📊 Who’s In, Who’s Out of National Top 25 Polls?
North Carolina college football is on the national radar once again, and we’re tracking teams that make waves in the Top 25 rankings throughout the 2025 season.
Lenoir-Rhyne, the only North Carolina college football team to win 10 games a year ago, will begin 2025 as our state’s highest ranked program.
The Bears were picked 14th in the preseason D2Football.com rankings, released Sunday, Aug. 17. Lenoir-Rhyne also was listed 17th in the AFCA D2 Coaches Poll, published earlier this month.
Western Carolina, which competes at the FCS level, is the only other North Carolina college football team to crack a national Top 25 in the preseason. The Catamounts are ranked 18th in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, 19th in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll and 16th in FCS Nation Radio’s Preseason Top 25.
Duke came the closest the landing in the FBS rankings, receiving votes in USA Today/AFCA Coaches Poll and in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25.
This page will track North Carolina teams in the national rankings throughout the season. We’ll chart which team ascends the highest, as well as weekly ranking updates.
🔄 This page will follow every NC team in the national polls all season long — showing which programs climb, fall or break into the rankings. Bookmark it and check back weekly for updates.
🏆 Highest Ranked NC College Football Team | 2025
14th — Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (D2)
Preseason Top 25 ranking by D2Football.com, considered the premier media poll for NCAA Division II football.
Note: This section updates weekly to spotlight the top national ranking achieved by any NC program.
🏈 Preseason National Rankings (2025)
NCAA Division I FBS Football
- Duke — Receiving votes in both the USA Today Coaches Poll (12 points) and AP Top 25 (6 points). Coming off 8 wins in 2024 with several key playmakers back on offense.
NCAA Division I FCS Football
- Western Carolina — Ranked No. 18 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, No. 19 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 16 in the FCS Radio Nation Preseason Top 25. Finished 2024 with 7 wins and aiming for a SoCon title and FCS playoff berth.
- North Carolina Central — Receiving votes in both the AFCA Coaches Poll (13 points) and Stats Perform Top 25 (18 points). Winners or co-champions of two MEAC titles in the past four seasons.
NCAA Division II Football
- Lenoir-Rhyne — Ranked No. 14 in the D2Football.com Preseason Top 25 and No. 17 in the AFCA D2 Coaches Poll after a 10-win season in 2024, which included a playoff win.
- Wingate — Receiving votes (74 points) in the AFCA D2 Coaches Poll. Defending SAC champions.
- UNC Pembroke — Receiving votes (12 points) in the AFCA D2 Coaches Poll. Co-favorite to win the newly reformed Conference Carolinas.
- Johnson C. Smith — Receiving votes (9 points) in the AFCA D2 Coaches Poll. Coming off one of their best seasons in program history and picked second in the CIAA.
NCAA Division III Football
- No North Carolina teams were ranked in the preseason
📎 National Polls & Rankings Resources
FBS
FCS
- Stats Perform FCS Top 25
- AFCA FCS Coaches Poll (scroll down to FCS section)
- FCS Nation Radio Top 25
Division II
- AFCA Division II Coaches Poll (scroll down to D2 section)
- D2Football.com Top 25
Division III
- AFCA Division III Coaches Poll (scroll down to D3 section)
- D3football.com Top 25