DAVIS, Calif. -- UC Davis checked in at No. 9 as the NCAA Division I Football Championship Committee released its first spring top 10. The announcement was made during the ESPNU broadcast of Thursday's Kentucky-Mississippi State baseball game.

"With only a few weeks left before Selection Sunday, during a unique year with both fall and spring competition, this top-10 reveal is a great way to highlight FCS football," said Kyle Moats in the NCAA's official press release. Moats, the director of athletics at Missouri State, serves as chair of the committee.

UC Davis is one of two Big Sky Conference teams in the top 10, along with Weber State, which shares the No. 5 spot with North Dakota. Undefeated James Madison leads the rankings, with North Dakota State and South Dakota State on the next two respective rungs.

This is the first ranking based on the selection and seeding criteria for the NCAA Division I FCS postseason, a 16-team bracket for which the participants will be announced on April 18. UC Davis also ranked No. 11 in Monday's STATS PERFORM media poll, and No. 14 in the American Football Coaches Association rankings on Tuesday.

According to the NCAA press release, the championship committee considers the following in building its top 10: comparative data of individual teams (including but not limited to overall record), record against Division I opponents, record against opponents from other automatic qualifying conferences, record against Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) opponents, head-to-head record, common opponents' record, the AFCA coaches' poll, NCAA Simple Rating System data and input from regional advisory committees.

UC Davis squares off against Eastern Washington, ranked ninth in both the media and coaches' poll, on Saturday at 1 p.m.

The 16-team championship tournament will consist of 11 automatic qualifiers and five at-large qualifiers. The selection show airs on ESPNU on April 18 at 8:30 a.m. Pacific. 

NCAA FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP COMMITTEE TOP 10
Through games played on Sunday, March 28

1. James Madison (4-0) 
2. North Dakota State (5-1)
3. South Dakota State (4-1) 
4. Sam Houston (3-0) 
t5. North Dakota (4-1)
t5. Weber State (3-0) 
7. Delaware (3-0) 
8. VMI (5-0) 
9. UC Davis (3-1) 
10. Murray State (5-0)

 

ABOUT UC DAVIS:
With the addition of equestrian and women's beach volleyball in 2018, more than 700 student-athletes represent the fifth-ranked public school in the nation on one of 25 intercollegiate athletics teams.

UC Davis, a national leader in Title IX gender equity and leadership, is centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley; and offers an unrivaled student-athlete experience that features the ideal combination of elite academics, Division I athletics and personal growth.

Ranked annually in the top 10 in diversity and students' social mobility, UC Davis is uncommonly committed to preparing student-athletes for life after graduation with Aggie EVO — an innovative student-athlete outcomes program that helps young women and men develop passions, gain real-world experience, and enjoy a successful launch to full-time employment or graduate school. Through Aggie EVO, Intercollegiate Athletics provides unmatched resources and a vast network of working professionals to ensure post-graduation success for its student-athletes.