MEAC grabs three spots as the inaugural Black College Football Poll debuts; Media Day season kicks into gear across SWAC, MEAC and CIAA
HBCU football has never had a truly unified national ranking — until now. Three MEAC programs were recognized in the inaugural 2026 Preseason Black College Football Poll, with South Carolina State claiming the top spot. The rankings mark the debut of the first officially endorsed national poll dedicated exclusively to HBCU football at both the FCS and Division II levels.
The poll isn’t just a MEAC exercise — it’s the real deal. It’s jointly sanctioned by the MEAC, SWAC, CIAA and SIAC, giving HBCU football a single, unified national ranking across both divisions for the first time.
South Carolina State earned the honor the hard way. The Bulldogs pulled in 185 points, including 36 first-place votes. That’s not a surprise to anyone who watched them close out 2025 — Alabama State and Jackson State shared the SWAC’s Eastern Division title at 7-1, while Prairie View A&M took the Western Division crown at 7-1 in league play and 10-4 overall, but it was South Carolina State standing at the top of the mountain in Atlanta.
Behind the Bulldogs, North Carolina Central checked in at No. 5 after an 8-4 overall season, including a 3-2 mark in MEAC play, while Delaware State landed at No. 6 after finishing as MEAC runner-up. Delaware State’s rise under second-year man DeSean Jackson is quietly becoming one of the better under-the-radar stories in HBCU football — Jackson posted a 4-1 conference record in his first year, and the Hornets enter 2026 with growing momentum and heightened expectations.
NCAA Division I (FCS)
- South Carolina State (10-3, 5-0 MEAC) — 185 pts, 36 first-place votes
- Prairie View A&M (10-4, 7-1 SWAC) — 165 pts, 2 FPV
- Jackson State (9-3, 7-1 SWAC) — 149 pts, 4 FPV
- Alabama State (10-2, 7-1 SWAC) — 141 pts, 6 FPV
- North Carolina Central (8-4, 3-2 MEAC) — 107 pts
- Delaware State (8-4, 4-1 MEAC) — 98 pts
- Grambling State (7-5, 4-4 SWAC) — 63 pts
- Bethune-Cookman (6-6, 5-3 SWAC) — 46 pts
- Texas Southern (6-5, 5-3 SWAC) — 42 pts
- Florida A&M (5-7, 4-4 SWAC) — 32 pts
Others receiving votes: Alcorn State 15, Howard 13, Alabama A&M 13
NCAA Division II
- Johnson C. Smith (10-2, 6-1 CIAA) — 168 pts, 12 FPV
- Benedict (10-3, 7-0 SIAC) — 157 pts, 20 FPV
- Albany State (12-2, 8-0 SIAC) — 156 pts, 4 FPV
- Virginia Union (9-3, 7-0 CIAA) — 154 pts, 7 FPV
- Kentucky State (9-3, 7-1 SIAC) — 112 pts
- Fayetteville State (6-4, 6-1 CIAA) — 91 pts
- Virginia State (6-4, 4-3 CIAA) — 66 pts
- Allen (6-5, 5-3 SIAC) — 60 pts
- Edward Waters (5-5, 4-4 SIAC) — 53 pts
- Tuskegee (4-7, 3-7 SIAC) — 17 pts, 1 FPV
Receiving votes: Livingstone (5-5, 3-4) — 10