Story by Wyatt Ebersole
After earning their first bowl game victory since the 2019 season, Head Coach Brice Vignery and the Butler Grizzlies Football Program finished the year ranked #9 in the final NJCAA Poll. The Grizzlies ended the season on a three-game win streak, finishing 8-4 overall and 4-2 in the stout Jayhawk Conference. They capped off their season with a thrilling 28-24 comeback victory over then #7 ranked Kilgore in the C.H.A.M.P.S Heart of Texas Bowl nearly three weeks ago on December 3rd. The Grizzlies rallied from down 7-17 at the halftime break, scoring 21 of the 28 points scored in the second half capped off by a pair of big runs by Azhuan Dingle that ran out the clock and gave the Grizzlies a 28-24 victory.
This is the first time the Grizzlies finished the year ranked inside the final NJCAA Poll since the 2019 season when they ended the year ranked #5 after defeating Trinity Valley in the Midwest Classic Bowl hosted in Miami, Oklahoma.
The Grizzlies were also one of three Jayhawk Conference teams to appear in the final poll. The Grizzlies were joined by the National Runner-Up Hutchinson who was ranked #2 and the Coffeyville Red Ravens who were ranked #5.
The Grizzlies appeared in every NJCAA Poll this season, reaching as high as #6 in the week 8 poll.
| 2022 NJCAA DI Football Poll | Postseason - 12-19-22 | |||||||
| Place | Team | Record | Points | First Place Votes | Previous | ||
| 1 | Iowa Western | 10-2 | 165 | 11 | 3 | ||
| 2 | Hutchinson | 11-1 | 140 | 1 | |||
| 3 | Northwest Mississippi | 10-2 | 129 | 2 | |||
| 4 | Snow | 8-2 | 118 | 5 | |||
| 5 | Coffeyville | 8-3 | 107 | 4 | |||
| 6 | East Mississippi | 8-3 | 94 | 6 | |||
| 7 | New Mexico Military | 9-3 | 90 | 9 | |||
| 8 | Jones | 8-2 | 74 | 8 | |||
| 9 | Butler | 8-4 | 71 | 12 | |||
| 10 | Iowa Central | 7-4 | 51 | 14 | |||
| 11 | Kilgore | 8-3 | 48 | 7 | |||
| 12 | Georgia Military | 8-2 | 44 | 13 | |||
| 13 | Lackawanna | 7-3 | 38 | 11 | |||
| 14 | Trinity Valley | 8-3 | 33 | 10 | |||
| 15 | Navarro | 6-4 | 6 | 15 | |||
