Harding Football No. 2 in First NCAA Regional Rankings; Bisons Up to No. 10 in AFCA Poll

SEARCY – The NCAA Division II Football regional advisory committees (RAC) sent out their first of three regional rankings Monday. These are the rankings that determine which teams make the NCAA Division II Playoffs.

Harding is No. 2 in Super Region 3 in the first rankings, trailing only undefeated Ferris State of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (GLIAC). Harding is 7-1 against Division II teams and has played all its games against in-region opponents.

Super Region 3 is comprised of teams from the Great American Conference, MIAA, GLIAC and Great Lakes Valley Conference.

Additional rankings will come out on Nov. 1 and Nov. 8. On Sunday, Nov. 14, the NCAA will announce the 28 teams that qualify for the playoffs, seven from each of the four super regions.

The RAC uses six categories to determine the rankings: In-region win-loss percentage, Division II win-loss percentage, Division II weighted strength of schedule, Division II results above .500, results vs. division ranked opponents, and performance indicator (a metric that awards points based on location of games and opponent winning percentage).

Super Region 3 rankings included: No. 1 Ferris State (GLIAC), No. 2 Harding (GAC), No. 3 Grand Valley State (GLIAC), No. 4 Lindenwood (GLVC), No. 5 Northwest Missouri St. (MIAA), No. 6 Henderson State (GAC), No. 7 Nebraska-Kearney (MIAA), No. 8 Ouachita Baptist (GAC), No. 9 Washburn (MIAA) and No. 10 Southeastern Oklahoma (GAC).

In other rankings news, Harding moved up two places to No. 10 in the American Football Coaches' Association Top 25 Poll. It is the first time the Bisons have been in the AFCA's top 10 since they were at No. 7 in the Sept. 3, 2018, poll.

Wayne Cavadi of NCAA.com has Harding ranked No. 3 in his Division II Power 10 Rankings. He says of the Bisons: "When this team gets rolling, coming back on them is nearly impossible."

The MasseyRatings.com algorithm has Harding ranked No. 8 in Division II football. The Bisons' opponent this week is Northwestern Oklahoma, ranked No. 118.

The editors at D2Football.com placed Harding at No. 3 in their poll.

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