1962 small college football rankings

The 1962 small college football rankings are rankings of college football teams representing smaller college and university teams during the 1962 college football season, including the 1962 NCAA College Division football season and the 1962 NAIA football season. Separate rankings were published by the Associated Press (AP) and the United Press International (UPI). The AP rankings were selected by a board of eight sports writers, and the UPI rankings were selected by a board of small-college coaches from throughout the country.

In the final AP poll, Florida A&M was rated No. 1. The Rattlers subsequently lost to Jackson State in the Orange Blossom Classic. Other teams ranked by the AP included Wittenberg (9–0) at No. 2 and the Central State Bronchos (11–0) at No. 3.

In the final UPI poll, Southern Miss (9–1) was selected as the small-college national champion. Southern Miss lost one game – to Memphis State by an 8–6 score.

Pittsburgh Courier rankings
The Pittsburgh Courier, a leading African American newspaper, ranked the top 1962 teams from historically black colleges and universities in an era when college football was often racially segregated.

The rankings were published on December 8:


 * 1. Florida A&M (9–1)
 * 2. Jackson State (10–1)
 * 3. Morgan State (8–2)
 * 4. North Carolina A&T (7–3)
 * 5. Texas Southern (7–3)
 * 6. Grambling (6–2–2)
 * 7. Virginia Union (7–2)
 * 8. Maryland State (4–2–1)
 * 9. Clark (6–1)
 * 10. North Carolina College (6–3)
 * 11. Prairie View A&M (6–3)
 * 12. Johnson C. Smith (7–2)
 * 13. Bethune-Cookman (7–2)
 * 14. Alabama A&M (8–2)
 * 15. Morehouse (6–2)
 * 16. Lincoln (MO) (5–3–1)
 * 17. Southern (5–5)
 * 18. South Carolina State (5–3)
 * 19. Fisk (6–2)
 * 20. Alcorn A&M (4–5)