 16 Southern Utah State
  • 19 East Stroudsburg
  • 20 Nebraska–Omaha
Dropped:
  • 4 Albany State
  • 13 Santa Clara
  • 14 Grand Valley State
  • 19 North Dakota
Dropped:
  • 8 UCF
  • 10 Jacksonville State
  • 12 UC Davis
  • 16 Delta State
Dropped:
  • 7 Valdosta State
  • 8 Millersville
  • 14 Mankato State
  • 19 Clarion
Dropped:
  • 14 Fort Valley State
  • 15 Angelo State
  • 18 Grand Valley State
  • 20 Mansfield
Dropped:
  • 10 South Dakota
  • 17 Ashland
  • 20 Bloomsburg
Dropped:
  • 14 Cal Poly
  • 17 North Dakota State
Dropped:
  • 14 South Dakota
  • 19 Santa Clara
  • 20 North Alabama
Dropped:
  • 16 Clarion
  • 17 Cal Poly
  • 18 Virginia State
  • 19 Cal State Northridge
  • 20 Valdosta State