1978 NCAA Division II football rankings

The 1978 NCAA Division II football rankings are from the Associated Press. This is for the 1978 season.

Legend

		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

Associated Press poll

	Week 1 Sept 27[1]	Week 2 Oct 4[2]	Week 3 Oct 11[3]	Week 4 Oct 18[4]	Week 5 Oct 25[5]	Week 6 Nov 1[6]	Week 7 Nov 8[7]	Week 8 Nov 15[8]
1.	Delaware (3–0)	Winston-Salem State (5–0)	Winston-Salem State (6–0)	Winston-Salem State (7–0)	Winston-Salem State (8–0)	Winston-Salem State (9–0)	Winston-Salem State (9–0)	Winston-Salem State (10–0)	1.
2.	Winston-Salem State (4–0)	Delaware (3–1)	Cal Poly (4–0)	Youngstown State (6–0)	Youngstown State (7–0)	Youngstown State (7–1)	Youngstown State (8–1)	Youngstown State (9–1)	2.
3.	North Dakota (3–1)	Cal Poly (3–0)	Youngstown State (5–0)	Delaware (4–2)	Delaware (5–2)	Nebraska–Omaha (8–1)	Cal Poly (6–1)	Delaware (7–3)	3.
4.	Eastern Illinois (4–0)	Youngstown State (4–0)	Akron (4–1)	Cal Poly (4–1)	Cal Poly (5–1)	Cal Poly (5–1)	Delaware (6–3)	UC Davis (7–2)	4.
5.	Northern Michigan (2–1)	Northern Michigan (3–1)	Delaware (3–2)	Nebraska–Omaha (6–1)	UC Davis (5–1)	Troy State (6–1)	Troy State (7–1)	Eastern Illinois (8–2)	5.
6.	Youngstown State (3–0)	Akron (3–1)	UC Davis (3–1)	Akron (4–2)	Nebraska–Omaha (7–1)	Delaware (5–3)	UC Davis (6–2)	Nebraska–Omaha (8–2–1)	6.
7.	Bethune–Cookman (3–0)	Troy State (3–0)	Nebraska–Omaha (5–1)	North Alabama (5–0–1)	Troy State (5–1)	UC Davis (5–2)	Eastern Illinois (7–2)	Jacksonville State (6–2)	7.
8.	North Dakota State (3–1)	Eastern Illinois (4–1)	Mississippi College (5–0)	Northern Michigan (4–1–1)	Eastern Illinois (5–2)	Akron (5–3)	South Dakota (7–3)	Cal Poly (6–2)	8.
9.	Cal Poly (2–0)	UC Davis (2–1)	Jacksonville State (3–1)	UC Davis (4–1)	Northern Michigan (4–2–1)	Eastern Illinois (6–2)	Jacksonville State (5–2)	American International (6–2–1)	9.
10.	Jacksonville State (2–1)	Jacksonville State (3–1) т	Northern Michigan (3–1–1)	Troy State (4–1)	Jacksonville State (3–2)	Jacksonville State (4–2)	Nebraska–Omaha (8–2)	Puget Sound (10–0)	10.
11.		Virginia Union (2–1) т							11.
	Week 1 Sept 27[1]	Week 2 Oct 4[2]	Week 3 Oct 11[3]	Week 4 Oct 18[4]	Week 5 Oct 25[5]	Week 6 Nov 1[6]	Week 7 Nov 8[7]	Week 8 Nov 15[8]
		Dropped: 3 North Dakota 7 Bethune–Cookman 8 North Dakota State	Dropped: 7 Troy State 8 Eastern Illinois 10 Virginia Union	Dropped: 8 Mississippi College 9 Jacksonville State	Dropped: 6 Akron 7 North Alabama	Dropped: 9 Northern Michigan	Dropped: 8 Akron	Dropped: 5 Troy State 8 South Dakota

References

1. "NCAA Top Ten; Division II". The Morning News. Wilmington, Delaware. September 27, 1978. p. 38. Retrieved May 19, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
2. "NCAA Top Ten; Division II". Argus-Leader. Sioux Falls, South Dakota. October 4, 1978. p. 3B. Retrieved April 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
3. "Division II". The News Journal. Wilmington, Delaware. October 11, 1978. p. 24. Retrieved April 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "NCAA Division II poll". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. October 18, 1978. p. 2-C. Retrieved April 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
5. "Division II poll". News-Press. Fort Myers, Florida. October 25, 1978. p. 2C. Retrieved April 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "NCAA Division II Poll". The Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio. November 1, 1978. p. F6. Retrieved April 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
7. "NCAA Top Ten, Div II". The Akron Beacon Journal. Akron, Ohio. November 8, 1978. p. E6. Retrieved April 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "NCAA Top Ten Division II". Arizona Daily Star. Tucson, Arizona. November 16, 1978. p. G-6. Retrieved April 29, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.