1972 small college football rankings

The 1972 small college football rankings are rankings of college football teams representing smaller college and university teams during the 1972 college football season, including the 1972 NCAA College Division football season and the 1972 NAIA 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 sports writers, and the UPI rankings were selected by a board of small-college coaches.

1972 small college football rankings
Selectors: AP, UPI
No. 1: Delaware
Small college football rankings (AP, UPI)

The 1972 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team (10–0), led by head coach Tubby Raymond, was rated No. 1 by both the AP and UPI. Louisiana Tech (12–0) and Cal Poly (8–1–1) were ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, by the AP and UPI.

Legend

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1972 was the last year the polls would be used to crown a national "Small College" or "College Division" champion. In 1973, season-ending playoffs were begun to determine a champion for "Division II". The UPI and AP continued publishing "College Division" polls through the 1974 season.

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
Sept 21[1]
Week 2
Sept 28[2]
Week 3
Oct 5[3]
Week 4
Oct 12[4]
Week 5
Oct 19[5]
Week 6
Oct 26[6]
Week 7
Nov 2[7]
Week 8
Nov 9[8]
Week 9
Nov 16[9]
Week 10
Nov 23[10]
1.Delaware (1–0) (9)Delaware (2–0) (11)Delaware (3–0) (11)Louisiana Tech (5–0) (7)Louisiana Tech (6–0) (8)Delaware (6–0) (11)Delaware (7–0) (14)Delaware (8–0) (10)Delaware (9–0) (13)Delaware (10–0) (9)1.
2.North Dakota (1–0)Louisiana Tech (3–0) (4)Louisiana Tech (4–0) (1)Delaware (4–0) (7)Delaware (5–0) (7)Louisiana Tech (7–0) (7)Louisiana Tech (8–0) (3)Louisiana Tech (9–0) (4)Louisiana Tech (10–0) (4)Louisiana Tech (11–0) (4)2.
3.Louisiana Tech (2–0) (2)Tennessee State (2–0) (1)Tennessee State (3–0) (1)North Dakota (5–0) (2)North Dakota (6–0) (2)Cal Poly (5–0)Cal Poly (6–0)Cal Poly (6–0–1)Cal Poly (7–0–1)Cal Poly (8–0–1)3.
4.Tennessee State (1–0) (2)North Dakota (3–0) (2)North Dakota (4–0) (1)Cal Poly (4–0) (1) [note 1]McNeese State (4–1)Tennessee State (5–1)Tennessee State (6–1) (1)Tennessee State (7–1)Ashland (10–0)Ashland (11–0) (1)4.
5.McNeese State (2–0) (1) тBoise State (2–0)Drake (3–0) (1)McNeese State (3–1)Western Illinois (6–0) (1)McNeese State (5–1)Ashland (8–0)South Dakota (8–1)Tennessee State (8–1)Tennessee State (8–1)5.
6.Akron (1–0–1) тCarson–Newman (3–0)Boise State (3–0)Carson–Newman (5–0)Cal Poly (4–0)North Dakota State (7–1)North Dakota State (8–1)Ashland (9–0)South Dakota (9–1) (1)South Dakota (9–1) (1) т6.
7.Boise State (1–0)Texas Southern (2–0)Carson–Newman (4–0)Western Illinois (5–0)Boise State (4–1)Ashland (7–0)McNeese State (6–1)North Dakota (8–1)North Dakota (9–1)North Dakota (9–1) т7.
8.Texas Southern (2–0)Drake (2–0)McNeese State (2–1)Boise State (3–1)Tennessee State (4–1)North Dakota (6–1)North Dakota (7–1)Grambling (7–2)Grambling (8–2)Grambling (8–2) т8.
9.South Dakota (1–0)Western Carolina (3–0)Fresno State (4–0)Tennessee State (3–1)Drake (4–1)Fresno State (5–1–1)Grambling (6–2)Idaho State (6–2)McNeese State (7–2)Western Carolina (7–2–1) т9.
10.Carson–Newman (2–0)McNeese State (2–1)Western Illinois (4–0)Livingston (6–0)Ashland (6–0)Western Illinois (6–1)UMass (6–0) [note 2]McNeese State (6–2)Drake (7–2)Carson–Newman (9–1) т10.
11.        McNeese State (8–2) т11.
Week 1
Sept 21[1]
Week 2
Sept 28[2]
Week 3
Oct 5[3]
Week 4
Oct 12[4]
Week 5
Oct 19[5]
Week 6
Oct 26[6]
Week 7
Nov 2[7]
Week 8
Nov 9[8]
Week 9
Nov 16[9]
Week 10
Nov 23[10]
Dropped:
  • 6 Akron
  • 9 South Dakota
Dropped:
  • 7 Texas Southern
  • 9 Western Carolina
Dropped:
  • 5 Drake
  • 9 Fresno State
Dropped:
  • 6 Carson–Newman
  • 10 Livingston
Dropped:
  • 7 Boise State
  • 9 Drake
Dropped:
  • 9 Fresno State
  • 10 Western Illinois
Dropped:
  • 6 North Dakota State
  • 10 UMass
Dropped:
9 Idaho State
Dropped:
10 Drake

UPI coaches poll

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Week  
Preseason[11]
Week 1
Sept 13[12]
Week 2
Sept 20[13]
Week 3
Sept 27[14]
Week 4
Oct 4[15]
Week 5
Oct 11[16]
Week 6
Oct 18[17]
Week 7
Oct 25[18]
Week 8
Nov 1[19]
Week 9
Nov 8[20]
Week 10
Nov 15[21]
Week 11
Nov 22[22]
1.Delaware (22)Delaware (0–0) (22)Delaware (1–0) (19)Delaware (2–0) (21)Delaware (3–0) (21)Delaware (4–0) (21)Delaware (5–0) (19)Delaware (6–0) (20)Delaware (7–0) (25)Delaware (8–0) (23)Delaware (9–0) (23)Delaware (10–0) (21)1.
2.Eastern Michigan (3)Eastern Michigan (1–0) (2)McNeese State (2–0) (4)Louisiana Tech (3–0) (5)Louisiana Tech (4–0) (5)Louisiana Tech (4–0) (11)Louisiana Tech (5–0) (15)Louisiana Tech (7–0) (15)Louisiana Tech (8–0) (8)Louisiana Tech (9–0) (9)Louisiana Tech (10–0) (9)Louisiana Tech (11–0) (12)2.
3.Tennessee State (1)McNeese State (1–0) (2)Louisiana Tech (2–0) (3)Drake (2–0) (5)Drake (3–0) (8)North Dakota (5–0)North Dakota (6–0)Cal Poly (5–0–1)Cal Poly (6–0–1) (1)Cal Poly (6–0–1) (1)Cal Poly (7–0–1) (1)Cal Poly (8–0–1) (1)3.
4.McNeese State (1)Tennessee State (1–0) (1)Tennessee State (2–0) (4)North Dakota (3–0) (1)North Dakota (4–0)Cal Poly (4–0)McNeese State (4–1)McNeese State (5–1)McNeese State (6–1)Tennessee State (8–1)Tennessee State (9–1)South Dakota (9–1) (1)4.
5.Grambling (1)North Dakota (1–0) (2)North Dakota (2–0) (2)Tennessee State (3–0) (2)Tennessee State (4–0) (1)McNeese State (3–1)Western Illinois (5–0)Tennessee State (6–1)Tennessee State (7–1)South Dakota (8–1)South Dakota (9–1) (1)Tennessee State (9–1)5.
6.Louisiana Tech (1)Grambling (1–0) (1)Boise State (1–0)Boise State (2–0)Boise State (3–0)Western Illinois (5–0) (1)Cal Poly (4–0–1)Fresno State (5–1–1)UMass (6–0)North Dakota (8–1)North Dakota (9–1)North Dakota (9–1)6.
7.Boise StateLouisiana Tech (1–0)Drake (1–0)Texas Southern (2–0)Fresno State (4–0)Livingston State (5–0)Tennessee State (5–1)UMass (5–0)South Dakota (7–1)Ashland (9–0)Ashland (10–0)Ashland (11–0)7.
8.North DakotaBoise State (0–0)Akron (1–0–1)McNeese State (2–1)McNeese State (2–1)Carson–Newman (5–0)Drake (4–1)Livingston State (6–0–1)North Dakota (7–1)Tennessee Tech (8–1) (1)Tennessee Tech (9–1)Tennessee Tech (10–1)8.
9.North Dakota StateNorth Dakota State (2–0)Texas Southern (2–0)Lamar (3–0)Carson–Newman (4–0)Drake (3–1)Fresno State (4–1–1)Hawaii (5–0)Ashland (8–0)Grambling (7–2)Grambling (8–2)Grambling (8–2)9.
10.Akron тArkansas Tech (1–0) (1)Eastern Michigan (1–1)Western Carolina (3–0) (1)Livingston State (4–0)Fresno State (4–1)Boise State (4–1)South Dakota (6–1)North Dakota State (7–1)Drake (6–2) (1)Drake (7–2) (1)Carson–Newman (9–1)10.
11.Arkansas Tech тTennessee Tech (1–0)South Dakota (2–0)Carson–Newman (3–0)Western Illinois (3–0)Jackson State (4–0)Livingston State (5–0–1)North Dakota (6–1)Tennessee Tech (7–1) (1)Carson–Newman (8–1)Bridgeport (9–0)Bridgeport (10–0)11.
12.Western KentuckyLehigh (1–0)Carson–Newman (2–0)Livingston State (3–0)Cal Poly (3–0)Tennessee State (4–1)Hawaii (4–0)Ashland (7–0)Hawaii (5–1)Idaho State (6–2)Carson–Newman (8–1)Livingston State (8–1–1)12.
13.Texas A&I (1)Texas Southern (1–0) тAngelo State (2–0) (1)Fresno State (3–0)Jackson State (3–0)Nebraska–Omaha (5–0)Jackson State (5–0)Carson–Newman (6–1)Carson–Newman (7–1)Livingston State (6–2–1)Livingston State (7–1–1)Drake (7–3)13.
14.SamfordAkron (0–0–1) тLivingston State (2–0)Western Illinois (2–0)Nebraska–Omaha (4–0)Boise State (3–1)UMass (4–0)North Dakota State (6–1)Fresno State (5–2–1)McNeese State (6–2)Northwestern State (7–2)Idaho State (7–3)14.
15.Northern ColoradoNorthern Colorado (0–0) (1)Lamar (2–0)Weber State (1–0)Texas Southern (2–1)Hawaii (3–0)South Dakota (5–1)Grambling (5–2)Drake (5–2)UMass (6–1)Missouri Southern State (10–0)Northwestern State (8–2)15.
16.Southwest TexasDrake (0–0)Northern Colorado (1–0)Hawaii (2–0) тHawaii (2–0)UMass (3–0)Western Carolina (4–1–1)Tennessee Tech (6–1)East Texas State (6–1)Jackson State (7–1)Fort Valley State (8–0)North Carolina Central (9–1)16.
17.DrakeSouth Dakota (1–0)Grambling (1–1)Jackson State (2–0) тWestern Carolina (3–1)North Carolina A&T (5–0)Grambling (4–2)Western Illinois (5–1)Livingston State (6–1–1)Central Oklahoma (8–0)UC Davis (6–0–2)East Texas State (8–2)17.
18.C.W. PostLivingston State (1–0) тWestern Carolina (2–0) (1)Tennessee Tech (2–1)UMass (2–0)Western Carolina (4–1)Samford (5–1)Nebraska–Omaha (6–1)Nebraska–Omaha (6–1)Northwestern State (6–2) [note 5]North Carolina A&T (8–1)Missouri Southern State (10–0)18.
19.Arkansas StateAngelo State (1–0) тAlcorn A&M (1–0)Cal Poly (2–0)East Texas State (3–1) тAshland (5–0)Ashland (6–0)East Texas State (5–1)Idaho State (5–2)Bridgeport (8–0)McNeese State (7–2)Western Carolina (7–2–1) т19.
20.Livingston State тCarson–Newman (1–0)Lehigh (1–1)UMass (1–0)Florida A&M (1–1) тEast Texas State (4–1)Carson–Newman (5–1)Montana State (5–2)Central Washington (7–0)UC Davis (5–0–2)Western Carolina (6–2–1)McNeese State (8–2) т20.
21.Tennessee Tech тSaint John's (MN) (0–0) [note 3]  Middle Tennessee (3–0–1) [note 4]       21.
Week  
Preseason[11]
Week 1
Sept 13[12]
Week 2
Sept 20[13]
Week 3
Sept 27[14]
Week 4
Oct 4[15]
Week 5
Oct 11[16]
Week 6
Oct 18[17]
Week 7
Oct 25[18]
Week 8
Nov 1[19]
Week 9
Nov 8[20]
Week 10
Nov 15[21]
Week 11
Nov 22[22]
Dropped:
  • 12 Western Kentucky
  • 13 Texas A&I
  • 14 Samford
  • 16 Southwest Texas
  • 18 C.W. Post
  • 19 Arkansas State
Dropped:
  • 9 North Dakota State
  • 10 Arkansas Tech
  • 11 Tennessee Tech
  • 21 Saint John's (MN)
Dropped:
  • 8 Akron
  • 10 Eastern Michigan
  • 11 South Dakota
  • 13 Angelo State
  • 16 Northern Colorado
  • 17 Grambling
  • 19 Alcorn A&M
  • 20 Lehigh
Dropped:
  • 9 Lamar
  • 15 Weber State
  • 18 Tennessee Tech
Dropped:
  • 15 Texas Southern
  • 20 Florida A&M
  • 21 Middle Tennessee
Dropped:
  • 13 Nebraska–Omaha
  • 17 North Carolina A&T
  • 20 East Texas State
Dropped:
  • 8 Drake
  • 10 Boise State
  • 13 Jackson State
  • 16 Western Carolina
  • 18 Samford
Dropped:
  • 15 Grambling
  • 17 Western Illinois
  • 20 Montana State
Dropped:
  • 10 North Dakota State
  • 12 Hawaii
  • 14 Fresno State
  • 16 East Texas State
  • 18 Nebraska–Omaha
  • 20 Central Washington
Dropped:
  • 12 Idaho State
  • 15 UMass
  • 16 Jackson State
  • 17 Central Oklahoma
Dropped:
  • 16 Fort Valley State
  • 17 UC Davis
  • 18 North Carolina A&T

HBCU rankings

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The Mutual Black Network ranked the top 1972 teams from historically black colleges and universities.[23]

Notes

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  1. ^ In the actual printed polls, Cal Poly was listed as San Luis Obispo or Cal Poly SLO
  2. ^ In the actual printed polls, UMass was listed as Massachusetts
  3. ^ In the September 13th poll, Saint John's was listed as #20 but there were 20 teams listed ahead of them and they did not tie for 20th. They have been included here, but they shouldn't have been listed in the poll in 1972 (same error as week 4).
  4. ^ In the October 4th poll, Middle Tennessee was listed as #20 but there were 20 teams listed ahead of them and they did not tie for 20th. They have been included here, but they shouldn't have been listed in the poll in 1972 (same error as week 1).
  5. ^ In the actual printed polls, Northwestern State was listed as Northwestern Louisiana

References

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  1. ^ "Blue Hens Lead College Division Football Poll". Alamogordo Daily News. Alamogordo, New Mexico. September 21, 1972. p. 2. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  2. ^ "Delaware Retains Top AP Ranking". The Montgomery Advertiser. Montgomery, Alabama. September 29, 1972. p. 21. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  3. ^ "Small College Football Poll". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Lubbock, Texas. October 5, 1972. p. 4-D. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  4. ^ "Louisiana Tech Voted No. 1 in AP Grid Poll". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. October 13, 1972. p. C-1. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  5. ^ "Louisiana Tech Remains Atop College Division Football Poll". Hartford Courant. Hartford, Connecticut. October 19, 1972. p. 77. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  6. ^ "AP College Division Football Poll". The Decatur Herald. Decatur, Illinois. October 27, 1972. p. 17. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  7. ^ "Delaware First In Small College Poll". Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. November 2, 1972. p. F-3. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  8. ^ "Delaware Still No. 1". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Honolulu, Hawaii. November 9, 1972. p. D-2. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  9. ^ "Tigers Hold, Fall; Tech Even in Polls". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. November 16, 1972. p. 78. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  10. ^ "Delaware Takes Second Straight Rankings Title". The Jacksonville Daily Journal. Jacksonville, Illinois. November 23, 1972. p. 38. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  11. ^ "Delaware Picked to Win Title". Playground Daily News. Fort Walton Beach, Florida. September 7, 1972. p. 4B. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  12. ^ Bill Madden (September 13, 1972). "Johnnies 20th in UPI poll". Star Tribune. Minneapolis, Minnesota. p. 2C. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  13. ^ Ray Finocchiaro (September 21, 1972). "Hens 1st; Bennett Sidelined". The News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. p. 34. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  14. ^ "MoVal's Drake Ranked Third In 'Small' Poll". Las Cruces Sun-News. Las Cruces, New Mexico. September 27, 1972. p. 13. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  15. ^ "Delaware Retains No. 1 Ranking". Clovis News-Journal. Clovis, New Mexico. October 4, 1972. p. 16. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  16. ^ "Delaware No. 1 in UPI Poll". The Santa Fe New Mexican. Santa Fe, New Mexico. October 11, 1972. p. B2. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  17. ^ "Small College Poll". The Indianapolis Star. Indianapolis, Indiana. October 18, 1972. p. 42. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  18. ^ "Bows up to 9th in grid poll". The Honolulu Advertiser. Honolulu, Hawaii. October 25, 1972. p. C1. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  19. ^ "ISU Moves Into UPI's Elige Group". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. Ogden, Utah. November 1, 1972. p. 1D. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  20. ^ "Delaware Leading Small College Poll". The Daily Notes. Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. November 8, 1972. p. 7. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  21. ^ "UPI Small Colleges". The Tennessean. Nashville, Tennessee. November 16, 1972. p. 78. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  22. ^ "College elite". The Delta Democrat-Times. Greenville, Mississippi. November 22, 1972. p. 12. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com. 
  23. ^ "Grambling Wins Championship". The Louisiana Weekly (p. 21). December 16, 1972 – via Newspapers.com.