KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) revealed the third 2025 NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Rating of the regular season on Thursday afternoon. The Milligan University squad remains at No. 2 in the national poll.
The Buffaloes jumped up to 480 points in the newest rating after placing third at the Fire Tower Project, hosted by Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. on Oct. 3. They once again trail only Taylor (Ind.) for the No. 1 spot in the NAIA by 16 points. A team receives 30 points for each first-place vote, 29 for second-place, 28 for third-place and so on through the list. The highest and lowest ratings for each team are removed. The rating is rated by a panel of head coaches representing each of the conferences and unaffiliated groupings.
The full ratings are listed below:
| Rank |
Last |
Institution [1st Place Votes] |
Points |
| 1 |
1 |
Taylor (Ind.) [16] |
496 |
| 2 |
2 |
Milligan (Tenn.) |
480 |
| 3 |
3 |
Cumberlands (Ky.) |
442 |
| T-4 |
4 |
Embry-Riddle (Ariz.) |
422 |
| T-4 |
5 |
Indiana Wesleyan |
422 |
| T-6 |
6 |
The Master's (Calif.) |
400 |
| T-6 |
9 |
Dordt (Iowa) [1] |
400 |
| 8 |
7 |
Cornerstone (Mich.) |
374 |
| 9 |
8 |
College of Idaho |
358 |
| 10 |
12 |
Grace (Ind.) |
345 |
| 11 |
10 |
Marian (Ind.) |
330 |
| 12 |
15 |
Aquinas (Mich.) |
309 |
| 13 |
14 |
Saint Mary (Kan.) |
283 |
| 14 |
11 |
SCAD Savannah (Ga.) |
277 |
| 15 |
18 |
Kansas Wesleyan |
263 |
| 16 |
19 |
Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) |
246 |
| 17 |
22 |
Montana Tech |
263 |
| 18 |
16 |
Eastern Oregon |
205 |
| 19 |
21 |
Benedictine (Kan.) |
196 |
| 20 |
RV |
Carroll (Mont.) |
194 |
| 21 |
13 |
Montreat (N.C.) |
163 |
| 22 |
23 |
Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) |
153 |
| 23 |
20 |
Southern Oregon |
149 |
| 24 |
24 |
Oklahoma City |
137 |
| 25 |
25 |
Rio Grande (Ohio) |
122 |
Receiving Votes: Morningside (Iowa) 80, St. Ambrose (Iowa) 51, Missouri Baptist 30, Oregon Tech 27, Dakota State (S.D.) 25, Shawnee State (Ohio) 22, Mount Mercy (Iowa) 19, Doane (Neb.) 14, SCAD Atlanta (Ga.) 9, IU East (Ind.) 7, Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) 7, Governors State (Ill.) 7, College of Saint Mary (Neb.) 2.
Dropped out of Top 25: SCAD Atlanta (Ga.)
