Don’t look now, but we actually had a stable week at the top of the Fabulous 15 North Carolina college football rankings.
The top three teams from last week – UNC Pembroke, Johnson C. Smith and Catawba – all won Saturday to improve to 5-1. These three NCAA Division II programs share the best overall records in the Old North State right now. Can all three make the playoffs?
Our Fab 15 middle tier took some hits, though. A week after trumpeting the strength of D2 football in our state, Mars Hill, Winston-Salem State, Livingstone and Wingate each suffered losses. It’s a tough division, and these squads play in competitive conferences. Not to fear: Mars Hill, Livingstone and Wingate still sit above .500. WSSU is 3-3.
Duke, Elon, Gardner-Webb, Western Carolina and Fayetteville State rewarded our Fabulous 15 faith in them with impressive victories. Duke, WCU and FSU have each won three in a row heading into the weekend.
In terms of ranking movement, this might have been the least volatile week of the season thus far. Only four teams dropped out (and maybe not for long). NC State, Wake Forest, Appalachian State and Lenoir-Rhyne rejoin the race to be the most Fabulous college football team in North Carolina. Welcome back!
On to the rankings:
What is the Fabulous 15?
When we started NC Football News three years ago, we wanted a set of statewide college football rankings that no one else was doing – something that would account for every program in North Carolina, from the FBS giants to our D2, D3 and junior college programs.
The Fabulous 15 was born.
Our guiding metrics: Which teams are having the most special seasons? Who’s generating the most buzz, for the right reasons, at their respective levels of play?
It’s subjective, no doubt, especially when trying to evaluate such a diverse football landscape. But it’s our unique way of recognizing the schools that are excelling on the field and generating hype, regardless of whether their stadium holds 50,000+ or less than 1,500.
Disagree with our assessments? Think your team should be ranked higher (or your team’s biggest rival should be ranked lower)? Tag us on Twitter/X and sound off. Your passion is part of the equation.
Football and More: NC Sports Network Has Our State’s Sports Landscape Covered
The North Carolina Sports Network is back as a presenting sponsor of the Fabulous 15 in 2025. Get your football and NC sports fix EVERY DAY with great features like The David Glenn Show and the new Bold North State Football podcast.
Check out the latest North Carolina Sports Network content HERE (stories to read) and HERE (videos to watch).
Week 7 brings season-defining matchups, upset alerts, and a fresh look at the Playoff picture.
🎙️ DG breaks down the truth behind the headlines — and what it all means for the ACC & beyond.
📺 Watch now: https://t.co/FM1xs5Xn74#BoldNorthState #CollegeFootball #ACC #NCPork… pic.twitter.com/IOipp21APO — NORTH CAROLINA SPORTS NETWORK (@TheNCSportsNet) October 7, 2025
🏈 NC College Football: Fabulous 15 Statewide Rankings
Based on results through Oct. 3-4 game action.
- UNC Pembroke (5-1): Sometimes jumping into the national rankings can prove a burden too much to bear. Not so for the Braves, who piled up 550 yards of offense and rolled Erskine 44-7. UNCP moves up a few spots in the D2 national rankings to 22nd this week with homecoming on the schedule. The Braves, hosting Shorter, are 3-0 at home so far and 15-2 all-time on homecoming.
- Johnson C. Smith (5-1): The Golden Bulls avoided a trap-game situation, dusting off 2024 CIAA runner-up Virginia State. Kelvin Durham threw four touchdown passes. Golden Bulls are not ranked by D2Football.com but listed in a tie for 24th in the AFCA coaches poll.
- Catawba (5-1): Lenoir-Rhyne won the SAC in 2023. Wingate took the trophy last season. Mars Hill played for the league crown in 2022. Is it Catawba’s turn at the top? Indians definitely trending up, riding a four-game win streak into a huge clash at Wingate.
- Duke (4-2): Is it time to start wondering whether a Big Ten (Penn State?) or SEC program makes a run at coach Manny Diaz after this season? Something to watch. Diaz has been impressive in two years with the Devils, including Saturday’s dominant performance at Cal after a cross-country trip to play in the midnight hour.
- Elon (4-2): Defense and ball-control football won the day at Towson. The Phoenix have been giant killers under coach Tony Trisciani, taking down ranked opponents multiple times at home in recent years. Next on the docket: No. 18 Villanova coming to Rhodes Stadium. The perfect set up for Big E.
- North Carolina Central (4-2): Durham is football central these days, with the Eagles and Blue Devils among our top programs. NCCU has a chance to go 2-0 against the SWAC this weekend at 1-3 Florida A&M.
- NC State (4-2): We’re getting whiplash trying to keep up with the vibes on this team. From “Fire Dave now!” to “We’re just a few plays from being 6-0 going to Notre Dame” it has been roller coaster. Maybe UNC’s recent freefall has helped Pack fans better appreciate the stability of Doeren era, as maddening as some of it has been.
- East Carolina (3-2): Pirates have surrendered just nine points in their three most recent wins, including holding defending American champ Army to 6. The purple and gold have a chance to make a huge statement Thursday night at Tulane (4-1, 2-0 American).
- Wake Forest (3-2): The Deacons’ coaching search flew way under the radar compared to the UNC-Belichick saga. But Wake has been the much more competitive team in their new coach’s first season, despite far fewer resources and much less fanfare. Hats off to Jake Dickert and staff. The college football may be changing rapidly but one thing is constant: your coach needs to know ball.
- Gardner-Webb (3-2): The Runnin’ Bulldogs certainly have a flair for the dramatic this season. Charlie Viorel’s game-winning kick as time expired kept the BBQ Bowl trophy in Boiling Springs for another season. This is fitting as both types of NC barbecue far exceed South Carolina’s.
- Western Carolina (3-3): One major thing got overlooked in Taron Dickens’ magical performance last weekend (46 straight pass completions, 53-of-56 overall, national attention galore): the Catamounts almost lost the game. WCU has been walking a fine line during its three-game win streak. It will take more than Dickens’ efficiency to bring home a conference title. But, a win is a win. And the Catamounts will take recent results for sure.
- Fayetteville State (3-3): Entering the heart of the CIAA schedule, and who is on top of the standings? The Broncos, who have been impressive in winning their first three league games. A lot of football left, but FSU is in a prime spot to make a run at Durham for the CIAA title game.
- Appalachian State (3-2): JJ Kohl led the Mountaineers to a home win in his first start at QB. The defense rose up to thwart an Oregon State comeback. And Kidd Brewer Stadium, aka The Rock, continues to be one of the premiere college football venues in our state on game days.
- Mars Hill (3-2): The Lions suffered a tough loss at Catawba, but still remain in the thick of a crowded field of South Atlantic Conference contenders. Mars Hill is one of four teams with just one conference loss (Emory & Henry, Catawba and Newberry are the others).
- Lenoir-Rhyne (3-3): The Bears became the third team from our state to put a chink in Valdosta State’s armor (32-25 on Saturday). Coach Doug Socha’s team also is the only SAC squad to hand Emory & Henry (4-1) a loss. Not a team to overlook.
Outside Looking In (For Now)
Wingate (3-2) is reeling a bit after back-to-back losses but still has the pieces to make noise in the SAC race … Livingstone (3-2) took a step back against Elizabeth City State but can grind with any team on its schedule … Winston-Salem State (3-3) may have fallen out of the CIAA title picture but the Rams can still spoil a lot of rivals’ dreams (games remain against JCSU, Fayetteville State the last two weeks!) … Brevard lost a 23-20 heartbreaker to Belhaven in a key USA South clash on Saturday.
How Last Week’s Fabulous 15 Fared | Oct. 3-4 Games
