| Season | 2022 |
|---|---|
| Postseason | Single-elimination |
| National champions | Northwestern (IA) |
| Runner up | Keiser |
The 2022 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) football rankings are conducted on a week-to-week basis, starting after week three.
| Increase in ranking | ||
| Decrease in ranking | ||
| Not ranked previous week or no change | ||
| Selected for NAIA Playoff | ||
(#–#) | Win–loss record | |
(Italics) | Number of first place votes | |
т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
| Preseason August 1 [1] | Week 1 September 12 [2] | Week 2 September 19 [3] | Week 3 September 26 [4] | Week 4 October 3 [5] | Week 5 October 10 [6] | Week 6 October 17 [7] | Week 7 October 24 [8] | Week 8 October 31 [9] | Week 9 November 7 [10] | Final November 13 [11] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Morningside (19) | Morningside (2–0) (19) | Morningside (3–0) (19) | Morningside (3–0) (18) | Morningside (4–0) (19) | Morningside (5–0) (19) | Morningside (6–0) (19) | Morningside (7–0) (19) | Morningside (8–0) (19) | Morningside (9–0) (19) | Morningside (10–0) (19) | 1. |
| 2. | Grand View | Grand View (3–0) | Grand View (4–0) | Grand View (5–0) | Grand View (6–0) | Grand View (6–0) | Grand View (7–0) | Grand View (8–0) | Grand View (9–0) | Grand View (10–0) | Grand View (11–0) | 2. |
| 3. | Northwestern (IA) | Lindsey Wilson (2–0) | Lindsey Wilson (3–0) | Lindsey Wilson (4–0) | Lindsey Wilson (5–0) | Lindsey Wilson (5–0) | Lindsey Wilson (6–0) | Lindsey Wilson (7–0) | Northwestern (IA) (7–1) | Northwestern (IA) (8–1) | Northwestern (IA) (9–1) | 3. |
| 4. | Lindsey Wilson | Northwestern (IA) (1–1) | Northwestern (IA) (2–1) | Northwestern (IA) (3–1) | Northwestern (IA) (4–1) | Northwestern (IA) (4–1) | Northwestern (IA) (5–1) | Northwestern (IA) (6–1) | Bethel (TN) (9–0) | Bethel (TN) (10–0) | Bethel (TN) (11–0) | 4. |
| 5. | Marian (IN) | Marian (IN) (1–0) | Marian (IN) (2–0) | Marian (IN) (3–0) | Marian (IN) (4–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (4–1) | Indiana Wesleyan (5–1) | Indiana Wesleyan (6–1) | Indiana Wesleyan (7–1) | Indiana Wesleyan (8–1) | Indiana Wesleyan (9–1) | 5. |
| 6. | Concordia (MI) | Southwestern (KS) (2–0) | Southwestern (KS) (3–0) | Southwestern (KS) (4–0) | Southwestern (KS) (5–0) | Bethel (TN) (6–0) | Bethel (TN) (7–0) | Bethel (TN) (8–0) | Benedictine (KS) (8–1) | Benedictine (KS) (9–1) | Benedictine (KS) (9–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Keiser | Concordia (MI) (1–1) | OUAZ (3–0) | OUAZ (4–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (3–1) | College of Idaho (6–0) | College of Idaho (6–0) | Benedictine (KS) (7–1) | Marian (IN) (6–1) | Marian (IN) (7–1) | Marian (IN) (9–1) | 7. |
| 8. | Southwestern (KS) | OUAZ (2–0) | Georgetown (KY) (3–0) | Georgetown (KY) (4–0) | Bethel (TN) (5–0) | Benedictine (KS) (5–1) | Benedictine (KS) (6–1) | Marian (IN) (6–1) | Lindsey Wilson (7–1) | Lindsey Wilson (8–1) | Lindsey Wilson (9–1) | 8. |
| 9. | Reinhardt | Kansas Wesleyan (2–0) | Reinhardt (2–1) | Indiana Wesleyan (2–1) | College of Idaho (5–0) | Bethel (KS) (6–0) | Marian (IN) (5–1) | Reinhardt (5–1) | Reinhardt (6–1) | Reinhardt (7–1) | Reinhardt (8–1) | 9. |
| 10. | OUAZ | Georgetown (KY) (2–0) | Indiana Wesleyan (1–1) | Reinhardt (3–1) | Benedictine (KS) (5–1) | Marian (IN) (4–1) | Reinhardt (5–1) | Southwestern (KS) (6–1) | Southwestern (KS) (7–1) | Southwestern (KS) (8–1) | Southwestern (KS) (9–1) | 10. |
| 11. | Saint Xavier | Baker (KS) (2–1) | College of Idaho (2–0) | College of Idaho (4–0) | Reinhardt (3–1) | Reinhardt (4–1) | Georgetown (KY) (5–1) | Saint Xavier (6–2) | Saint Xavier (7–2) | College of Idaho (8–1) | Saint Xavier (9–2) | 11. |
| 12. | Kansas Wesleyan | Reinhardt (1–1) | Benedictine (KS) (2–1) | Benedictine (KS) (4–1) | Bethel (KS) (5–0) | Georgetown (KY) (5–1) | Southwestern (KS) (6–1) | College of Idaho (6–1) | College of Idaho (7–1) | Saint Xavier (8–2) | Keiser (7–3) | 12. |
| 13. | Baker (KS) | Indiana Wesleyan (0–1) | Bethel (TN) (3–0) | Bethel (TN) (4–0) | Georgetown (KY) (4–1) | Southwestern (KS) (5–1) | OUAZ (5–1) | Bethel (KS) (7–1) | Bethel (KS) (8–1) | Bethel (KS) (9–1) | Avila (10–1) | 13. |
| 14. | Indiana Wesleyan | Keiser (1–2) | Bethel (KS) (3–0) | Bethel (KS) (4–0) | OUAZ (4–1) | OUAZ (5–1) | Rocky Mountain (5–1) | Midland (NE) (7–1) | Keiser (6–3) | Keiser (6–3) | Bethel (KS) (9–1) | 14. |
| 15. | Georgetown (KY) | Benedictine (KS) (2–1) | Concordia (MI) (1–2) | Concordia (MI) (1–2) | Kansas Wesleyan (4–1) | Rocky Mountain (5–1) | Saint Xavier (5–2) | Roosevelt (6–1) | Midland (NE) (8–1) | Avila (9–1) | St. Thomas (FL) (9–2) | 15. |
| 16. | Dickinson State | Bethel (TN) (3–0) | Saint Francis (IN) (2–0) | Kansas Wesleyan (3–1) | St. Thomas (FL) (4–1) | Saint Xavier (4–2) | Bethel (KS) (6–1) | Keiser (5–3) | Roosevelt (7–1) | Georgetown (KY) (7–2) | Carroll (8–2) | 16. |
| 17. | Montana Western | College of Idaho (2–0) | Montana Western (3–1) | Midland (NE) (5–0) | Rocky Mountain (4–1) | Midland (NE) (6–1) | Midland (NE) (6–1) | Avila (7–1) | Avila (8–1) | St. Thomas (FL) (8–2) | Dickinson State (8–2) | 17. |
| 18. | Central Methodist | Texas Wesleyan (3–0) | Kansas Wesleyan (2–1) | Roosevelt (3–0) | Saint Xavier (3–2) | Roosevelt (4–1) | Roosevelt (5–1) | Georgetown (KY) (5–2) | Georgetown (KY) (6–2) | Dickinson State (7–2) | College of Idaho (8–2) | 18. |
| 19. | Rocky Mountain | Montana Western (2–1) | Midland (NE) (4–0) | St. Thomas (FL) (4–1) | Montana Tech (4–1) | Texas Wesleyan (5–1) | Keiser (4–3) | St. Thomas (FL) (6–2) | St. Thomas (FL) (7–2) | St. Francis (IL) (7–2) | OUAZ (7–2) | 19. |
| 20. | Arizona Christian | Saint Francis (IN) (1–0) | Roosevelt (2–0) | Rocky Mountain (3–1) | Midland (NE) (5–1) | Keiser (3–3) т | Texas Wesleyan (6–1) | OUAZ (5–2) | Montana Tech (6–2) | OUAZ (6–2) | Arizona Christian (8–2) | 20. |
| 21. | Dordt | Montana Tech (2–0) | Southeastern (4–0) | Montana Tech (3–1) | Langston (5–0) | Langston (5–0) т | Avila (6–1) | Dickinson State (5–2) | Dickinson State (6–2) | Carroll (7–2) | Georgetown (KY) (7–3) | 21. |
| 22. | Culver–Stockton | Bethel (KS) (2–0) | St. Thomas (FL) (2–1) | Saint Francis (IN) (2–1) | Roosevelt (3–1) | Waldorf (6–1) | St. Thomas (FL) (5–2) | Langston (6–1) | OUAZ (5–2) | Arizona Christian (7–2) | Texas Wesleyan (9–2) | 22. |
| 23. | Bethel (KS) | Midland (NE) (3–0) | Baker (KS) (2–2) | Saint Xavier (2–2) | Texas Wesleyan (4–1) | St. Thomas (FL) (4–2) | Dickinson State (5–2) | Montana Tech (5–2) | Carroll (6–2) | Midland (NE) (8–2) | St. Francis (IL) (7–3) | 23. |
| 24. | Faulkner | Southeastern (3–0) | Waldorf (4–0) | Carroll (3–1) | Waldorf (5–1) | Avila (5–1) | Montana Tech (4–2) | Rocky Mountain (5–2) | Arizona Christian (6–2) | Roosevelt (7–2) | Montana Tech (7–3) | 24. |
| 25. | St. Francis (IL) | St. Thomas (FL) (1–1) | Rocky Mountain (2–1) | Langston (4–0) | Keiser (2–3) | Montana Tech (4–2) | Kansas Wesleyan (5–2) т Arizona Christian (4–2) т | Carroll (5–2) | St. Francis (IL) (6–2) | Kansas Wesleyan (8–2) | Dordt (7–3) | 25. |
| Preseason August 1 [12] | Week 1 September 12 [13] | Week 2 September 19 [14] | Week 3 September 26 [15] | Week 4 October 3 [16] | Week 5 October 10 [17] | Week 6 October 17 [18] | Week 7 October 24 [19] | Week 8 October 31 [20] | Week 9 November 7 [21] | Final November 13 [22] | ||
| Dropped: Saint Xavier (0–2) Saint Francis (IN) (0–2) Rocky Mountain (1–1) Arizona Christian (1–1) Dordt (1–1) Faulkner (1–1) St. Francis (IL) (0–1) | Dropped: Keiser (1–3) Texas Wesleyan (3–1) Montana Tech (2–1) | Dropped: Montana Western (3–2) Southeastern (3–1) Waldorf (4–1) | Dropped: Concordia (MI) (1–3) Carroll (3–2) | Dropped: Kansas Wesleyan (4–2) | Dropped: Langston (5–1) | Dropped: Arizona Christian (5–2) Kansas Wesleyan (6–2) | Dropped: Rocky Mountain (5–3) Langston (6–2) | Dropped: Montana Tech (6–3) | Dropped: Midland (NE) (8–3) Kansas Wesleyan (8–3) Roosevelt (7–3) |