1987 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings

The 1987 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings are from the NCAA Division I-AA football committee. This is for the 1987 season.

Legend

		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

NCAA Division I-AA Football Committee poll

	Preseason [1]	Week 1 Sept 15 [2]	Week 2 Sept 22 [3]	Week 3 Sept 29 [4]	Week 4 Oct 6 [5]	Week 5 Oct 13 [6]	Week 6 Oct 20 [7]	Week 7 Oct 27 [8]	Week 8 Nov 3 [9]	Week 9 Nov 10 [10]	Week 10 Nov 17 [11]	Week 11 Nov 24 [12]
1.	Georgia Southern	Nevada (4)	Nevada (2–0) (4)	Holy Cross (3–0) (4)	Holy Cross (4–0) (4)	Holy Cross (5–0) (4)	Holy Cross (6–0) (4)	Holy Cross (7–0) (4)	Holy Cross (8–0) (4)	Holy Cross (9–0) (4)	Holy Cross (10–0) (4)	Holy Cross (11–0) (4)	1.
2.	Arkansas State	Holy Cross	Holy Cross (2–0)	Northeast Louisiana (3–0)	Northeast Louisiana (4–0)	North Texas State (5–1)	Appalachian State (4–2)	Appalachian State (5–2)	Appalachian State (6–2)	Appalachian State (7–2)	Appalachian State (8–2)	Appalachian State (9–2)	2.
3.	Eastern Kentucky	Murray State	Northeast Louisiana (2–0)	Maine (4–0)	North Texas State (4–1)	Appalachian State (3–2)	Northeast Louisiana (4–2)	Jackson State (6–0–1)	James Madison (7–1)	Northeast Louisiana (7–2)	Northeast Louisiana (8–2)	Northeast Louisiana (9–2)	3.
4.	Holy Cross	Northwestern State [note 1]	Appalachian State (2–1) т	Northern Iowa (3–1)	Appalachian State (2–2)	Eastern Kentucky (4–1)	Jackson State (5–0–1)	James Madison (6–1)	North Texas State (6–2)	Jackson State (7–1–1)	Northern Iowa (7–3)	Northern Iowa (8–3)	4.
5.	North Texas State	Middle Tennessee	Maine (3–0) т	North Texas State (3–1)	Eastern Kentucky (3–1)	Jackson State (4–0–1)	James Madison (5–1)	North Texas State (5–2)	Jackson State (6–1–1)	Northern Iowa (6–3)	Idaho (8–2)	Idaho (9–2)	5.
6.	Nevada	Maine	Northern Iowa (2–1)	Nevada (2–1)	Jackson State (3–0–1)	James Madison (4–1) т	Western Illinois (6–1)	New Hampshire (5–1)	New Hampshire (6–1)	Idaho (8–2)	Georgia Southern (7–3)	Georgia Southern (8–3)	6.
7.	Northern Iowa	Appalachian State	North Texas State (2–1)	Appalachian State (2–2)	Georgia Southern (3–2) т	Northeast Louisiana (4–1) т	North Texas State (5–2)	Weber State (6–1)	Northern Iowa (5–3)	Delaware State (7–1)	Eastern Kentucky (7–2)	Eastern Kentucky (8–2)	7.
8.	Delaware	Northeast Louisiana	East Tennessee State (3–0)	Northwestern State (2–1)	Southern (4–0) т	Georgia Southern (4–2)	New Hampshire (4–1)	Western Kentucky (5–2)	Northeast Louisiana (6–2)	Georgia Southern (7–3)	Arkansas State (7–2–1)	James Madison (9–2)	8.
9.	UMass [note 2]	William & Mary	Boise State (2–0)	Jackson State (2–0–1) т	James Madison (3–1)	Western Illinois (5–1)	Western Carolina (4–2)	Northeast Louisiana (5–2)	Delaware State (6–1)	Eastern Kentucky (7–2)	James Madison (8–2)	Jackson State (8–2–1)	9.
10.	Delaware State	Furman	Georgia Southern (2–1)	Richmond (3–1) т	Northern Arizona (3–1)	New Hampshire (3–1)	Weber State (5–1)	Northern Iowa (4–3)	Idaho (7–2)	Arkansas State (6–2–1)	Jackson State (7–2–1)	Weber State (9–2)	10.
11.	Jackson State	Chattanooga	Northwestern State (2–1)	Colgate (3–1)	Northern Iowa (3–2)	Nevada (3–2)	Western Kentucky (4–2)	Delaware State (5–1)	Eastern Kentucky (6–2)	James Madison (7–2)	Weber State (8–2)	Western Kentucky (7–3)	11.
12.	Murray State	Northern Iowa	Middle Tennessee (1–1)	Eastern Kentucky (2–1)	Chattanooga (3–1)	Western Carolina (3–2)	Northern Iowa (3–3)	Idaho (6–2)	Georgia Southern (6–3)	North Texas State (6–3)	Western Kentucky (6–3)	Arkansas State (7–3–1)	12.
13.	Furman т	North Texas State	Colgate (2–1)	Georgia Southern (2–2)	Western Illinois (4–1)	Weber State (4–1)	Delaware State (4–1)	Eastern Kentucky (5–2)	Weber State (6–2)	Weber State (7–2)	Richmond (7–3)	Maine (8–3)	13.
14.	Sam Houston State т	Boston University т	Northern Arizona (2–0)	Eastern Illinois (3–1)	New Hampshire (3–1)	Western Kentucky (3–2)	Idaho (5–2)	Georgia Southern (5–3)	Western Kentucky (5–3)	Western Kentucky (5–3)	Delaware State (7–2)	Marshall (7–4)	14.
15.	Southern Illinois	Illinois State т	Jackson State (1–0–1)	Idaho (3–1)	Montana (2–2)	Nicholls State (4–1–1)	Middle Tennessee (4–2)	Arkansas State (5–2)	Arkansas State (5–2–1)	Richmond (6–3)	Maine (8–3)	Youngstown State (8–3)	15.
16.	Northeast Louisiana т	East Tennessee State т	Richmond (2–1)	Southern (3–0)	East Tennessee State (3–1) т	Delaware State (3–1)	Eastern Kentucky (4–2)	Western Illinois (6–2)	Western Illinois (7–2)	Northern Arizona (7–2)	New Hampshire (7–2) т	North Texas State (7–4)	16.
17.	William & Mary т	Boise State	Eastern Illinois (2–1)	James Madison (3–1) т	Maine (4–1) т	Southern (4–1)	Arkansas State (4–2) т	Richmond (5–3)	Richmond (5–2–1)	Maine (7–3)	Sam Houston State (7–3) т	Richmond (7–4)	17.
18.	North Carolina A&T	Southwest Missouri State	Furman (2–1)	Western Illinois (3–1) т	Western Carolina (2–2)	Northern Iowa (3–3)	Chattanooga (4–2) т	Western Carolina (4–3)	Marshall (6–3)	New Hampshire (6–2)	Marshall (7–4)	Howard (9–1)	18.
19.	New Hampshire	Penn	Eastern Kentucky (1–1)	Chattanooga (2–1)	Nevada (2–2)	Boise State (4–1)	Richmond (4–3)	Northern Arizona (5–2)	Northern Arizona (6–2)	Western Illinois (7–3)	Youngstown State (7–3)	Sam Houston State (8–3)	19.
20.	Idaho	Southern	Southern (2–0)	East Tennessee State (3–1)	Northwestern State (2–2)	Middle Tennessee (3–2)	Georgia Southern (4–3)	Howard (5–1) т	Harvard (6–1) т	Howard (7–1) т	Howard (8–1) т	Delaware State (7–3)	20.
21.								Middle Tennessee (4–2–1) т	Howard (6–1) т	Marshall (6–4) т	North Texas State (6–4) т		21.
22.										Sam Houston State (6–3) т			22.
23.										Youngstown State (6–3) т			23.
	Preseason [13]	Week 1 Sept 15 [14]	Week 2 Sept 22 [15]	Week 3 Sept 29 [16]	Week 4 Oct 6 [17]	Week 5 Oct 13 [18]	Week 6 Oct 20 [19]	Week 7 Oct 27 [20]	Week 8 Nov 3 [21]	Week 9 Nov 10 [22]	Week 10 Nov 17 [23]	Week 11 Nov 24 [24]
		Dropped: 1 Georgia Southern 2 Arkansas State 3 Eastern Kentucky 8 Delaware 9 UMass 10 Delaware State 11 Jackson State 14 Sam Houston State 15 Southern Illinois 18 North Carolina A&T 19 New Hampshire 20 Idaho	Dropped: 3 Murray State 9 William & Mary 11 Chattanooga 14 Boston University 15 Illinois State 18 Southwest Missouri State 19 Penn	Dropped: 9 Boise State 12 Middle Tennessee 14 Northern Arizona 18 Furman	Dropped: 10 Richmond 11 Colgate 14 Eastern Illinois 15 Idaho	Dropped: 10 Northern Arizona 12 Chattanooga 15 Montana 16 East Tennessee State 17 Maine 20 Northwestern State	Dropped: 11 Nevada 15 Nicholls State 17 Southern 19 Boise State	Dropped: 18 Chattanooga	Dropped: 18 Western Carolina 20 Middle Tennessee	Dropped: 20 Harvard	Dropped: 16 Northern Arizona 19 Western Illinois	Dropped: 16 New Hampshire

Notes

1. In the actual printed polls, Northwestern State was listed as Northwestern Louisiana
2. In the actual printed polls, UMass was listed as Massachusetts

References

1. "Division I-AA poll". Southern Illinoisan. Carbondale, Illinois. August 26, 1987. p. D21. Retrieved May 2, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
2. "Division I-AA Top Twenty". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. September 15, 1987. p. 19. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
3. "Div. I-AA Top 20". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. September 22, 1987. p. B-4. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
4. "Div. I-AA Poll". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. September 29, 1987. p. B-5. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
5. "I-AA Top 20". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. October 6, 1987. p. B-4. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
6. "Div. I-AA Top 20". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. October 13, 1987. p. B-5. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
7. "I-AA Top 20". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. October 20, 1987. p. B-4. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
8. "Div. I-AA Top 20". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. October 27, 1987. p. B-4. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
9. "Div. I-AA Top 20". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. November 5, 1987. p. B-6. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
10. "Div. I-AA Top 20". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. November 10, 1987. p. B-4. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
11. "Division 1-AA Poll". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. November 17, 1987. p. B-4. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
12. "Final Division I-AA poll". Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. November 24, 1987. p. D1. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
13. "Division I-AA poll". Southern Illinoisan. Carbondale, Illinois. August 26, 1987. p. D21. Retrieved May 2, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
14. "Division I-AA Top Twenty". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. September 15, 1987. p. 19. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
15. "Div. I-AA Top 20". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. September 22, 1987. p. B-4. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
16. "Div. I-AA Poll". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. September 29, 1987. p. B-5. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
17. "I-AA Top 20". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. October 6, 1987. p. B-4. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
18. "Div. I-AA Top 20". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. October 13, 1987. p. B-5. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
19. "I-AA Top 20". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. October 20, 1987. p. B-4. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
20. "Div. I-AA Top 20". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. October 27, 1987. p. B-4. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
21. "Div. I-AA Top 20". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. November 5, 1987. p. B-6. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
22. "Div. I-AA Top 20". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. November 10, 1987. p. B-4. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
23. "Division 1-AA Poll". The Town Talk. Alexandria, Louisiana. November 17, 1987. p. B-4. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.
24. "Final Division I-AA poll". Clarion-Ledger. Jackson, Mississippi. November 24, 1987. p. D1. Retrieved May 15, 2017– via Newspapers.com.