INDIANA, Pa. – Following a 2-0 start to the 2026 season, IUP football continued its climb in the national rankings Monday, moving up one spot in both the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coaches Poll and the D2Football.com Top 25.

The Crimson Hawks climbed to No. 12 in the AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 18 in the D2Football.com rankings following their 27-21 overtime victory at West Chester.

IUP's No. 12 AFCA ranking is its highest since Oct. 24, 2022, when the Crimson Hawks were ranked No. 11 nationally.

The Crimson Hawks opened the season with consecutive road victories, defeating then-No. 12 Ashland, 34-24, before surviving West Chester in double overtime Saturday.

Kutztown remains the PSAC's highest-ranked program in the AFCA poll at No. 3 nationally. PSAC West rival Slippery Rock sits one spot ahead of IUP at No. 11, giving the conference three teams among the nation's top 12.

In the D2Football.com Top 25, Kutztown is ranked No. 4, while Slippery Rock checks in at No. 14. IUP follows at No. 18 as one of three PSAC programs represented in the rankings.

Ashland, IUP's season-opening opponent, dropped out of both national polls after falling to 0-2. The Eagles battled No. 6 Grand Valley State in their second game of the season.

IUP returns to action Saturday, Sept. 19, continuing its season-opening road swing with a 1 p.m. kickoff at Shippensburg.