July 31, 2025

Defending national champion Ferris State picked to repeat in GLIAC football preseason poll

Defending NCAA Division II National Champion Ferris State University has been picked to repeat in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as the league announced its 2025 GLIAC Football preseason poll.

The Bulldogs, who finished first in the conference with an unbeaten 7-0 league mark a year ago, tallied 47 points and six first-place votes in balloting by the GLIAC's member head coaches.

Ferris State was followed in the preseason poll by rival Grand Valley State University in second place with 41 points and a single first-place mention. Saginaw Valley State University garnered the final first-place vote and totaled 38 points in finishing third of the eight conference member schools.

The remaining teams in the preseason rankings included Davenport University in fourth (31), Michigan Tech University in fifth (28) with Wayne State University in sixth (16), Roosevelt University in seventh (12) and Northern Michigan University in eighth (11).

Ferris State enters the 2025 season having won three of the past four NCAA Division II National Championships, including last fall. The team was chosen first already in the 2025 Lindy's Sports D2 Preseason National Rankings.

The Bulldogs will begin their 116th season of varsity competition this coming fall with their sights set on making a nation-leading 11th consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II Playoffs.

The Bulldogs have made six national semifinal appearances along with four trips to the national championship game, highlighted by back-to-back national titles in 2021 and 2022 along with last year in 2024 during the stretch.

Over the past four seasons of action, the Bulldogs have a 50-5 overall record and Ferris State has reached the NCAA Division II Playoffs 10 consecutive years and counting. Ferris State has also reached the NCAA Division II National Semifinals six times in the past eight seasons of action and ranks as the country's winningest program over the past 10 full seasons in D2 Football.

Ferris State is 77-7 over the last five seasons of on-field action, including back-to-back NCAA DII National Championships in 2021 and 2022 and 2024.

Ferris State also holds the GLIAC's best mark and the best overall record of all collegiate programs in Michigan at 137-21 (.867) overall since the arrival of Tony Annese as head coach in 2012.

The Bulldogs will open the 2025 season at home, hosting Pittsburg State University from Kansas in a DII National Showdown on Thursday, Aug. 28, at Top Taggart Field. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

Season tickets for the 2025 season are on sale now and can be purchased online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com/Tickets.