It's official: the defending champions are favored to repeat across every division of NCAA football. After Alabama topped the FBS poll, North Dakota State the FCS poll and Mount Union the D3 poll, defending champion Texas A&M-Commerce completed the cycle by topping Monday's AFCA Division II Top 25.
Fresh off beating West Florida for their first Division II national championship, Colby Carthel's Lions topped Monday's poll with 748 total points and 13 first-place votes. Runner-up West Florida actually earned one more first-place vote, but came in 27 total points behind A&M-Commerce.
Minnesota State and Indiana (Pa.), each of them coming off 1-loss seasons, checked in at Nos. 3 and 4, and Fort Hays State (Kan.) and Northwest Missouri State, Division II champions in 2013 and 2015-16, tied for fifth.
The full poll:
1. Texas A&M-Commerce -- 748 total points (13 first-place votes)
2. West Florida -- 721 (14)
3. Minnesota State -- 691 (2)
4. Indiana (Pa.) -- 666 (2)
5. Fort Hays State (Kan.) -- 591
5. Northwest Missouri State -- 591 (2)
7. Harding (Ark.) -- 550
8. Ferris State (Mich.) -- 503
9. Central Washington -- 494
10. Grand Valley State (Mich.) -- 478
11. Midwestern State (Texas) -- 473
12. West Alabama -- 470
13. Indianapolis -- 402
14. Colorado State-Pueblo -- 401
15. Ashland (Ohio) -- 350
16. Shepherd (W.Va.) -- 332
17. Assumption (Mass.) -- 292
18. Central Missouri -- 209
19. West Georgia -- 196
20. Sioux Falls (S.D.) -- 158
21. Winona State (Minn.) -- 134
22. Carson-Newman (Tenn.) -- 118
23. Ohio Dominican -- 105
24. Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) -- 102
25. Findlay (Ohio) -- 101
For what it's worth, Texas A&M-Commerce was picked fifth in the 2017 preseason poll, while West Florida was not among the 58 programs that received at least one vote.