KANSAS CITY, Mo. – As expected, the Southern Oregon University football team reclaimed No. 1 in the NAIA rankings Monday. It's the first time in program history the Raiders have held the top spot in a regular-season poll.

The Raiders (6-1 Frontier Conference) – who were No. 1 for the first time in the 2014 postseason and the 2015 spring and preseason polls – got the promotion after four weeks in the No. 2 slot thanks to ex-No. 1 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)'s loss at No. 8 Reinhardt (Ga.). Lindsey Wilson consequently fell seven spots.

Winners of six straight, the Raiders received eight first-place votes and 334 points in the poll to edge out No. 2 Morningside (Iowa)'s six first-place votes and 331 points. Morningside was No. 1 in the second poll of the regular-season but immediately dropped to No. 4 following a 33-30 loss at NCAA Div. III powerhouse Wisconsin-Whitewater. The Mustangs, who eliminated SOU in the 2012 NAIA quarterfinals, have outscored their NAIA opponents 463-71 this year.

The new rankings also reflect the unprecedented 42-7 beatdown Montana Tech (6-1) put on Carroll (3-4) in Helena:  The Orediggers, who are tied in first place with SOU, moved from 12th to 10th, and Carroll went from 18th to out of the poll for the first time in 15 years – ending an NAIA-record run.

Third-place Montana Western (5-2) went from 17th to 16th following a 27-26 triumph over Rocky Mountain (3-5 overall, 2-5 Frontier).

SOU visits Rocky this Saturday for an 11 a.m. Pacific Time kickoff in Billings. The Bears will come in having lost three straight.
 

RANK	LAST ^	SCHOOL (1ST-PLACE VOTES)	RECORD	TOTAL POINTS
1	2	Southern Oregon (8)	6-1	334
2	3	Morningside (Iowa) (6)	7-1	331
3	4	Baker (Kan.)	7-1	305
4	5	Grand View (Iowa)	7-1	288
5	6	Doane (Neb.) (1)	7-0	283
6	8	Reinhardt (Ga.)	8-0	281
7	7	Saint Francis (Ind.)	8-0	280
8	1	Lindsey Wilson (Ky.)	6-1	246
9	10	Marian (Ind.)	5-2	230
10	12	Montana Tech	6-1	222
11	11	Tabor (Kan.)	7-1	217
12	13	Saint Xavier (Ill.)	6-2	199
13	14	William Penn (Iowa)	6-2	179
14	9	Robert Morris (Ill.)	5-2	175
15	16	Benedictine (Kan.)	6-2	153
16	17	Montana Western	5-2	150
17	19	Kansas Wesleyan	7-1	135
18	20	St. Francis (Ill.)	6-2	116
19	21	Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.)	6-2	107
20	22	Campbellsville (Ky.)	6-2	93
21	24	Cumberlands (Ky.)	6-2	65
22	RV	Point (Ga.)	6-2	64
23	15	Northwestern (Iowa)	4-3	48
24	23	Concordia (Neb.)	5-2	24
25	RV	SAGU (Texas)	6-2	23

Dropped from the Top 25: Carroll (Mont.) (No. 18); Southeastern (Fla.) (No. 25) 
Others Receiving Votes: Dickinson State (N.D) 20; Faulkner (Ala.) 13; St. Ambrose (Iowa) 7; Carroll (Mont.) 5.