Saint John's University has surged in the latest national football rankings, climbing three spots to secure the No. 8 position in the AFCA Top 25 poll released on September 8, and also holding the No. 8 slot in the D3football.com Top 25 poll posted on September 6.
The achievement underscores the growing strength of NCAA Region 6, where seven teams now appear among the top 25, and six of them rank within the top 15, highlighting a particularly competitive conference landscape.
Alongside Saint John's, the poll features Wisconsin‑Platteville at No. 4, Wisconsin‑River Falls at No. 5, Bethel at No. 7, Wisconsin‑Whitewater at No. 11, Wisconsin‑La Crosse at No. 14, and Linfield at No. 23, while Wisconsin‑Oshkosh, Wisconsin‑Stout and Whitworth received votes but fell just outside the rankings.
A Crucial Early Test
Returning from a bye week, the Johnnies are set to open the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) season at home against Hamline on Saturday, September 19, with kickoff scheduled for 1 p.m. in Collegeville.