1961 small college football rankings

The 1961 small college football rankings are rankings of college football teams representing smaller college and university teams during the 1961 college football season. Separate rankings were published by the Associated Press (AP) and the United Press International (UPI). The AP rankings were selected by a board of experts, and the UPI rankings were selected by a board of small-college coaches from throughout the country.

1961 small college football rankings
Selectors: AP, NAIA, UPI
Small college football rankings (AP, UPI)

In its final rankings, the AP selected the 1961 Pittsburg State Gorillas football team as the small-college national champion. The Gorillas finished the season with a perfect 11–0 record, shut out seven opponents, and defeated Linfield in the Camellia Bowl. For its second through fifth spots, the AP selected four other undefeated teams: Baldwin–Wallace (9–0); Fresno State (10–0); Florida A&M (10–0); and Whittier (8–0).

The UPI board of coaches also selected Pittsburg as the small-college champion with first-place votes from 14 of the participating coaches and 250 total points. The UPI rated Baldwin–Wallace second, Mississippi Southern (8–2) third, and Southeastern Louisiana (9–1) fourth.[1]

The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) also conducted a poll of coaches at the end of the 1961 regular season. Pittsburg was selected as the national champion in the NAIA poll.

Legend

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  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

AP poll

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Week 1
Oct 5[2]
Week 2
Oct 12[3]
Week 3
Oct 19[4]
Week 4
Oct 26[5]
Week 5
Nov 2[6]
Week 6
Nov 9[7]
Week 7
Nov 16[8]
Week 8
Nov 23[9]
1.Texas A&ITexas A&I (3–0) (5)Pittsburg State (5–0) (3)Pittsburg State (6–0) (4)Pittsburg State (7–0) (6)Pittsburg State (8–0) (3)Pittsburg State (9–0) (5)Pittsburg State (9–0) (5)1.
2.Hillsdale (1)Humboldt State (3–0) (2)Baldwin–Wallace (4–0)Northern Michigan (5–1)Baldwin–Wallace (5–0)Baldwin–Wallace (6–0) (1)Baldwin–Wallace (8–0)Baldwin–Wallace (9–0)2.
3.Southeastern Louisiana (1)Southeastern Louisiana (4–0) (1)Southeastern Louisiana (4–0)Baldwin–Wallace (4–0) (2)Southeastern Louisiana (7–0)Southeastern Louisiana (8–0) (2)Fresno State (8–0)Fresno State (9–0)3.
4.Southern IllinoisPittsburg State (4–0)Northern Michigan (4–1) (1)Southeastern Louisiana (6–0)Northern Michigan (5–1)Northern Michigan (6–1)Whittier (8–0)Florida A&M (8–0)4.
5.Humboldt StateSouthern IllinoisWhittier (5–0)WhittierWhittierFresno State (7–0)Florida A&M (7–0)Whittier (9–0)5.
6.Mississippi SouthernNorthern Michigan (3–1)Hofstra (3–0)Fresno State (5–0)Fresno State (6–0)Florida A&M (6–0)Lehigh (6–2)Lehigh (7–2)6.
7.Pittsburg StateBaldwin–Wallace (3–0)Texas A&I (3–1) (1)Hofstra (4–0) тFlorida A&M (5–0)Whittier (7–0)Lenoir–Rhyne (7–1–1) (1)Linfield (9–0) (1)7.
8.Northern MichiganDelaware (3–0)Lamar Tech (4–0)Northwestern State (6–0) (1) т [note 1]Mississippi Southern (5–1)LehighLinfield (8–0) (1)Southeastern Louisiana (9–1)8.
9.Lehigh (1)Whittier (4–0) (1)West Chester (4–0) (1)West ChesterLenoir–RhyneLinfield (7–0) (1)Southeastern Louisiana (8–1)Lenoir–Rhyne (7–1–1) (1)9.
10.Newberry (1) тWest Chester (3–0) (1)Fresno State (5–0)Mississippi Southern (5–1)Lamar Tech (1) тLenoir–Rhyne (6–1–1) (1)Amherst (9–0) (1)Butler (9–0) т10.
11.Southern (1) т   Linfield т  Mississippi Southern (7–2) т11.
Week 1
Oct 5[2]
Week 2
Oct 12[3]
Week 3
Oct 19[4]
Week 4
Oct 26[5]
Week 5
Nov 2[6]
Week 6
Nov 9[7]
Week 7
Nov 16[8]
Week 8
Nov 23[9]
Dropped:
  • 2 Hillsdale
  • 6 Mississippi Southern
  • 9 Lehigh
  • 10 Newberry
  • 11 Southern
Dropped:
  • 2 Humboldt State
  • 5 Southern Illinois
  • 8 Delaware
Dropped:
  • 7 Texas A&I
  • 8 Lamar Tech
Dropped:
  • 7 Hofstra
  • 8 Northwestern State
  • 9 West Chester
Dropped:
  • 8 Mississippi Southern
  • 10 Lamar Tech
Dropped:
4 Northern Michigan
Dropped:
10 Amherst

UPI coaches poll

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Week 1
Oct 4[10]
Week 2
Oct 11[11]
Week 3
Oct 18[12]
Week 4
Oct 25[13]
Week 5
Nov 1[14]
Week 6
Nov 8[15]
Week 7
Nov 15[16]
Week 8
Nov 22[17]
1.Mississippi Southern (7)Mississippi Southern (3–0)Northern Michigan (4–1) (5)Northern Michigan (5–1) (14)Mississippi Southern (5–1) (14)Pittsburg State (8–0) (9)Pittsburg State (9–0) (13)Pittsburg State (9–0) (14)1.
2.Hillsdale (7) тNorthern Michigan (3–1)Mississippi Southern (3–1) (9)Mississippi Southern (4–1) (10)Pittsburg State (7–0) (3)Northern Michigan (6–1) (4)Baldwin–Wallace (8–0) (3)Baldwin–Wallace (9–0) (1)2.
3.Kent State (2) тLouisiana Tech (3–0)Louisiana Tech (3–1) (2)Pittsburg State (6–0) (3)Northern Michigan (5–1) (3)Southeastern Louisiana (8–0) (8)Mississippi Southern (6–2) (5)Mississippi Southern (7–2) (4)3.
4.Humboldt State (4) тTexas A&I (3–0)Texas A&I (3–1) (1)Southeastern Louisiana (6–0) (1)Southeastern Louisiana (7–0) (5)Mississippi Southern (5–2) (6)Southeastern Louisiana (8–1) (4)Southeastern Louisiana (9–1)4.
5.Louisiana Tech (2) тDelaware (3–0)Fresno State (4–0) (3)Fresno State (5–0) (1)Fresno State (6–0) (2)Baldwin–Wallace (6–0) (1)Fresno State (8–0) (5)Fresno State (9–0) (8)5.
6.Northern MichiganHumboldt State (3–0)Southeastern Louisiana (5–0) (2)Baldwin–Wallace (4–0) (3)Baldwin–Wallace (5–0) (2)Fresno State (7–0) (4)Florida A&M (7–0) (1)Florida A&M (8–0)6.
7.Texas A&I (3)Fresno State (3–0)Pittsburg State (5–0) (3)Hofstra (4–0) (1)Idaho State (5–0) (2)Wheaton (IL) (8–0)Northern Michigan (6–2) (1)Wheaton (IL) (8–0)7.
8.Delaware (1)Pittsburg State (4–0)Hofstra (3–0) (2)Louisiana Tech (3–2)Wheaton (IL) (7–0)Florida A&M (6–0) (1)Wheaton (IL) (8–0)Whittier (9–0)8.
9.Arkansas State (3)Southeastern Louisiana (4–0)Humboldt State (3–1)Wheaton (IL) (6–0) (1)Florida A&M (5–0) (1)Idaho State (5–1)Butler (8–0)Butler (9–0)9.
10.Chattanooga (1) тKent State (2–2)Baldwin–Wallace (3–0) (1)Idaho State (4–0)West Chester (5–1)Butler (7–0)Whittier (8–0)Northern Michigan (6–2)10.
11.Pittsburg State (1) тBaldwin–WallaceIdaho State (1)Texas A&IButlerLehigh (1)Idaho StateLehigh (7–2) т11.
12.Fresno State (1)Arkansas StateWheaton (IL) (1)West ChesterLouisiana TechDelaware тCentral State (OK)Linfield (9–0) т12.
13.Lenoir–RhyneHillsdale тKent StateButlerTexas A&ILenoir–Rhyne (6–1–1) тLinfield (8–0)Idaho State13.
14.Louisville (1)Southern Illinois тButlerHumboldt StateWhittierNorthwestern StateAmherst (7–0) тCentral State (OK)14.
15.Southeastern Louisiana (1)Idaho StateFlorida A&MNorthwestern State (6–0) (1)Humboldt StateAmherstLehigh (6–2) тNorthern State15.
16.Lamar TechLenoir–RhyneHillsdale (1)Florida A&MNorthwestern StateHumboldt StateTampaHumboldt State т16.
17.Baldwin–Wallace тLouisvilleLamar Tech (4–0) (2)Lamar TechLenoir–RhyneWhittier (7–0)Humboldt State тLenoir–Rhyne (7–1–1) т17.
18.Butler тWheaton (IL)Lenoir–RhyneMontana StateLamar TechTexas A&ILenoir–Rhyne (7–1–1) тTampa18.
19.East Texas State тButler тLehighAlbright (4–0) тSouthern IllinoisNorthern State (7–0)Louisiana TechChattanooga19.
20.Florida A&M тLehigh тMontana StateLenoir–Rhyne тHofstraCentral State (OK) тSouthern IllinoisOttawa20.
21.Idaho State т    Chattanooga т  21.
Week 1
Oct 4[10]
Week 2
Oct 11[11]
Week 3
Oct 18[12]
Week 4
Oct 25[13]
Week 5
Nov 1[14]
Week 6
Nov 8[15]
Week 7
Nov 15[16]
Week 8
Nov 22[17]
Dropped:
  • 10 Chattanooga
  • 16 Lamar Tech
  • 19 East Texas State
  • 20 Florida A&M
Dropped:
  • 5 Delaware
  • 12 Arkansas State
  • 14 Southern Illinois
  • 17 Louisville
Dropped:
  • 13 Kent State
  • 16 Hillsdale
  • 19 Lehigh
Dropped:
  • 18 Montana State
  • 19 Albright
Dropped:
  • 10 West Chester
  • 12 Louisiana Tech
  • 18 Lamar Tech
  • 19 Southern Illinois
  • 20 Hofstra
Dropped:
  • 12 Delaware
  • 14 Northwestern State
  • 18 Texas A&I
  • 19 Northern State
  • 20 Chattanooga
Dropped:
  • 14 Amherst
  • 19 Louisiana Tech
  • 20 Southern Illinois

NAIA coaches poll

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The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) also conducted a poll of coaches at the end of the 1961 regular season. The NAIA coaches poll ranked the top 20 teams, as presented in the below table.[18] Four teams advanced to the postseason, with Pittsburg winning the bracket tournament.

1. Pittsburg State
2. Baldwin–Wallace
3. Linfield
4. Whittier
5. Florida A&M
6. Northern State
7. Southeastern Louisiana
8. Tampa
9. Central State (OK)
10. McNeese State
11. Panhandle A&M
12. Parsons
13. Humboldt State
14. Millikin
15. Lenoir Rhyne
16. Ottawa (KS)
17. Arkansas Tech
18. Minnesota–Duluth
19. Missouri Valley
20. West Chester

† Team participated in the NAIA postseason

Pittsburgh Courier rankings

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The Pittsburgh Courier, a leading African American newspaper, ranked the top 1961 teams from historically black colleges and universities in an era when college football was often racially segregated.

The rankings were published on December 2:[19]

Notes

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  1. ^ In the actual printed polls, Northwestern State was listed as Northwestern Louisiana

References

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  1. ^ "HSC 16th In Final UPI Small College Grid Poll". Humboldt Standard. November 22, 1961. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Newberry 10th In Grid Poll". The Index-Journal. Greenwood, South Carolina. October 5, 1961. p. 8. Retrieved May 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  3. ^ "Texas A&I Leads Poll". Ironwood Daily Globe. Ironwood, Michigan. October 13, 1961. p. 8. Retrieved May 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  4. ^ "Kansas Pitt Tops Poll". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. October 20, 1961. p. 2-D. Retrieved January 25, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  5. ^ "Gorillas Lead Small College Football Poll". Alton Evening Telegraph. Alton, Illinois. October 26, 1961. p. 15. Retrieved January 25, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  6. ^ "Pittsburg State Has Wide Lead In AP Poll". The Salina Journal. Salina, Kansas. November 2, 1961. p. 17. Retrieved January 25, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  7. ^ "Pittsburg Tops Small Colleges". Journal Gazette. Mattoon, Illinois. November 9, 1961. p. 6. Retrieved January 25, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  8. ^ "Major Shakeup In Small College Top 10". The Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Corpus Christi, Texas. November 16, 1961. p. 4-C. Retrieved January 25, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  9. ^ "Kansas School Nabs Small College Honor". The Lawton Constitution. Lawton, Oklahoma. November 23, 1961. p. 26. Retrieved January 25, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  10. ^ "Mississippians Small College Poll Leaders". Medford Mail Tribune. Medford, Oregon. October 4, 1961. p. B 3. Retrieved May 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  11. ^ "Mississippi Southern Top Small College In UPI Poll". Palladium-Item. Richmond, Indiana. October 12, 1961. p. 18. Retrieved May 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  12. ^ "Louisiana Tech 3rd On UPI List". The Monroe News-Star. Monroe, Louisiana. October 18, 1961. p. 4B. Retrieved May 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  13. ^ "No. Michigan Leads UPI Poll, But May Forfeit". The Yuma Daily Sun. Yuma, Arizona. October 26, 1961. p. 8. Retrieved May 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  14. ^ "Mississippi Southern Takes Lead In Small College Poll". The Times Recorder. Zanesville, Ohio. November 2, 1961. p. 2-D. Retrieved May 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  15. ^ "Idaho State ninth in poll". The Bend Bulletin. Bend, Oregon. November 9, 1961. p. 3. Retrieved May 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  16. ^ "Butler rated 9th in class". The Alexandria Times-Tribune. Alexandria, Indiana. November 15, 1961. p. 4. Retrieved May 17, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  17. ^ "HSC 16th In Final UPI Small College Grid Poll". Eureka Humboldt Standard. Eureka, California. November 22, 1961. p. 10. Retrieved February 15, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  18. ^ "Linfield Third As Whittier Fourth; Pittsburg Top Team". Humboldt Standard. November 22, 1961. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "The Parade". Pittsburgh Courier (p. 43). December 2, 1961.