Our latest list of historical rankings looks at the past five season of D1A.
For this, we're using our own Goff Rugby Report end-of-season rankings from the last five years. We could have done six years, but our 2014-15 rankings were so enmeshed between DIA and DIAA that is was too difficult to unmesh. Not using 2014-15 probably hurt Cal, BYU, Davenport, and Cal Poly most noticeably. Cal would probably have been #1 if we'd used the season before, and BYU would probably have been ranked ahead of Lindenwood.
But the thing to look at it is how tight everything is at the top. Life, Cal, and Saint Mary's could all have been #1, and really that's not a surprise.
*-We mention that Indiana is the highest-rank straight club team, and that's correct, using the definition that a club doesn't have school or major alumni funding. But Indiana today wouldn't qualify as their endowment has bumped up significantly. The next highest club teams would be Iona, Ohio State, and Wisconsin.
 Goff Rugby Report D1A Top 40 2016-2020 | |||
| Rank | Team | Score | Notes |
| 1 | Life | 249 | #1 twice |
| 2 | California | 248 | Never worse than 4th |
| 3 | Saint Mary's | 246 | Never worse than 4th |
| 4 | Lindenwood | 234 | Never worse than 10th |
| 5 | BYU | 231 | Never worse than 10th |
| 6 | Arkansas State | 228 | Missed Top 10 only once |
| 7 | Navy | 221 | Missed Top 10 only once |
| 8 | Army | 215 | Missed Top 10 only once |
| 9 | Central Washington | 212 | Highest was #3 in 2020 |
| 10 | Penn State | 210 | Top 15 every year |
| 11 | Arizona | 197 | Top 15 four times |
| 12 | Kutztown | 183 | Top 15 four times |
| 13 | Davenport | 181 | #17 three times |
| 14 | Indiana | 181 | Highest-ranked straight club team* |
| 15 | Notre Dame College | 157 | Highest was #9 in 2018 |
| 16 | UCLA | 152 | Highest was #13 in 2019 |
| 17 | Iona | 146 | Top 16 three times |
| 18 | Ohio State | 145 | Top 20 three times |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 132 | Top 20 twice |
| 20 | San Diego State | 126 | Top 20 twice |
| 21 | Grand Canyon | 115 | Top 20 last three years |
| 22 | Clemson | 112 | Ranked #23 three times |
| 23 | Texas A&M | 110 | Highest was #20 in 2018 |
| 24 | Utah | 107 | Highest was #14 in 2017 |
| 25 | St. Bonaventure | 107 | Top 20 twice |
| 26 | Cal Poly | 94 | Highest was #15 in 2018 |
| 27 | LSU | 93 | Highest was #15 in 2016 |
| 28 | Arkansas | 92 | Highest was #20 in 2016 |
| 29 | Colorado State | 87 | Highest was #25 in 2020 |
| 30 | Oklahoma | 87 | Top 30 twice |
