CHICAGO – The Jacksonville State football team is ranked seventh in the final Stats Perform FCS Top 25, which was released on Monday.
 
Fresh off a 10-3 record and their sixth Ohio Valley Conference title in the last seven years, the Gamecocks earned their highest final ranking since being ranked seventh in the same poll after the 2016 season. It comes after JSU tied national champion Sam Houston (10-0) for the most wins among all FCS schools.
 
Included in the 10-3 record, just the sixth 10-win season in JSU's Division I history, was a 6-1 mark in OVC play that led to the Gamecocks' ninth overall OVC championship. After receiving the league's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs, JSU defeated Davidson 49-14 to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2016.
 
Sam Houston was the unanimous No. 1 team after defeating No. 2 South Dakota State in the National Championship on Sunday. James Madison is third, Delaware is fourth and North Dakota State is fifth to round out the top five. North Dakota finished one spot ahead of JSU in sixth.
 
JSU was one of few schools that opted to play a fall and spring schedule and went 3-1 in the fall with a win over Florida international in October. That win was the lone FBS win for any FCS program during the season. Also, the 11 regular-season games tied Mercer for the second-most games played in the FCS behind The Citadel's 12.
 
The conference title came in JSU's 18^th and final season in the OVC. Earlier in the year, the Gamecocks announced they will leave the league to be on the ground level of building football in the ASUN Conference. They will join fellow OVC member Eastern Kentucky, as well as Central Arkansas, North Alabama and Kennesaw State in the original five schools in the new league.
 
During the transition into the ASUN, the Gamecocks will compete for one season in the AQ7, joining forces with four programs leaving the Southland for the WAC to qualify for an automatic bid to the 2021 FCS Playoffs. Joining JSU, EKU and UCA will be national champ Sam Houston, Stephen F Austin, Lamar and Abilene Christian. JSU will play all six in its 2021 SCHEDULE.
 
FINAL STATS PERFORM FCS TOP 25 
1. Sam Houston (10-0, 6-0 Southland), 1,000 points (40 first-place votes)
Previous Ranking: 4; Postseason Results: 21-15 win over Monmouth; 24-20 win over North Dakota State; 38-35 win over James Madison; 23-21 win over South Dakota State
 
2. South Dakota State (8-2, 5-1 Missouri Valley), 958
Previous Ranking: 2; Postseason Results: 31-3 win over Holy Cross; 31-26 win over Southern Illinois; 33-3 win over Delaware; 23-21 loss to Sam Houston
 
3. James Madison (7-1, 3-0 CAA), 918
Previous Ranking: 1; Postseason Results: 31-24 win over VMI; 34-21 win over North Dakota; 38-35 loss to Sam Houston
 
4. Delaware (7-1, 4-0 CAA), 859
Previous Ranking: 5; Postseason Results: 19-10 win over Sacred Heart; 20-14 win over Jacksonville State; 33-3 loss to South Dakota State
 
5. North Dakota State (7-3, 5-2 Missouri Valley), 827
Previous Ranking: 6; Postseason Results: 42-20 win over Eastern Washington; 24-20 loss to Sam Houston
 
6. North Dakota (5-2, 4-1 Missouri Valley), 783
Previous Ranking: 7; Postseason Results: 44-10 win over Missouri State; 34-21 loss to James Madison
 
7. Jacksonville State (10-3, 6-1 Ohio Valley), 732
Previous Ranking: 8; Postseason Results: 49-14 win over Davidson; 20-14 loss to Delaware
 
8. Southern Illinois (6-4, 3-3 Missouri Valley), 706
Previous Ranking: 14; Postseason Results: 34-31 win over Weber State; 31-26 loss to South Dakota State 
 
9. Weber State (5-1, 5-0 Big Sky), 705
Previous Ranking: 3; Postseason Result: 34-31 loss to Southern Illinois
 
10. Eastern Washington (5-2, 5-1 Big Sky), 630
Previous Ranking: 9; Postseason Result: 42-20 loss to North Dakota State
 
11. Monmouth (3-1, 3-0 Big South), 606
Previous Ranking: 10; Postseason Result: 21-15 loss to Sam Houston
 
12. VMI (6-2, 6-1 Southern), 572
Previous Ranking: 11; Postseason Result: 31-24 loss to James Madison
 
13. Missouri State (5-5, 5-1 Missouri Valley), 503
Previous Ranking: 12; Postseason Result: 44-10 loss to North Dakota 
 
14. UC Davis (3-2 Big Sky), 405
Previous Ranking: 13; Postseason Result: No game
 
15. Richmond (3-1 CAA), 402
Previous Ranking: 15; Postseason Result: No game
 
16. Villanova (2-2 CAA), 356
Previous Ranking: 16; Postseason Result: No game
 
17. Kennesaw State (4-1, 2-1 Big South), 345
Previous Ranking: 17; Postseason Result: No game
 
18.(tie) Murray State (5-2 Ohio Valley), 247
Previous Ranking: 19; Postseason Result: No game
 
18.(tie) Rhode Island (2-1 CAA), 247
Previous Ranking: 18; Postseason Result: No game
 
20. Southeastern Louisiana (4-3 Southland), 223
Previous Ranking: 20; Postseason Result: No game
 
21. ETSU (4-2 Southern), 155
Previous Ranking: 22; Postseason Result: No game
 
22. Sacred Heart (3-2, 3-1 Northeast), 154
Previous Ranking: Unranked; Postseason Result: 19-10 loss to Delaware
 
23. Austin Peay (4-5, 4-2 Ohio Valley), 153
Previous Ranking: 21; Postseason Result: No game
 
24. Alabama A&M (5-0, 3-0 SWAC), 152
Previous Ranking: Unranked; Postseason Result: 40-33 win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff
 
25. Nicholls (4-3, 3-3 Southland), 110
Previous Ranking: 23; Postseason Result: No game
 
Dropped Out: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (24), Northern Iowa (25)
 
Others Receiving Votes (schools listed on two or more ballots): Holy Cross 64, Northern Iowa 59, Davidson 31, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 30, Southern 19, Samford 16, Maine 12, Duquesne 8, UIW 3