WACO, Texas (Oct. 18) – Following a major shakeup in the top 10, the California University of Pennsylvania football team climbed eight positions to No. 5 in the latest American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top 25 poll on Monday afternoon.

The Vulcans were idle last week following a No Contest against Clarion due to COVID-19 concerns. However, Cal U vaulted eight positions in the poll due to significant upsets across the country, as seven teams featured in the top 10 last week suffered their first loss of the season. The Vulcans are now one of just five remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division II this year.

The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) features five teams in the latest AFCA Top 25 poll. Shepherd climbed four spots to No. 11 following a road victory, while Slippery Rock tumbled 11 positions to No. 17 following a Homecoming loss to IUP. The Crimson Hawks reentered the poll at No. 23 following the 27-point victory at Slippery Rock, while Kutztown remained at No. 25 after extending its win streak to five games.

Super Region One continues to boast multiple teams in the rankings outside the PSAC. Notre Dame (Ohio) of the Mountain East Conference (MEC) jumped five positions to No. 9 and Bentley, which is one of only two 7-0 teams in the nation, of the Northeast-10 (NE-10) Conference climbed four spots to No. 13.

The Vulcans are featured in the top 10 of the AFCA Top 25 poll for the first time since sitting at No. 5 for four-consecutive weeks in the 2017 season.

Cal U returns to action on Saturday, Oct. 23, when it travels to face rival IUP in the 12th-edition of the Coal Bowl with kickoff set for 2 p.m. This marks the fourth time in the history of the Coal Bowl in which both programs are nationally-ranked at the time of the meeting (2012, 2016, 2017).