BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford football team was ranked 17^th in the final FCS Coaches Poll, and 18^th in the final STATS FCS Poll, both released Monday.
 
Samford posted a final record of 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the Southern Conference. The Bulldogs earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division I-FCS Playoffs for a second-straight season for the first time since 1992.
 
This marks the 21^st-straight voting in which Samford has been ranked in the top 25 in both polls, dating back to Oct. 10, 2016. The Bulldogs reached as high as eighth in the Coaches Poll and ninth in the STATS Poll on Oct. 23, marking the first time Samford reached the top 10 of the polls since 1993.
 
Samford is one of three Southern Conference teams to be ranked in both final polls. Wofford was ranked seventh in the Coaches Poll and sixth in the STATS Poll, while Furman was ranked 20^th in the Coaches Poll and 19^th in the STATS Poll.
 
Non-conference opponent Kennesaw State came in ninth in the Coaches Poll and eighth in the STATS Poll. Western Carolina was among the others receiving votes in both polls.
 
FCS Coaches Poll (Final)
Team (1st-place votes)                     
1. North Dakota State (24)   
2. James Madison (1)
3. Sam Houston State
4. South Dakota State           
5. Weber State         
6. North Carolina A&T (1)    
7. Wofford    
8. Central Arkansas  
9. Kennesaw State   
10. Jacksonville State
11. Stony Brook           
12. Western Illinois   
13. Southern Utah      
14. Grambling State  
15. New Hampshire  
16. South Dakota       
17. Samford   
18. McNeese  
19. Northern Iowa      
20. Furman   
21. Elon           
22. Eastern Washington       
23. Nicholls    
24. Yale         
25. San Diego               
 
Others receiving votes: Monmouth (61), Austin Peay (30), Northern Arizona (23), Delaware (6), Central Connecticut State (4), Southeastern Louisiana (2), Lehigh (2), Sacramento State (1), Western Carolina (1).
 
FCS STATS Poll (Final)
Team (1st-place votes)                     
1. North Dakota State (158) 
2. James Madison  
3. South Dakota State  
4. Sam Houston State  
5. Weber State  
6. Wofford  
7. North Carolina A&T  
8. Kennesaw State  
9. Jacksonville State  
10. Central Arkansas  
11. Stony Brook  
12. New Hampshire  
13. Western Illinois  
14. Southern Utah  
15. South Dakota  
16. Grambling State  
17. UNI  
18. Samford
19. Furman
20. Elon
21. Eastern Washington
22. McNeese
23. San Diego
24. Yale
25. Nicholls  
 
Others receiving votes: Illinois State (220) , Austin Peay (215) , Northern Arizona (163) , Monmouth (132) , Delaware (53) , Central Connecticut State (37) , Columbia (27) , Sacramento State (26) , Richmond (22) , Montana (16) , Youngstown State (14) , Alcorn State (8) , Western Carolina (6) , Southeastern Louisiana (6) , Lehigh (3) , Bethune-Cookman (2) , Dartmouth (1) , North Carolina Central (1)