KANSAS CITY – The NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Preseason Poll was released on Monday and five Kansas schools made the list.
Baker led the way, tabbed No. 9 in the rankings. The Wildcats were 10-2 in 2017, losing in the first round of the postseason.
Benedictine and Sterling each also made the NAIA playoffs last season, and each bowed out in the first round.
Here is the complete poll:
| Rank | Previous | School (First-place votes) | Last year’s record | Points |
| 1 | 1 | Saint Francis (Ind.) (16) | 14-0 | 366 |
| 2 | 2 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 12-1 | 349 |
| 3 | 3 | Morningside (Iowa) | 13-1 | 340 |
| 4 | 4 | Southern Oregon | 12-1 | 324 |
| 5 | 5 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) | 11-1 | 310 |
| 6 | 6 | Saint Xavier (Ill.) | 10-2 | 296 |
| 7 | 7 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 9-2 | 268 |
| 7 | 8 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 10-3 | 268 |
| 9 | 9 | Baker (Kan.) | 10-2 | 259 |
| 10 | 11 | Grand View (Iowa) | 9-3 | 231 |
| 11 | 10 | Southeastern (Fla.) | 8-2 | 227 |
| 12 | 12 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 9-3 | 197 |
| 13 | 14 | Dickinson State (N.D.) | 9-2 | 178 |
| 14 | 13 | Langston | 10-1 | 177 |
| 15 | 18 | Marian (Ind.) | 7-3 | 167 |
| 16 | 15 | Concordia (Mich.) | 9-2 | 163 |
| 17 | 16 | Sterling (Kan.) | 9-3 | 159 |
| 18 | 17 | Tabor (Kan.) | 8-2 | 95 |
| 19 | 20 | Campbellsville (Ky.) | 8-2 | 86 |
| 20 | NR | Rocky Mountain (Mont.) | 6-5 | 75 |
| 21 | 21 | Kansas Wesleyan | 8-3 | 67 |
| 22 | 19 | SAGU (Texas) | 8-3 | 51 |
| 22 | NR | Arizona Christian | 7-3 | 51 |
| 24 | 22 | Faulkner (Ala.) | 7-3 | 46 |
| 25 | 23 | Dakota State (S.D.) | 8-3 | 44 |
Others Receiving Votes: Montana Tech (44), Evangel (Mo.) (17), Oklahoma Panhandle State (15), St. Francis (Ill.) (12), College of Idaho (10), William Penn (Iowa) (10), Missouri Valley (9), Midland (Neb.) (8), Bluefield (Va.) 3