The “Super Bowl”, the “moon landing”, and the “internet” were all unfamiliar concepts the last time North Texas’ football program earned a ranking in the AP Poll.
The North Texas State Eagles checked in
at No. 16 in 1959, before losing to Tulsa on Nov. 14. And unbeknownst at the time, they’d be absent from the rankings for the next 66 years. But generations later, rebranded to the North Texas Mean Green, the program finally made its long trek back to the AP Poll. Fueled by a 9-1 start — tying the school record for wins as an FBS program — North Texas ranked No. 22 on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025, triumphantly wielding a number beside its name.
North Texas remains in the picture for an American Conference championship and for the College Football Playoff in just its third year since transitioning from Conference USA. The Mean Green decimated UAB 53-24 on Saturday, as their No. 1 ranked scoring offense eclipsed 50 points for the fifth time this season. At the time of their ranking, North Texas currently has wins over five teams .500 or better — Western Michigan, Washington State, Army, UTSA, and Navy. The lone defeat was to South Florida on Oct. 10 in front of a record crowd in Denton, TX, and Eric Morris’ team is 4-0 since.
North Texas is one of two American teams in the AP Poll heading into Week 13, sharing the designation with No. 24 Tulane. In aggregate, the league has seen four different teams in the rankings, with Memphis and South Florida also making appearances in the past two weeks.
The Mean Green conclude their historic season with an in-state road trip to Rice on Saturday, Nov. 22, before concluding at home against Temple. With two victories, there is a possibility North Texas could position itself for a College Football Playoff bid, becoming the first American team since 2021 Cincinnati to secure a spot.
The full AP Poll is below:
