Battle of Caving Banks

The UPI small college football rankings was a system used by the United Press International (UPI) from 1958 to 1974 to rank the best small college football teams in the United States.

The UPI announced in September 1958 that it had formed a Small-College Football Rating Board consisting of 47 coaches charged on a weekly basis with ranking the nation's best "small college" football teams.^[1] The initial board was made up of one coach from each of 47 states. Each coach was asked to submit a weekly ballot ranking the ten best teams out of the 519 small-college football programs. The rankings included schools that were members of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and members of both or neither. The team ranked No. 1 at the end of the year was presented with a trophy by the UPI.^[1]

Top teams in final polls

The following chart lists the top five teams in the final UPI small college rankings for each year from 1958 to 1974. The figures in brackets reflect the number of first-place votes received in the final voting. The figures in parentheses reflect the total points received.

Year	No. 1	No. 2	No. 3	No. 4	No. 5	Source
1958	Mississippi Southern [36] (403)	Miami (OH) (215)	Arizona State–Flagstaff [2] (209)	Northeastern State (OK) [1] (205)	East Texas State (172)	^[2]
1959	Bowling Green [23] (407)	Mississippi Southern [5] (247)	Middle Tennessee [2] (231)	Delaware [1] (211)	East Texas State (179)	^[3]
1960	Ohio [28] (343)	Bowling Green (250)	Lenoir–Rhyne [3] (236)	Muskingum [1] (100)	Florida A&M (94)	^[4]
1961	Pittsburg State [14] (250)	Baldwin–Wallace [1] (179)	Mississippi Southern [4] (163)	Southeastern Louisiana (148)	Fresno State [8] (147)	^[5]
1962	Southern Miss [19] (286)	Florida A&M [7] (273)	Central State (OK) [3] (233)	Lenoir–Rhyne (204)	Wittenberg [2] (126)	^[6]
1963	Delaware [18] (309)	Northern Illinois [8] (285)	UMass [1] (160)	Saint John's (MN) [1] (158)	Wittenberg (153)	^[7]
1964	Cal State Los Angeles [26] (318)	Wittenberg [7] (278)	UMass (217)	East Carolina (196)	Concordia (MN) [1] (152) Louisiana Tech [1] (152)	^[8]
1965	North Dakota State [21] (301)	Cal State Los Angeles [2] (224)	Middle Tennessee State [3] (209)	East Carolina [1] (187)	Weber State [3] (117)	^[9]
1966	San Diego State [30] (336)	Montana State [3] (272)	Tennessee State [1] (242)	Northwestern State (166)	North Dakota (161)	^[10]
1967	San Diego State [17] (317)	North Dakota State [14] (299)	Texas–Arlington [2] (205)	Fairmont State [1] (194)	West Chester State [1] (132)	^[11]
1968	San Diego State [21] (312)	North Dakota State [9] (300)	Chattanooga (236)	New Mexico Highlands (209)	Texas A&I (184)	^[12]
1969	North Dakota State [24] (319)	Montana [8] (295)	Colorado State–Greeley [1] (197)	Akron (186)	Arkansas State (173)	^[13]
1970	Arkansas State [21] (318)	Tampa [8] (279)	Montana [3] (272)	North Dakota State (201)	Tennessee State [1] (173)	^[14]
1971	Delaware [20] (306)	McNeese State [5] (267)	Eastern Michigan [3] (238)	Tennessee State [1] (185)	C.W. Post (130)	^[15]
1972	Delaware [21] (334)	Louisiana Tech [12] (310)	Cal Poly [1] (239)	South Dakota [1] (193)	Tennessee State (184)	^[16]
1973	Tennessee State [27] (314)	Western Kentucky [3] (275)	Louisiana Tech [1] (224)	Abilene Christian (224)	Wittenberg (169)	^[17]
1974	Louisiana Tech [27] (322)	UNLV [5] (254)	Boise State [1] (188)	Delaware (168)	Texas A&I (132)	^[18]

References

^ ^a ^b "'Small College' Board Set To Evaluate Grid Teams". Evening Herald. UPI. September 18, 1958. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Southerners Top Rankings". Albany Democrat-Herald. Albany, Oregon. December 4, 1958. p. 18. Retrieved May 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Bowling Green Voted Small College Champs". Tyrone Daily Herald. Tyrone, Pennsylvania. November 27, 1959. p. 6. Retrieved May 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "La. Tech Sixth On Final Ballot". The Monroe News-Star. Monroe, Louisiana. November 25, 1960. p. 11-A. Retrieved May 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "HSC 16th In Final UPI Small College Grid Poll". Eureka Humboldt Standard. Eureka, California. November 22, 1961. p. 10. Retrieved February 15, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Small College Title Goes To Southern Mississippi". Medford Mail Tribune. Medford, Oregon. November 29, 1962. p. D-3. Retrieved January 24, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Delaware tops small colleges". Redlands Daily Facts. Redlands, California. December 4, 1963. p. 11. Retrieved February 15, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Final Ratings In Small College Poll". Las Vegas Daily Optic. East Las Vegas, New Mexico. December 2, 1964. p. 4. Retrieved May 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ George C. Langord (December 1, 1965). "N. Dakota State Is Small College UPI Grid Champ". The News-Herald. Franklin, Pennsylvania. p. 27. Retrieved February 15, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Jeff Meyers (November 30, 1966). "San Diego State Rated No. 1 Small College; Aztecs Showered With 30 Ballots". The Weirton Daily Times. Weirton, West Virginia. p. 26. Retrieved May 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Steve Smilanich (November 29, 1967). "San Diego St. Is UPI Small College Champ". Daily World. Opelousas, Louisiana. p. 10. Retrieved May 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ Joe Carnicelli (November 27, 1968). "San Diego St. Again Leads College Poll". Daily World. Opelousas, Louisiana. p. 10. Retrieved May 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Bison Reclaim College Title". St. Cloud Times. St. Cloud, Minnesota. November 27, 1969. p. 36. Retrieved May 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Arkansas State Led Small Poll". The Brownsville Herald. Brownsville, Texas. December 2, 1970. p. 8-B. Retrieved May 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Delaware Tops Final Poll". The Terre Haute Star. Terre Haute, Indiana. November 26, 1971. p. 27. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "College elite". The Delta Democrat-Times. Greenville, Mississippi. November 22, 1972. p. 12. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "Small college poll". The Daily Chronicle. De Kalb, Illinois. November 28, 1973. p. 23. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
^ "UPI, AP Pick Louisiana Tech Small-College Football Champ". Cumberland Evening Times. Cumberland, Maryland. November 27, 1974. p. 55. Retrieved May 24, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[SCB-1] "'Small College' Board Set To Evaluate Grid Teams". Evening Herald. UPI. September 18, 1958. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.

[2] "Southerners Top Rankings". Albany Democrat-Herald. Albany, Oregon. December 4, 1958. p. 18. Retrieved May 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[3] "Bowling Green Voted Small College Champs". Tyrone Daily Herald. Tyrone, Pennsylvania. November 27, 1959. p. 6. Retrieved May 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[4] "La. Tech Sixth On Final Ballot". The Monroe News-Star. Monroe, Louisiana. November 25, 1960. p. 11-A. Retrieved May 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[5] "HSC 16th In Final UPI Small College Grid Poll". Eureka Humboldt Standard. Eureka, California. November 22, 1961. p. 10. Retrieved February 15, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[6] "Small College Title Goes To Southern Mississippi". Medford Mail Tribune. Medford, Oregon. November 29, 1962. p. D-3. Retrieved January 24, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[7] "Delaware tops small colleges". Redlands Daily Facts. Redlands, California. December 4, 1963. p. 11. Retrieved February 15, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[8] "Final Ratings In Small College Poll". Las Vegas Daily Optic. East Las Vegas, New Mexico. December 2, 1964. p. 4. Retrieved May 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[9] George C. Langord (December 1, 1965). "N. Dakota State Is Small College UPI Grid Champ". The News-Herald. Franklin, Pennsylvania. p. 27. Retrieved February 15, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[10] Jeff Meyers (November 30, 1966). "San Diego State Rated No. 1 Small College; Aztecs Showered With 30 Ballots". The Weirton Daily Times. Weirton, West Virginia. p. 26. Retrieved May 8, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[11] Steve Smilanich (November 29, 1967). "San Diego St. Is UPI Small College Champ". Daily World. Opelousas, Louisiana. p. 10. Retrieved May 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[12] Joe Carnicelli (November 27, 1968). "San Diego St. Again Leads College Poll". Daily World. Opelousas, Louisiana. p. 10. Retrieved May 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[13] "Bison Reclaim College Title". St. Cloud Times. St. Cloud, Minnesota. November 27, 1969. p. 36. Retrieved May 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[14] "Arkansas State Led Small Poll". The Brownsville Herald. Brownsville, Texas. December 2, 1970. p. 8-B. Retrieved May 5, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[15] "Delaware Tops Final Poll". The Terre Haute Star. Terre Haute, Indiana. November 26, 1971. p. 27. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[16] "College elite". The Delta Democrat-Times. Greenville, Mississippi. November 22, 1972. p. 12. Retrieved May 18, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[17] "Small college poll". The Daily Chronicle. De Kalb, Illinois. November 28, 1973. p. 23. Retrieved April 30, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[18] "UPI, AP Pick Louisiana Tech Small-College Football Champ". Cumberland Evening Times. Cumberland, Maryland. November 27, 1974. p. 55. Retrieved May 24, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

Small college football national champions (1958–1974)
Selectors	AP (1960–1974) UPI (1958–1974)
1950s	1958: Mississippi Southern 1959: Bowling Green
1960s	1960: Ohio 1961: Pittsburg State 1962: Florida A&M (AP) / Southern Miss (UPI) 1963: Northern Illinois (AP) / Delaware (UPI) 1964: Wittenberg (AP) / Cal State Los Angeles (UPI) 1965: North Dakota State 1966: San Diego State 1967: San Diego State 1968: North Dakota State (AP) / San Diego State (UPI) 1969: North Dakota State
1970s	1970: Arkansas State (AP/UPI) 1971: Delaware (AP/UPI) 1972: Delaware (AP/UPI) 1973: Tennessee State (AP/UPI) 1974: Central Michigan / 1975: Louisiana Tech (UPI)

Systems used to determine college football national championships
NCAA Division I-A/FBS	Various polling systems (1869–present) Bowl Coalition (1992–1994) Bowl Alliance (1995–1997) Bowl Championship Series (1998–2013) College Football Playoff (2014–present)
NCAA Division I-AA/FCS	NCAA Division I Football Championship (1978–present)
NCAA Division II	NCAA Division II Football Championship (1973–present)
NCAA Division III	NCAA Division III Football Championship (1973–present)
NAIA	NAIA Football National Championship (1956–present) NAIA Division II Football National Championship (1970–1996)
Additional systems	Black college football national championship (1920–present) UPI small college football rankings (1958–1974) AP small college football rankings (1960–1974) NCCAA Victory Bowl (1997–present)