WACO, Texas -- Kutztown University received its highest-ever preseason national ranking in program history with the release of the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Preseason Poll, Tuesday afternoon. The three-time defending PSAC champion and 2026 Super Region 1 champion Golden Bears checked it at No. 3 ahead of the 2026 season.

Kutztown is coming off a school record 14 victories (14-1) in 2025 and advanced to the national semifinals for the second time in three years.

The Golden Bears recorded a program-best No. 3 ranking in the final 2025 AFCA DII Poll and will start the new season from that exact spot. They return eight starters on both sides of the ball, including fifth-year senior quarterback Judd Novak (Manheim, Pa./Manheim Central), who threw for more than 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns and was a national finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy a season ago. Defensively, Freddie Retter (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) leads the charge up front. The 2024 SR1 Defensive Player of the Year had a monster postseason run with 15 tackles (9 solo), 6.5 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss (TFL), one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Ferris State, which is coming off its second straight DII national championship and fourth in the last five seasons, was the unanimous No. 1 choice. The Bulldogs received all 31 first-place votes. National runner-up Harding, which defeated Kutztown in the semifinals, claimed the No. 2 spot ahead of the Golden Bears, Pittsburg State and Minnesota State.

Kutztown and reigning PSAC West champion No. 25 IUP are the only PSAC schools featured in the preseason poll. The Golden Bears and Crimson Hawks are joined by No. 14 Virginia Union (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association), No. 17 Frostburg State (Mountain East) and No. 23 Johnson C. Smith (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) in representing SR1 in the poll.

The Golden Bears will open their 2026 season on the road at Northeast 10 rival Assumption, Thursday, Sept. 3, at 6 p.m.
 

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2026 AFCA DIVISION II PRESEASON POLL

 

Rank	School (1st votes)	2025 Record	Pts.	2025 Final Rank	Head Coach
1	Ferris St. (31)	16-0	775	1	Tony Annese
2	Harding	15-1	738	2	Roddy Mote
3	Kutztown	14-1	684	3	Jim Clements
4	Pittsburg St.	10-3	647	6	Tom Anthony
5	Minnesota St.	10-4	587	8	Todd Hoffner
6	Colorado St.-Pueblo	10-2	581	11	Philip Vigil
7	Central Washington	10-2	478	13	Scott Power
8	Northwest Missouri St.	9-3	470	17	John McMenamin
9t.	Grand Valley St.	7-3	451	NR	Scott Wooster
9t.	UIndy	11-2	451	10	Chris Keevers
11	Western Colorado	10-3	379	12	Jas Bains
12	Minnesota-Duluth	10-2	372	16	Curt Wiese
13	Ashland	10-3	328	15	Doug Geiser
14	Virginia Union	9-3	318	21	Alvin Parker
15	Newberry	12-2	276	4	Todd Knight
16	Findlay	10-2	250	19	Tyler Johns
17	Frostburg St.	11-3	228	14	Eric Wagoner
18	UT Permian Basin	11-3	197	5	Chris Softley
19	Wingate	9-3	183	NR	Rashaan Jordan
20	Augustana (S.D.)	9-2	181	25	Jerry Olszewski
21	Albany St.	12-2	172	7	David Bowser
22	Western Oregon	8-3	165	NR	Arne Ferguson
23	Johnson C. Smith	10-2	159	18	Maurice Flowers
24	Ouachita Baptist	7-4	146	NR	Todd Knight
25	Indiana (Pa.)	7-4	97	NR	Paul Tortorella

Others Receiving Votes: Valdosta St., 86; Chadron St., 83; Central Oklahoma, 64; North Greenville, 61; Slippery Rock, 56; California (Pa.), 53; Northwood, 50; Delta St., 33; Michigan Tech, 31; Assumption, 29; Bentley, 27; Benedict, 25; Lenoir-Rhyne, 21; Colorado Mines, 18; Northeastern St., 16; Southern Arkansas, 14; Charleston, 13; Fort Hays St., 13; Truman St., 13; West Texas A&M, 10; UNC Pembroke, 8; Central Missouri, 7; Edward Waters, 7; Henderson St., 6; Angelo St., 4; East Stroudsburg, 4; Nebraska-Kearney, 4; Upper Iowa, 3; Davenport, 2; Carson-Newman, 1.