This is the final Men's DII rankings for the 2016-17 season.
Our rankings held up relatively well through the season, and especially since October 4, when we move UW-Whitewater to #1. Furman moves up to #2 - not just because the Paladins beat Duluth, but it certainly helped. With Norwich also beating Duluth in the 3rd-4th game, one could argue that Norwich deserves a look at #2.
Two things tell us it's Furman at #2 and not Norwich. 1) We don't hold much credence in consolation games, as one or both teams can use them for running out younger players. This negates point 1b - Furman beat Duluth by 3, and Norwich beat Duluth by 23; 2) Furman lost to Whitewater by 16, and Norwich by 29. So that's a clear enough case for us to put Furman at #2.
What other changes are made? Middlebury gets a bump thanks to Norwich's performance, and possibly should have earlier. They are basically even with Vermont and Rhode Island.
This year seemed to us to be as competitive a group of DII college teams as we've seen. The top 15 or so programs are really impressive, and while Whitewater seems to have been a cut above, many could have found their way to the top four.
By the way - just for fun, here's the list of rankings articles through the season:
Men Fall DII College Rankings Week #1
Men Fall DII College Rankings Week #2
Men Fall DII College Rankings Week #3
Men Fall DII College Rankings Week #4
Men Fall DII College Rankings Week #5
Men Fall DII College Rankings Week #6
Men Fall DII College Rankings Week #7
Men Fall DII College Rankings Week #8
| Goff Rugby Report 2016-17 Men DII College Rankings #9 | ||||
| Rank | Prev | Team | Conference | Notes |
| 1 | 1 | UW-Whitewater (Wisc.) | WIIL | Bt. Norwich (4), Furman (3) |
| 2 | 3 | Furman (SC) | South | Bt. UM-Duluth (2), lost to UW-Whitewater (1) |
| 3 | 4 | Norwich (Vt.) | NECRC | Los to UW-Whitewater (1), Bt. UM-Duluth (2) |
| 4 | 2 | Minnesota-Duluth (Minn.) | Northern Lights | Lost to Furman (3), Norwich (4) |
| 5 | 5 | Rowan (NJ) | MARC | Idle |
| 6 | 6 | Illinois State (Ill.) | WIIL | Idle |
| 7 | 7 | North Dakota State (ND) | Northern Lights | Idle |
| 8 | 8 | Western State (Colo.) | Rocky Mountain | Idle |
| 9 | 9 | NC State (NC) | Southern | Idle |
| 10 | 10 | Coast Guard Academy (Conn.) | New England-Wide | Idle |
| 11 | 11 | Bentley (Mass.) | Rugby Northeast | Idle |
| 12 | 12 | Colorado Sch. of Mines (Colo.) | Rocky Mountain | Idle |
| 13 | 13 | Sacred Heart (Conn.) | Tri-State | Idle |
| 14 | 14 | SUNY Cortland (NY) | Upstate NY | Idle |
| 15 | 15 | UW-Milwaukee (Wisc.) | WIIL | Idle |
| 16 | 16 | Grand Valley State (Mich.) | Great Lakes | Idle |
| 17 | 17 | Rhode Island (RI) | NECRC | Idle |
| 18 | 18 | Southern Connecticut (Conn.) | Rugby Northeast | Idle |
| 19 | 19 | Providence College (RI) | Rugby Northeast | Idle |
| 20 | 20 | Principia (Ill.) | Gateway | Idle |
| 21 | 21 | Winona State (Minn.) | Northern Lights | Idle |
| 22 | 22 | Vermont (Vt.) | NECRC | Idle |
| 23 | 42 | Middlebury (Vt.) | NECRC | Idle |
| 24 | 23 | William Paterson (NJ) | Tri-State | Idle |
| 25 | 24 | York (Pa.) | MARC | Idle |
| 26 | 26 | UNC-Charlotte (NC) | Southern | Idle |
| 27 | 27 | UNC Wilmington (NC) | Southern | Idle |
| 28 | 25 | Northern Michigan (Mich.) | WIIL | Idle |
| 29 | 28 | Coastal Carolina (SC) | Southern | Idle |
| 30 | 29 | VMI (Va.) | Cardinals | Idle |
| 31 | 30 | Oakland (Mich.) | Great Lakes | Idle |
| 32 | 31 | IUP (Pa.) | MARC | Idle |
| 33 | 32 | Montana State (Mont.) | Rocky Mountain | Idle |
| 34 | 33 | Southern Illinois (Ill.) | Gateway | Idle |
| 35 | 34 | Geneseo (NY) | Upstate NY | Idle |
| 36 | 35 | Appalachian State (NC) | Southern | Idle |
| 37 | 36 | Northern Iowa (Iowa) | WIIL | Idle |
| 38 | 37 | UMass-Lowell (Mass.) | Rugby Northeast | Idle |
| 39 | 38 | Pitt State (Kans.) | Gateway | Idle |
| 40 | 39 | Siena (NY) | Tri-State | Idle |
| 41 | 40 | RPI (NY) | Tri-State | Idle |
| 42 | 41 | SUNY Oswego (NY) | Upstate NY | Idle |
| 43 | 43 | Plymouth State (NH) | Colonial Coast | Idle |
| 44 | 44 | Salve Regina (RI) | Colonial Coast | Idle |
| 45 | 45 | Old Dominion (Va.) | Cardinals | Idle |
| 46 | 46 | UMS&T (Mo.) | Gateway | Idle |
| 47 | 47 | The Citadel (SC) | Southern | Idle |
| 48 | 48 | East Carolina (NC) | Southern | Idle |
| 49 | 49 | Spring Hill (Ala.) | Independent | Idle |
| 50 | 50 | Tulane (La.) | Independent | Idle |
