Final Rating-March 4, 1997
| Rank | School | Rank | School |
| 1 | Arkansas Tech | 14 | St. Mary's TX |
| 2 | Simon Fraser BC | 15 | Montana-State Northern |
| 3 |
UNION TN |
16 | Campbellsville KY |
| 4 | Southern Nazarene OK | 17 | East Central OK |
| 5 | Southwestern Oklahoma | 18 | Auburn-Montgomery AL |
| 6 | Oklahoma Baptist | 19 | Freed-Hardeman TN |
| 7 | Central State OH | 20 | Oklahoma Christian |
| 8 | Harding AR | 21 | Transylvania KY |
| 9 | Wayland Baptist TX | 22 | Claflin SC |
| 10 | Lewis-Clark State ID | 23 | Le Tourneau TX |
| 11 | Southeastern OK | 24 | Lindsey Wilson KY |
| 12 | Xavier LA | 25 | Lambuth TN |
| 13 | Lipscomb TN |
Last updated on February 6, 1997.