The 1979 NCAA Division I-AA football rankings are from the Associated Press. This is for the 1979 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 18[1] | Week 2 Sept 25[2] | Week 3 Oct 2[3] | Week 4 Oct 9[4] | Week 5 Oct 16[5] | Week 6 Oct 23[6] | Week 7 Oct 30[7] | Week 8 Nov 6[8] | Week 9 Nov 13[9] | Week 10 Nov 20[10] | Week 11 Nov 27[11] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Jackson State (3–0) | Florida A&M (2–0) | Florida A&M (3–0) | Florida A&M (4–0) | Florida A&M (5–0) | Eastern Kentucky (6–1) | Grambling State (6–2) | Grambling State (7–2) | Grambling State (8–2) | Grambling State (8–2) | Grambling State (8–2) | 1. |
| 2. | Florida A&M (1–0) | Jackson State (4–0) | Jackson State (4–0) | Jackson State (5–0) | Jackson State (6–0) | Florida A&M (5–1) | Jackson State (6–1) | Jackson State (7–1) | Boston University (8–1) | Murray State (9–1–1) | Murray State (9–1–1) | 2. |
| 3. | Grambling State (2–0) | Northern Arizona (3–0) | Boston University (3–0) т | Boston University (4–0) | Eastern Kentucky (5–1) | UMass (5–1) | Boston University (6–1) | Boston University (7–1) | Murray State (8–1–1) | Eastern Kentucky (9–2) | Eastern Kentucky (9–2) | 3. |
| 4. | New Hampshire (2–0) | Boston University (2–0) | Northern Arizona (4–0) т | Northern Arizona (5–0) | UMass (4–1) | Grambling State (5–2) | Murray State (7–1–1) | Murray State (8–1–1) | Eastern Kentucky (8–2) | Lehigh (9–2) | Lehigh (9–2) | 4. |
| 5. | Eastern Kentucky (2–0) | Southern (3–0) | Grambling State (3–1) | Southern (5–0) | Boston University (4–1) | Jackson State (6–1) | Florida A&M (5–2) т | Eastern Kentucky (7–2) | Jackson State (7–2) | Jackson State (8–2) т | Nevada (8–3) | 5. |
| 6. | Northern Arizona (2–0) | Grambling State (2–1) | Southern (4–0) | Bucknell (3–1) | Northern Arizona (5–1) | Boston University (5–1) | Eastern Kentucky (6–2) т | Montana State (6–3) | Lehigh (8–2) | Boston University (8–1–1) т | Alcorn State (8–2) | 6. |
| 7. | Lafayette (2–0) | Eastern Kentucky (2–1) | Bucknell (2–1) т | Eastern Kentucky (4–1) | Southern (5–1) | Lafayette (4–1–1) | Lehigh (6–2) | Lehigh (7–2) | Alcorn State (7–2) | Nevada (7–3) т | Boston University (8–1–1) | 7. |
| 8. | Austin Peay (2–0) | New Hampshire (2–1) | Eastern Kentucky (3–1) т | Lafayette (3–1) т | Bucknell (3–1–1) т | Murray State (6–1–1) | Montana State (5–3) | Alcorn State (6–2) | Nevada (6–3) | Northern Arizona (7–2) т | Jackson State (8–3) | 8. |
| 9. | Lehigh (2–0) | Nevada (2–1) | Lafayette (3–1) | Nevada (3–1) т | Lafayette (3–1–1) т | Montana State (4–3) | UMass (5–2) | UMass (5–2) | Montana State (6–4) т | Alcorn State (7–2) т | Montana State (6–4) | 9. |
| 10. | Boston University (1–0) т | Davidson (2–1) т | Nevada (2–1) | UMass (4–0) | Grambling State (4–2) т | Lehigh (5–2) т | Alcorn State (5–2) т | Nevada (6–2) т | Northern Arizona (6–3) т | Montana State (6–4) т | Northern Arizona (7–4) т | 10. |
| 11. | Nevada (1–1) т | Lafayette (2–1) т | Murray State (6–0) т | Alcorn State (5–1) т | Morehead State (6–2) т | New Hampshire (5–2–2) т | Florida A&M (6–3) т | Southern (6–4) т | 11. | |||
| Week 1 Sept 18[1] | Week 2 Sept 25[2] | Week 3 Oct 2[3] | Week 4 Oct 9[4] | Week 5 Oct 16[5] | Week 6 Oct 23[6] | Week 7 Oct 30[7] | Week 8 Nov 6[8] | Week 9 Nov 13[9] | Week 10 Nov 20[10] | Week 11 Nov 27[11] | ||
Dropped:
| Dropped:
| Dropped: 5 Grambling State | Dropped: 9 Nevada | Dropped:
| Dropped: 7 Lafayette | Dropped:
| Dropped:
| None | Dropped: 10 Florida A&M | |||
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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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