WACO, TEX.– Clarion (Pa.), who sits 7-0 and is off to the program’s best start since 1983, earned their first-ever ranking in the AFCA Division II Coaches’ Top 25 Poll. The Eagles come in at No. 25 and are tied atop the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division standings. Two other schools joined Clarion as newcomers to this week’s Top 25. No. 21 Wingate (N.C.) handed then-No. 16 Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) a 24-14 loss, dropping the Bears out of the poll, while Colorado Mesa comes in at No. 23, which is the Mavericks first ranking since the preseason poll of 2008, where they were ranked 23rd.

There are four Top 25 matchups this week, with all four being key conference games. No. 2 West Georgia plays host to No. 13 North Alabama, with first place in the Gulf South Conference on the line. No. 17 Michigan Tech travels to No. 4 Ferris State (Mich.) as the Huskies try to keep pace in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, while No. 6 Colorado State-Pueblo hosts No. 7 Colorado School of Mines with first place on the line in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The final matchup is for first place in the Lone Star Conference as No. 10 Midwestern State (Texas) travels to No. 11 Texas A&M-Commerce.

2015 American Football Coaches Association Division II Coaches’ Poll — Oct. 19, 2015

() – Denotes first-place votes; () – Denotes current record

Dropped Out: Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) (16), Pittsburg St. (Kan.) (22), Arkansas Tech (24)

Others Receiving Votes: Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.), 40; Indianapolis (Ind.), 37; Charleston (W.Va.), 35; Virginia Union, 23; Valdosta St. (Ga.), 21; Fort Hays St. (Kan.), 19; East Central (Okla.), 13; Indiana (Pa.), 9; Assumption (Mass.), 7; Bowie St. (Md.), 6; Central Missouri, 5; Carson-Newman (Tenn.), 2; North Greenville (S.C.), 2; Southwest Minnesota St., 2; Azusa Pacific (Calif.), 1.