The 1978 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings are from the Associated Press. This is for the 1978 season.
| Increase in ranking | ||
| Decrease in ranking | ||
| Not ranked previous week | ||
(#–#)
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Win–loss record | |
(Italics)
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Number of first place votes | |
т
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Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |
| Week 1 Sept 20[1] | Week 2 Sept 27[2] | Week 3 Oct 4[3] | Week 4 Oct 11[4] | Week 5 Oct 18[5] | Week 6 Oct 25[6] | Week 7 Nov 1[7] | Week 8 Nov 8[8] | Week 9 Nov 15[9] | Week 10 Nov 22[10] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Lehigh (2–0) т | Lehigh (3–0) | South Carolina State (5–0) | South Carolina State (6–0) | Montana State (6–0) | Montana State (7–0) | Nevada (8–0) | Nevada (9–0) | Nevada (10–0) | Nevada (11–0) | 1. |
| 2. | South Carolina State (3–0) т | South Carolina State (4–0) | Montana State (4–0) | Montana State (5–0) | Jackson State (6–0) | Nevada (7–0) | Jackson State (7–1) | Jackson State (8–1) | Jackson State (9–1) | Jackson State (10–1) | 2. |
| 3. | Boise State (2–0) | Boise State (3–0) | Nevada (4–0) | Nevada (5–0) | Nevada (6–0) | Lehigh (6–1) | Florida A&M (6–1) | Florida A&M (7–1) | Florida A&M (7–1) | Florida A&M (8–1) | 3. |
| 4. | Jackson State (3–0) | Nevada (3–0) | Jackson State (4–0) | Jackson State (5–0) | Florida A&M (5–0) | Jackson State (6–1) | UMass (5–2) т | South Carolina State (8–1–1) | Western Kentucky (7–2) | UMass (7–3) т | 4. |
| 5. | Nevada (2–0) | Jackson State (4–0) | Boston University (3–0) | Boston University (4–0) | Lehigh (5–1) | Florida A&M (5–1) | South Carolina State (7–1–1) т | Western Kentucky (7–2) т | Northern Arizona (7–2) | Western Kentucky (8–2) т | 5. |
| 6. | Montana State (2–0) | Montana State (3–0) | Lehigh (3–1) | Lehigh (4–1) | South Carolina State (6–0–1) | UMass (4–2) | Montana State (7–1) т | Lehigh (7–2) т | South Carolina State (8–2–1) | South Carolina State (8–2–1) | 6. |
| 7. | Florida A&M (1–0) | Florida A&M (2–0) | Florida A&M (3–0) | Florida A&M (4–0) | Eastern Kentucky (4–1) | South Carolina State (6–1–1) | Western Kentucky (6–2) | Northern Arizona (6–2) | Rhode Island (7–2) | Northern Arizona (8–2) | 7. |
| 8. | Northwestern State (2–0) [note 1] | Northwestern State (3–0) | Boise State (3–1) | Eastern Kentucky (3–1) | Rhode Island (4–1) | Western Kentucky (5–2) | Lehigh (6–2) | Eastern Kentucky (6–2) | Eastern Kentucky (7–2) | Eastern Kentucky (8–2) | 8. |
| 9. | Northern Arizona (2–1) | Northern Arizona (3–1) | Northern Arizona (4–1) | Northern Arizona (5–1) | Northern Arizona (5–1) | Eastern Kentucky (4–2) т | Eastern Kentucky (5–2) | Boise State (7–2) т | UMass (6–3) | Lehigh (8–3) т | 9. |
| 10. | Austin Peay (1–0) | Boston University (2–0) т | Rhode Island (2–1) т | Rhode Island (3–1) | UMass (3–2) [note 2] | Boston University (4–2) т | Northern Arizona (6–2) | Rhode Island (6–2) т | Montana State (8–2) | Rhode Island (7–3) т | 10. |
| 11. | Grambling State (2–0) т | Western Kentucky (4–0) т | Montana State (8–2) т | 11. | |||||||
| 12. | Eastern Kentucky (4–0) т | 12. | |||||||||
| Week 1 Sept 20[1] | Week 2 Sept 27[2] | Week 3 Oct 4[3] | Week 4 Oct 11[4] | Week 5 Oct 18[5] | Week 6 Oct 25[6] | Week 7 Nov 1[7] | Week 8 Nov 8[8] | Week 9 Nov 15[9] | Week 10 Nov 22[10] | ||
| Dropped: 10 Austin Peay | Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped: 5 Boston University | Dropped:
| Dropped: 10 Boston University | Dropped:
| Dropped:
| None | |||
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| Pre-divisional |
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| NCAA University Division |
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| NCAA Division I |
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| NCAA Division I-A/FBS |
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| NCAA Division I-AA/FCS |
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| Small college |
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| NCAA Division II |
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| NCAA Division III |
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| Polls |
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