Defending national champion Appalachian State is ranked No. 1 in the Sports Media Entertainment Network (SMEN) inaugural national NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) poll. Other Southern Conference teams earning recognition include Furman (9), Wofford (15), Georgia Southern (28) and The Citadel (50, tie).

Poll voters consist of radio and television broadcasters from around the FCS. The following is a list of voters that are to be participating each week with the school or affiliation that they broadcast for in parenthesis. Ray Alexander (Stony Brook / SME Network); Tom Barket (Cal Poly); Ralph Bednarczyk (SME Network); Bob Behler (Massachusetts); Ken Berthelot (Nicholls St); Chris Blair (Georgia Southern); Mike Corey (Delaware); Brant Freeman (Texas St); Art Haines (Missouri St); Bob Hannon (Youngstown State); Mick Holien (Montana); Matt Hogue (Coastal Carolina); Keith Irizarry (Princeton/SME Network); Eric Malanowski (Colgate); Keith Miles (Florida A&M); Jerry Oster (South Dakota St); Gary Rima (Northern Iowa); Jim Reynolds (Chattanooga); Robby Robinson (The Citadel); Mitch Strohman (Northern Arizona).

School (votes)
1. Appalachian St. 20 first-place votes (500)
2. Montana (441)
3. Massachusetts (427)
4. North Dakota St. (417)
5. Youngstown St. (402)
6. New Hampshire (392)
7. Northern Iowa (352)
8. James Madison (351)
9. Furman (296)
10. Southern Illinois (271)
11. Illinois St. (265)
12. Cal Poly (242)
13. McNeese St. (239)
14. Portland St. (235)
15. Wofford (218)
16. Tennessee-Martin (165)
17. Hampton (153)
18. Montana St. (147)
19. Eastern Illinois (145)
20. Delaware (140)
21. Coastal Carolina (119)
22. San Diego (79)
23. Princeton (60)
24. South Dakota St. (56)
25. Sam Houston St. (43)

Others receiving votes: Yale 38, Lehigh 36, Georgia Southern 27, UC-Davis 26, Texas St. 21, Maine 20, Richmond 20, Villanova 16, South Carolina St 16, Tennessee St. 13, Alabama A&M 13, Harvard 11, Towson 11, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 9, Central Arkansas 9, Northwestern State 8, Weber St. 8, Eastern Kentucky 7, Colgate 6, Northern Arizona 5, Florida A&M 5, Northeastern 4, Nicholls St. 3, Monmouth 3, Cornell 2, Liberty 2, The Citadel 2, Delaware St. 1, Holy Cross 1, Alcorn St. 1, Missouri St. 1