FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State was ranked No. 4 in the final Stats Perform FCS Top 25 media poll for the 2025 season released Tuesday, Jan. 6.

The Bison (12-1) tied for fourth in the poll with Villanova (12-3) behind top-ranked national champion Montana State (14-2), national runner-up Illinois State (12-5) and third-ranked semifinalist Montana (13-2).

North Dakota State won the Missouri Valley Football Conference with an 8-0 record and advanced to the FCS playoffs for the 16th consecutive season before falling in the second round to Illinois State, 29-28. The Redbirds won four straight road playoff games before a 35-34 overtime loss to Montana State in the title game.

NDSU was one of seven MVFC teams in the final poll. South Dakota was ninth, South Dakota State was 13th, North Dakota was 14th, Youngstown State 18th and Southern Illinois 25th.

Final 2025 Stats Perform FCS Top 25

	Team (First-Place Votes)	W-L	Pts	Prev
1.	Montana St. (56)	14-2	1400	2
2.	Illinois St.	12-5	1327	T17
3.	Montana	13-2	1271	3
4.	North Dakota St.	12-1	1181	1
	Villanova	12-3	1181	9
6.	Tarleton St.	12-2	1112	5
7.	Stephen F. Austin	11-3	992	10
8.	UC Davis	9-4	985	11
9.	South Dakota	10-5	947	12
10.	Lehigh	12-1	902	4
11.	Rhode Island	11-3	816	8
12.	Abilene Christian	9-5	711	13
13.	South Dakota St.	9-5	686	16
14.	North Dakota	8-6	633	19
15.	Yale	9-3	628	24
16.	Tennessee Tech	11-2	607	6
17.	Mercer	9-3	584	7
18.	Youngstown St.	8-5	433	14
19.	Southeastern Louisiana	9-4	358	T17
20.	Harvard	9-2	242	15
21.	South Carolina St.	10-3	206	NR
22.	Monmouth	9-3	187	21
23.	New Hampshire	8-5	165	22
24.	Lamar	8-5	159	25
25.	Southern Illinois	7-5	147	23

Dropped out: Jackson St. (20)
Others receiving votes: Prairie View A&M 76, Jackson St. 58, Alabama St. 41, West Georgia 38, Austin Peay 29, Southern Utah 25, Drake 21, Central Connecticut St. 18, Lafayette 16, Northern Arizona 11, UT Rio Grande Valley 3