SPARTANBURG, S.C. – For the first time since joining the FCS college football classification, VMI is nationally ranked, debuting at No. 19 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll released Monday afternoon. Fellow Southern Conference squads Chattanooga and Furman both moved up the rankings this week, with Chattanooga rising three spots to No. 11 after an idle week and Furman moving up two spots to No. 13.
 
The Keydets, off to a 3-0 (3-0 SoCon) start for the first time since the 1981 season, topped Mercer 41-14 on Saturday in Lexington and are one of two remaining unbeaten teams in the Southern Conference standings. Chattanooga is 2-0.
 
The Keydets started receiving votes in the poll following their 14-13 season opener upset of then-No. 10 Furman in Lexington, Virginia, on Feb. 27. It was the first Keydet victory over a nationally ranked opponent since 2002.
 
VMI received the most votes of any team not ranked in last week’s poll following its road 37-7 win at Western Carolina on March 6.
 
VMI finished the 1957 season ranked 20th in the Associated Press poll after going 9-0-1 under legendary coach John McKenna. The Keydets attained a ranking as high as 13th during that season.
 
In 1982, VMI was reclassified into the Division I-AA ranks which later became the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Until Monday, it never attained a national ranking as an FCS member but did receive votes in 1991, 2002, and 2019.
 
The Keydets travel to Birmingham, Alabama, this Saturday to face Samford (2-2). Kickoff will be 1 p.m. EDT.
 
Furman (3-1, 3-1 SoCon), coming off a 17-13 road victory over ETSU on Saturday, plays host to Chattanooga on Saturday in a noon kickoff at Paladin Stadium. The Mocs (2-0, 2-0 SoCon) were idle last Saturday after claiming a 25-24 overtime road verdict over The Citadel on March 6.

Wofford fell out of the poll from No. 20 but received votes alongside ETSU.