North Dakota State was ranked No. 5 in the final Stats Perform FCS Top 25 media poll issued Monday, May 17, following the NCAA Division I Football Championship Game.

A day after Sam Houston beat South Dakota State 23-21 in the title game, SHSU was the unanimous No. 1 pick ahead of No. 2 SDSU. They were followed by the two national semifinalists with James Madison ranked third and Delaware fourth.

The Missouri Valley Football Conference had five teams in the final poll including No. 6 North Dakota, No. 8 Southern Illinois and No. 13 Missouri State.

North Dakota State finished the 2020-21 season with a 7-3 overall record and placed fourth in the MVFC with a 5-2 record. The Bison advanced to the FCS quarterfinals for the 11th consecutive season.