The University of Minnesota Duluth leaped four positions to No. 13 in the final regular season American Football Coaches Association Division II Poll of 2016. That represents the highest ranking for a Bulldog club in that poll since they checked in at No. 7 on Sept. 14, 2015.

The nine-time defending Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North Division champion Bulldogs, who are 10-1 on the year and have reeled off 10 straight wins, garnered 396 points and are one of just two NSIC schools to crack this week's AFCA II Top 25, joining No. 4 Sioux Falls. Northwest Missouri State University occupied the top spot in the poll for the 12th straight week (wire-to-wire), accumulating 750 points and all 30 first-place votes. The Bearcats were followed by Grand Valley State University (712 points), Shepherd University (688 pts.), Sioux Falls (661 pts.), Harding University (617 pts.), California University of Pennsylvania (602 pts.), the University of North Alabama (540 pts.), Texas A&M University-Commerce (530 pts.), Emporia State University (506 pts.) and Long Island University-Post (495 pts.)

The Bulldogs will be at Emporia State this Saturday (Nov. 19) for the opening round of the 2016 NCAA II playoffs.

AFCA II Poll (Nov. 14, 2016)