COLORADO SPRINGS, CO -- The NJCAA poll released today crowned Blinn College the national champion for 2009. It is Blinn’s fourth national championship and the second in four years.

Blinn went into the Citizens State Bowl in Pittsburg, KS, on Sunday ranked second and knocked off top-ranked Fort Scott (KS) Community College 31-26. The Buccaneers led early and then came from behind to score the winning touchdown on a punt return by Chad Froechnicht with 15 seconds left.

It is the second national title for Brad Franchione who also coached the 2006 championship team. Blinn also earned national championships in 1995 and 1996 under Willie Fritz.

The 2009 Bucs went 11-1 with their only loss being in the final regular season game to Navarro College, which finished 3rd in the poll. Blinn defeated Navarro and Tyler Junior College in the Southwest Junior College Football Conference playoffs. Tyler was ranked 16th in the final poll. The Navarro Bulldogs earned a berth in the CHAMPS Heart of Texas Bowl where they beat Mississippi Gulf Coast College 37-26 on Saturday in Corsicana.

2009 NJCAA/JC Football.com Poll – FINAL Rankings of 2009 (12/07/09)

Rank
College
Record
Total
First-Place Votes
Previous Ranking

1
Blinn College, Texas
11-1
140
7
2

2
Fort Scott Community College, Kan.
11-1
131

1

3
Navarro College, Texas
11-1
127

4

4
East Mississippi Community College
11-1
120

5

5
Snow College, Utah
10-2
109

8

6
Grand Rapids Community College, Mich.
9-2
102

3

7
Arizona Western College
9-2
99

6

8
Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
9-3
87

7

9
Ellsworth Community College, Iowa
8-3
82

13

10
Butler Community College, Kan.
8-3
81

10

11
Nassau Community College, N.Y.
8-2
63

12

12
Coffeyville Community College, Kan.
7-4
56

19

13
Hutchinson Community College, Kan.
7-4
53

20

14
Eastern Arizona College
8-3
50

15

15
Dean College, Mass.
9-2
42

11

16
Tyler Junior College, Texas
7-3
34

17

17
Central Lakes College, Minn.
10-2
24

9

18
Pearl River Community College, Miss.
6-3
22

18

19
Glendale Community College, Ariz.
7-5
17

RV

20
New Mexico Military Institute
7-4
16

16

RV
Rochester Community & Tech. College, Minn.
10-2
15

14