Butler football moved up three spots to fifth in the final NJCAA poll of the season, finishing within the top 10 for the 17th time in the last 18 seasons.
Butler, who had a 16-year streak of finishing in the NJCAA Top 10 snapped last year, continued its consecutive streak of being ranked in the Top 20 for the 18th straight season. The Grizzlies also continue its streak of being ranked by the NJCAA, as Butler has been ranked in 182 consecutive polls - a streak that started in 2002. Butler has finished in the top 5 in seven of the last 10 seasons.
The Grizzlies also finished the season as the top-ranked team in the Jayhawk Conference, marking the 15th time in 18 years that Butler has done so. Dodge City (9-3) fell two spots to 11th after falling in the Salt City Bowl to Snow, Utah, by a 38-14 score. Coffeyville (8-3) moved up two spots to 14th.
Butler ended the 2015 season with a 9-2 record, winning the KJCCC Championship for the 25th time in the program's history. Since 1998, the Grizzlies have won 186 games - the most among NJCAA teams in that span - and have averaged 10.3 wins per season.
| 2015 NJCAA FINAL TOP 20 FOOTBALL POLL | ||||
| Dec. 8, 2015 | ||||
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Prev. |
| 1. | Northwest Mississippi (6) | 11-1 | 204.5 | 1 |
| 2. | Snow, UT (3) | 10-1 | 198 | 3 |
| 3. | Iowa Western | 10-2 | 182 | 5 |
| 4. | Copiah-Lincoln, MS | 7-2 | 164 | 7 |
| 5. | Butler | 9-2 | 155.5 | 8 |
| 6. | Rochester, MN | 11-1 |
151 | 2 |
| 7. | East Mississippi | 8-1 |
145.5 | 6 |
| 8. | Mississippi Gulf Coast | 8-3 |
138.5 | 10 |
| 9. | DuPage, IL | 8-2 |
119 | 4 |
| 10. | East Central, MS | 8-3 |
113.5 | 15 |
| 11. | Dodge City | 9-3 |
107 | 9 |
| 12. | Lackawanna, PA | 8-2 | 89.5 | 12 |
| 13. | North Dakota School of Science |
8-3 | 84 | 13 |
| 14. | Coffeyville | 8-3 | 79 | 16 |
| 15. | Louisburg, NC | 7-1 | 74.5 | 14 |
| 16. | Tyler, TX | 7-3 | 45.5 | 18 |
| 17. | Central Lakes-Brainerd, MN | 8-3 | 43.5 | 11 |
| 18. | Ellsworth, IA |
7-5 | 27 | RV |
| 19. | Arizona Western | 7-4 | 22.5 | NR |
| 20. | Georgia Military | 8-4 | 16 | 17 |
Other schools receiving votes: Hinds, MS (6-3, 14); Scottsdale, AZ (7-4, 10); Hudson Valley, NY (6-2, 9); Kilgore, TX (7-4, 7); Trinity Valley, TX (7-3, 7); Globe Tech, NY (8-3, 4).
Dropped from rankings: Globe Tech, NY (19); Kilgore, TX (20).
| BUTLER'S FINAL NJCAA RANKING SINCE 1998 | ||
| Year | Rank | Record |
| 2015 | 5 | 9-2 |
| 2014 | 16 | 8-3 |
| 2013 | 6 | 9-2 |
| 2012 | 2 | 11-1 |
| 2011 | 2 | 11-1 |
| 2010 | 2 | 11-1 |
| 2009 | 10 | 8-3 |
| 2008 | 1 | 11-1 |
| 2007 | 1 | 12-0 |
| 2006 | 3 | 11-1 |
| 2005 | 10 | 9-2 |
| 2004 | 2 | 11-1 |
| 2003 | 1 | 12-0 |
| 2002 | 7 | 10-2 |
| 2001 | 8 | 10-2 |
| 2000 | 8 | 10-2 |
| 1999 | 1 | 11-1 |
| 1998 | 1 | 12-0 |
