Three teams in the Great Plains American Conference (GPAC) were selected in the NAIA preseason football top-25 poll yesterday.
Northwestern was the highest ranked team at No. 2. Northwestern lost in the NAIA Championship game in the spring. Morningside polled No. 3, and Dordt polled No. 14.
Below is the full poll released by the NAIA on Tuesday.
2021 NAIA Football Coaches’ Top 25 Poll – Preseason (August 2)
| RANK | POSTSEASON POLL | SCHOOL [1ST PLACE VOTES] | RECORD | FINAL POINTS |
| 1 | 1 | Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) [18] | 11-0 | 418 |
| 2 | 2 | Northwestern (Iowa) | 11-2 | 402 |
| 3 | 3 | Morningside (Iowa) | 10-1 | 386 |
| 4 | 4 | Keiser (Fla.) | 9-1 | 366 |
| 5 | 5 | Grand View (Iowa) | 7-1 | 356 |
| 6 | 6 | Concordia (Mich.) | 6-1 | 338 |
| 7 | 7 | Baker (Kan.) | 7-1 | 317 |
| 8 | 8 | Reinhardt (Ga.) | 9-1 | 310 |
| 9 | 10 | Marian (Ind.) | 5-2 | 286 |
| 10 | 9 | Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) | 8-1 | 279 |
| 11 | 11 | Dickinson State (N.D.) | 9-1 | 244 |
| 12 | 12 | Bethel (Kan.) | 9-2 | 232 |
| 13 | 13 | Georgetown (Ky.) | 6-2 | 220 |
| 14 | 15 | Dordt (Iowa) | 8-3 | 188 |
| 15 | 14 | Arizona Christian | 9-2 | 184 |
| 16 | 17 | Saint Francis (Ind.) | 2-2 | 180 |
| 17 | 16 | Benedictine (Kan.) | 8-2 | 174 |
| 18 | 21 | Eastern Oregon | 3-1 | 143 |
| 19 | 18 | College of Idaho | 3-1 | 131 |
| 20 | 20 | Roosevelt (Ill.) | 6-1 | 110 |
| 21 | 19 | Avila (Mo.) | 8-1 | 90 |
| 22 | RV | Southeastern (Fla.) | 8-1 | 53 |
| 23 | 23 | Ottawa (Ariz.) | 4-1 | 44 |
| 24 | 25 | Kansas Wesleyan | 8-2 | 43 |
| 25 | 24 | Southwestern (Kan.) | 7-2 | 37 |
Receiving Votes: Montana Western 30, Carroll (Mont.) 24, Valley City State (N.D.) 14, Saint Xavier (Ill.) 5