1966 small college football rankings
The 1966 small college football rankings are rankings of college football teams representing smaller college and university teams during the 1966 college football season, including the 1966 NCAA College Division football season and the 1966 NAIA football season. Separate rankings were published by the Associated Press (AP) and the United Press International (UPI). The AP rankings were selected by a board of sports writers, and the UPI rankings were selected by a board of small-college coaches.
The 1966 San Diego State Aztecs football team (11–0), led by head coach Don Coryell and defensive coordinator John Madden, was rated as the small-college champion by both the AP and UPI. Tennessee State (9–0) was ranked No. 2 by the AP and No. 3 by the UPI.
Legend[edit]
| Increase in ranking | ||
| Decrease in ranking | ||
| Not ranked previous week | ||
(#–#)
|
Win–loss record | |
(Italics)
|
Number of first place votes | |
т
|
Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
The AP poll[edit]
| Week 1 Sept 22[1] | Week 2 Sept 29[2] | Week 3 Oct 6[3] | Week 4 Oct 13[4] | Week 5 Oct 20[5] | Week 6 Oct 27[6] | Week 7 Nov 3[7] | Week 8 Nov 10[8] | Week 9 Nov 17[9] | Week 10 Nov 24[10] | Week 11 Dec 1[11] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | North Dakota State (2) | North Dakota State (5) | North Dakota State (4–0) (7) | North Dakota State (5–0) (10) | North Dakota State (6–0) (8) | North Dakota State (7–0) (11) | North Dakota State (8–0) (10) | San Diego State (7–0) (11) | San Diego State (8–0) (13) | San Diego State (9–0) (11) | San Diego State (10–0) (14) | 1. |
| 2. | Southern Illinois | North Dakota (1) | Montana State (4–0) (5) | North Dakota (4–0) | North Dakota (5–0) (2) | San Diego State (5–0) (2) | San Diego State (6–0) (5) | North Dakota State (8–1) | Tennessee State (7–0) (2) | Tennessee State (8–0) (2) | Tennessee State (9–0) (2) | 2. |
| 3. | North Dakota | Montana State (3) | North Dakota (3–0) | Middle Tennessee (4–0) (2) | San Diego State (5–0) (2) | Montana State (6–1) | Montana State (7–1) (1) | Montana State (8–1) (1) | Montana State (8–2) | Montana State (8–2) | Montana State (8–2) | 3. |
| 4. | Weber State (4) | Sul Ross | Sul Ross (4–0) (1) | San Diego State (4–0) (1) | Chattanooga (4–1) | North Dakota (5–1) | Tennessee State (5–0) (1) | Tennessee State (6–0) (2) | Northwestern State (8–0) (1) | Northwestern State (9–0) | Northwestern State (9–0) | 4. |
| 5. | Montana State | San Diego State (1) | Middle Tennessee (3–0) (1) | Sul Ross (3–0) (1) | Sul Ross (4–0) (1) | Arkansas State (5–0) (1) | Northwestern State (6–0) | Northwestern State (7–0) (1) | Weber State (6–2) | Parsons (9–1) | Parsons (9–1) | 5. |
| 6. | Sul Ross | Eastern Kentucky (1) | San Diego State (3–0) | Weber State (3–1) | Montana State (5–1) | Tennessee State | Arkansas State (5–1) | Parsons (7–1) | Parsons (8–1) | Arkansas State (7–2) | Arkansas State (7–2) | 6. |
| 7. | San Diego State | Ball State (1) | Eastern Kentucky (3–0) (1) | Montana State (4–1) | Weber State (4–1) | Middle Tennessee (5–1) | UMass (5–1) | Arkansas State (6–1) (1) | North Dakota (7–2) | Muskingum (9–0) | Muskingum (9–0) | 7. |
| 8. | Southwest Texas State | Wittenberg | Wittenberg (2–0) | Tennessee State (5–0) | Arkansas State (4–0) (1) | Northwestern State (5–0) (1) | Eastern Kentucky (6–1) (1) | Weber State (6–2) | Muskingum (8–0) | North Dakota (7–2) | North Dakota (7–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Akron т | Parsons | Weber State (2–1) (1) | Arkansas State (1) | Middle Tennessee (4–1) | Sul Ross (4–0–1) (1) | Weber State (5–2) | North Dakota (6–2) | North Dakota State (7–2) | North Dakota State (8–2) | North Dakota State (8–2) | 9. |
| 10. | Florida A&M т | Arkansas State т | Tennessee State (2–0) | Chattanooga (3–1) | Tennessee State (1) | New Mexico Highlands (6–0) (1) | Waynesburg | Muskingum (7–0) | Clarion (9–0) | Weber State (6–3) | Waynesburg (9–0) т | 10. |
| 11. | Middle Tennessee (1) т | Weber State (6–3) т | 11. | |||||||||
| Week 1 Sept 22[1] | Week 2 Sept 29[2] | Week 3 Oct 6[3] | Week 4 Oct 13[4] | Week 5 Oct 20[5] | Week 6 Oct 27[6] | Week 7 Nov 3[7] | Week 8 Nov 10[8] | Week 9 Nov 17[9] | Week 10 Nov 24[10] | Week 11 Dec 1[11] | ||
Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| None | Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped: 7 Arkansas State | Dropped: 10 Clarion | None |
The UPI Coaches poll[edit]
| Week 1 Sept 21[12] | Week 2 Sept 28[13] | Week 3 Oct 5[14] | Week 4 Oct 12[15] | Week 5 Oct 19[16] | Week 6 Oct 26[17] | Week 7 Nov 2[18] | Week 8 Nov 9[19] | Week 9 Nov 16[20] | Week 10 Nov 23[21] | Week 11 Nov 30[22] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | North Dakota State (2–0) (16) | North Dakota State (3–0) (14) | North Dakota State (4–0) (14) | North Dakota State (5–0) (25) | North Dakota State (6–0) (20) | North Dakota State (7–0) (25) | North Dakota State (8–0) (23) | San Diego State (7–0) (33) | San Diego State (8–0) (32) | San Diego State (9–0) (30) | San Diego State (10–0) (30) | 1. |
| 2. | Middle Tennessee (1–0) (2) | North Dakota (2–0) (7) | North Dakota (3–0) (4) | North Dakota (4–0) (3) | San Diego State (5–0) (6) | San Diego State (5–0) (6) | San Diego State (6–0) (7) | Montana State (8–1) (1) | Montana State (8–2) (2) | Montana State (8–2) (4) | Montana State (8–2) (3) | 2. |
| 3. | Weber State (1–0) (3) | San Diego State (2–0) (4) | Montana State (4–0) (8) | San Diego State (4–0) (1) | North Dakota (5–0) (4) | Montana State (6–1) | Montana State (7–1) (5) | North Dakota State (8–1) (1) | Weber State (6–2) | Tennessee State (8–0) | Tennessee State (9–0) (1) | 3. |
| 4. | UMass (1–0) (1) | Middle Tennessee (2–0) (1) | San Diego State (3–0) (2) | Middle Tennessee (4–0) (2) | Chattanooga (4–1) (1) | North Dakota (5–1) | UMass (5–1) | Weber State (6–2) | Tennessee State (7–0) | North Dakota (7–2) | Northwestern State (9–0) | 4. |
| 5. | North Dakota (1–0) | Montana State (3–0) | Middle Tennessee (3–0) (3) | Weber State (3–1) (1) | Weber State (4–1) | UMass (4–1) (1) | Weber State (5–2) т | Arkansas State (6–1) | UMass (6–2) | New Mexico Highlands (8–1) | North Dakota (7–2) | 5. |
| 6. | Northern Illinois (1–0) | Long Beach State (1–0) (1) | Sul Ross (3–0) | Sul Ross (3–0) | Montana State (5–1) (1) | Arkansas State (5–0) (1) | Delaware (5–1) т | North Dakota (6–2) | North Dakota (7–2) | Northwestern State (9–0) | New Mexico Highlands (8–1) | 6. |
| 7. | St. John's (1–0) | Sul Ross (2–0) | Weber State (2–1) | UMass (2–1) | Sul Ross (4–0) | Middle Tennessee (5–1) | North Dakota (5–2) | Tennessee State (6–0) | New Mexico Highlands (8–1) | Muskingum (9–0) | Muskingum (9–0) | 7. |
| 8. | Sul Ross (2–0) | UC Santa Barbara (2–0) (1) | Long Beach State (2–0) (1) | Montana State (4–1) | UMass (3–1) | Sul Ross (4–0–1) | Eastern Kentucky (6–1) | UMass (5–2) | North Dakota State (7–2) | North Dakota State (8–2) | North Dakota State (8–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Long Beach State (0–0) | Weber State (1–1) | UMass (1–1) | Chattanooga (3–1) (1) | Arkansas State (4–0) (1) | Chattanooga (4–2) | Arkansas State (5–1) | Middle Tennessee (6–2) | Muskingum (8–0) | Weber State (6–3) | Weber State (6–3) | 9. |
| 10. | San Diego State (1–0) | UMass (1–1) (1) | Eastern Kentucky (3–0) | Delaware (3–0) (1) | Middle Tennessee (4–1) | New Mexico Highlands (6–0) (1) | Tennessee State (5–0) | New Mexico Highlands (7–1) | Northwestern State (8–0) | UMass (6–3) | UMass (6–3) | 10. |
| 11. | UC Santa Barbara | Ball State | Delaware | Arkansas State | Long Beach State | Weber State | Middle Tennessee | Chattanooga | Chattanooga | Arkansas State | Arkansas State | 11. |
| 12. | Pacific (CA) | Arkansas State | Concordia (MN) | Long Beach State | Temple | Temple | Sul Ross т | Long Beach State | Arkansas State | Whitewater State | Whitewater State | 12. |
| 13. | Montana State т | Delaware (2) | Chattanooga (1) | Lenoir–Rhyne (1) | New Mexico Highlands (1) | Delaware | Long Beach State т | Muskingum | Gettysburg (1) | Parsons | Parsons | 13. |
| 14. | Ball State т | Concordia (MN) | UC Santa Barbara | New Mexico Highlands т | Delaware | Eastern Kentucky | Muskingum | Delaware | Whitewater State | Gettysburg (1) | Central College (IA) т | 14. |
| 15. | Linfield | Eastern Kentucky | Lenoir–Rhyne (1) | UC Santa Barbara т | Eastern Kentucky | Luther (1) | Chattanooga | Eastern Kentucky | Parsons | Eastern Kentucky | Waynesburg (1) т | 15. |
| 16. | Grambling State | Southwest Texas State | New Mexico Highlands | Temple т | Luther (1) | Tennessee State | New Mexico Highlands | Sul Ross | Central College (IA) | Central College (IA) | Eastern Kentucky | 16. |
| 17. | Cal State Los Angeles | Michigan Tech | Arkansas State т | Luther т | Tennessee State | Lenoir–Rhyne | Gettysburg | Gettysburg | Waynesburg | Waynesburg | Gettysburg | 17. |
| 18. | Arkansas State (1) | Parsons | Michigan Tech т | Eastern Kentucky | Gettysburg | Muskingum т | Central College (IA) | Northwestern State | Eastern Kentucky | Clarion | Clarion | 18. |
| 19. | Florida A&M | Grambling State т | Wittenberg (1) | Baldwin-Wallace (1) | Fort Hays State | Gettysburg т | Lamar Tech | Northeast Louisiana | Northeast Louisiana | Northeast Louisiana | Chattanooga т | 19. |
| 20. | Southern Illinois | Northern Illinois т | Abilene Christian | Michigan Tech | Lenoir–Rhyne | Long Beach State | Northeast Louisiana | Parsons | Western State (CO) | Chattanooga | Wittenberg т | 20. |
| Week 1 Sept 21[12] | Week 2 Sept 28[13] | Week 3 Oct 5[14] | Week 4 Oct 12[15] | Week 5 Oct 19[16] | Week 6 Oct 26[17] | Week 7 Nov 2[18] | Week 8 Nov 9[19] | Week 9 Nov 16[20] | Week 10 Nov 23[21] | Week 11 Nov 30[22] | ||
Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped: 19 Fort Hays State | Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped: 20 Western State (CO) | Dropped: 19 Northeast Louisiana |
HBCU rankings[edit]
The New Pittsburgh Courier, a leading African American newspaper, ranked the top 1966 teams from historically black colleges and universities in an era when college football was often racially segregated.
The rankings were published on December 10:[23]
- 1. Tennessee A&I (10–0)
- 2. Morgan State (9–0)
- 3. Southern (6–2–1)
- 4. Grambling (6–2–1)
References[edit]
- ^ "NDS Leading AP College Poll". The Hillsdale Daily News. Hillsdale, Michigan. September 22, 1966. p. 8. Retrieved January 19, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Small College Football Poll". Dixon Evening Telegraph. Dixon, Illinois. September 29, 1966. p. 17. Retrieved January 19, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Small College Football Poll". Pasadena Independent. Pasadena, California. October 7, 1966. p. 25. Retrieved January 19, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bisons still lead small college ranks". The Oneonta Star. Oneonta, New York. October 13, 1966. p. 12. Retrieved January 19, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Small College Football Poll". Mt. Vernon Register-News. Mt. Vernon, Illinois. October 21, 1966. p. 10. Retrieved May 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Bobcats Advance From Sixth to Third". Great Falls Tribune. Great Falls, Montana. October 27, 1966. p. 21. Retrieved January 19, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Many Changes in Small College Grid Rankings". Janesville Daily Gazette. Janesville, Wisconsin. November 3, 1966. p. 16. Retrieved January 19, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "San Diego takes 1st in small poll". The Pocono Record. Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. November 10, 1966. p. 12. Retrieved January 19, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Poll Leader San Diego State Closing in on Perfect Slate". The Times. Shreveport, Louisiana. November 19, 1966. p. 3-C. Retrieved January 19, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "San Diego State Retains Lead in Football Poll". The Burlington Free Press. Burlington, Vermont. November 26, 1966. p. 15. Retrieved January 19, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Small College Football Poll". The News-Palladium. Benton Harbor, Michigan. December 1, 1966. p. 24. Retrieved January 19, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Tim Moriarty (September 22, 1966). "Huskies Ranked Sixth In First UPI Ratings". The Daily Chronicle. De Kalb, Illinois. p. 24. Retrieved May 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Ball State 11th In Small College Football Ratings". Palladium-Item. Richmond, Indiana. September 28, 1966. p. 20. Retrieved May 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Weber State Travels For Big Sky Opener". The Ogden Standard-Examiner. Ogden, Utah. October 6, 1966. p. 2C. Retrieved May 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Fred McMane (October 13, 1966). "North Dakota State Holds No. 1 Ranking". Battle Creek Enquirer. Battle Creek, Michigan. p. 3-2. Retrieved May 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Small college top 20 list". Redlands Daily Facts. Redlands, California. October 20, 1966. p. 9. Retrieved May 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Joe Gergen (October 26, 1966). "North Dakota State Tops Small College Grid Poll". Simpson’s Leader-Times. Kittanning, Pennsylvania. p. 18. Retrieved May 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Small College Football Poll". The Daily Herald. Provo, Utah. November 4, 1966. p. 13. Retrieved May 2, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Fred McMane (November 9, 1966). "San Diego State Leader In UPI Small College Grid Poll". Anderson Daily Bulletin. Anderson, Indiana. p. 19. Retrieved May 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Joe Gergen (November 17, 1966). "Aztecs Take Firm Grip On Small College Lead". The Lawton Constitution. Lawton, Oklahoma. p. 13. Retrieved May 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Small College Grid Ratings". Lebanon Daily News. Lebanon, Pennsylvania. November 23, 1966. p. 16. Retrieved May 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Jeff Meyers (November 30, 1966). "San Diego State Rated No. 1 Small College; Aztecs Showered With 30 Ballots". The Weirton Daily Times. Weirton, West Virginia. p. 26. Retrieved May 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Courier's Double-R Ratings". New Pittsburgh Courier (p. 14). December 10, 1966 – via Newspapers.com.
