Coaches were not allowed to vote for their team in the preseason poll.
The Orediggers collected 36 points and six of the seven first-place votes in the preseason balloting. Dakota State (S.D.) was picked second with 31 points and received the remaining first-place vote.
Montana Tech captured the inaugural Frontier East Division title in 2025, completing division play with a perfect 6-0 record. The Orediggers finished the season with a 12-1 overall record and earned the East Division’s automatic berth in the NAIA Football Championship Series.
MT suffered its only setback in the NAIA FCS quarterfinals to Frontier West’s foe College of Idaho. The Orediggers finished No. 5 in the final edition of the NAIA Football national poll.
Dakota State was the runner-up in the East Division last season with a 5-1 conference record and an 8-2 overall mark. The Trojans’ only division loss came against Montana Tech, and DSU closed the season on a five-game winning streak and a No. 25 ranking in the national poll.
Rocky Mountain (Mont.) was selected third in the preseason poll with 23 points, followed by Dickinson State (N.D.) fourth with 22 points, Valley City State (N.D.) fifth with 17 points, Mayville State (N.D.) sixth with 12 points, and MSU-Northern seventh with six points.
The NAIA football season officially kicks off Thursday, Aug. 27. Five Frontier East Division teams will be in action, including Dickinson State at Midland (Neb.), Ottawa (Ariz.) at Montana Tech, MSU-Northern at Carroll (Mont.), Valley City State at Southwest Minnesota State, and Rocky Mountain (Mont.) versus Mary (N.D.) in Glendive, Mont.
Mayville State visits Briar Cliff (Iowa) on Aug. 29, while Dakota State hosts Dakota Wesleyan on the same day.
| 2026 Frontier Conference Football EAST DIVISION Coaches’ Preseason Poll | ||
| RANK | SCHOOL | POINTS (FIRST PLACE VOTES) |
| 1 |
 |
36 (6) |
| 2 |
 |
31 (1) |
| 3 |
 |
23 |
| 4 |
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22 |
| 5 |
 |
17 |
| 6 |
 |
12 |
| 7 |
 |
6 |