December 23, 2016-The Emporia State football program was ranked in the top ten of the AFCA Division II Coaches Poll for the second straight year as they finished #10 in the final poll of the 2016 season. It is the fourth time in the last five years the Hornets have been ranked in the final AFCA Top 25.
Emporia State was 11-2 on the season with both losses coming to national champion Northwest Missouri around a school record 11 game in season winning streak.

The Hornets are the first MIAA team other than Northwest Missouri to finish the season ranked in the top ten nationally in successive seasons since the 2003-04 seasons. Emporia State joins Northwest Missouri and Shepherd as the only teams that have been in the top ten the last two seasons and ranked in at least four of the last five final top 25 polls.

Over the last two years the Hornets are 22-5 with four of the losses to the undefeated national champions. Emporia State is set to return 12 starters, seven on offense and five on defense, along with all of their specialists next year.  Of the four Super Region-3 teams in the final top ten, Garin Higgins is the only head coach returning to his team in 2017.
 

Rank	School (1st votes)	Rec.	Pts.	Prev.	Head Coach
1.	Northwest Missouri St. (30)	15-0	750	1	Adam Dorrel
2.	North Alabama	11-2	720	7	Bobby Wallace
3.	Shepherd (W.Va.)	13-1	675	3	Monte Cater
4.	Grand Valley St. (Mich.)	12-1	631	2	Matt Mitchell
5.	Ferris St. (Mich.)	12-3	629	15	Tony Annese
6.	Harding (Ark.)	13-1	600	5	Ronnie Huckeba
7.	California (Pa.)	11-1	577	6	Gary Dunn
8.	Sioux Falls (S.D.)	12-1	547	4	Jed Stugart
9.	Texas A&M-Commerce	10-2	457	8	Colby Carthel
10.	EMPORIA ST. (KAN.)	11-2	437	9	GARIN HIGGINS
11.	LIU-Post (N.Y.)	12-1	436	10	Bryan Collins
12.	Indiana (Pa.)	10-2	422	11	Curt Cignetti
13.	North Carolina-Pembroke	10-2	400	12	Shane Richardson
14.	Minnesota-Duluth	10-2	282	13	Curt Wiese
15.	Colorado School of Mines	10-3	276	21	Gregg Brandon
16.	Newberry (S.C.)	10-2	219	14	Todd Knight
17.	North Greenville (S.C.)	9-5	201	NR	Jeff Farrington
18.	Valdosta St. (Ga.)	8-3	199	19	Kerwin Bell
19.	Ashland (Ohio)	9-2	189	16	Lee Owens
20.	Tuskegee (Ala.)	9-3	162	NR	Willie Slater
21.	Central Missouri	9-3	158	20	Jim Svoboda
22.	Southwest Baptist (Mo.)	10-2	148	17	Robert Clardy
23.	Fairmont St. (W.Va.)	10-2	136	18	Jason Woodman
24.	Midwestern St. (Texas)	8-3	110	22	Bill Maskill
25.	Azusa Pacific (Calif.)	9-3	104	24t	Victor Santa Cruz

Others Receiving Votes: Colorado Mesa, 89; Florida Tech, 87; Assumption (Mass.), 55; Winston-Salem St. (N.C.), 34; Virginia St., 10; Texas A&M-Kingsville, 4; Edinboro (Pa.), 3; Notre Dame (Ohio), 2; Colorado St.-Pueblo, 1.
EMPORIA STATE IN THE FINAL AFCA NATIONAL POLL
2016    #10
2015    #8
2013    #20
2012    #22
2003    #15