Ratings-May 6, 1997
| No. | No. | ||
| 1 | Brigham Young HI | 14 | Point Loma Nazarene CA |
| 2 | Mobile AL | 15t | Westmont CA |
| 3 | Auburn-Montgomery AL | 15t | St. Thomas FL |
| 4 | Oklahoma City | 17 | Incarnate Word TX |
| 5 | Brenau GA | 18 | Lipscomb TN |
| 6 | Freed-Hardeman TN | 19 | UNION TN |
| 7 | Flager FL | 20t | Lewis-Clark ID |
| 8 | Birmingham-Southern AL | 20t | Schreiner TX |
| 9 | Shorter GA | 22 | Belmont TN |
| 10 | Northeastern OK | 23 | Whitworth WA |
| 11t | Harding AR | 24 | Midwestern TX |
| 11t | Hawaii Pacific | 25 | Indiana Wesleyan |
| 13 | William Carey MS |
Last updated on December 2, 1996.