Football | 9/8/2026 3:34:28 PM
NORFOLK, Va. – Four Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) football programs were recognized in this week’s Black College Football Poll, headlined by top-ranked South Carolina State.
Delaware State (No. 5), Howard (No. 7) and North Carolina Central (No. 8) joined the Bulldogs in the Top 10, while Morgan State also received votes.
The Black College Football Poll is the first officially endorsed national poll dedicated exclusively to HBCU football programs competing at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and NCAA Division II levels.
The poll is jointly sanctioned by the MEAC, Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAC), providing a unified national ranking of HBCU football programs across both divisions.
South Carolina State remained atop the rankings following a dominant 31-13 victory over Florida A&M in Sunday’s Orange Blossom Classic. The undefeated Bulldogs received 23 of 25 first-place votes to maintain the No. 1 spot.
Black College Football Poll
NCAA Division I (FCS)
| Rank |
Institution |
Record |
Points (FPV*) |
Previous Week |
| 1 |
South Carolina State |
(2-0, 0-0) |
478 (23) |
1 |
| 2 |
Prairie View A&M |
(1-1, 1-0) |
370 (1) |
5 |
| T-3 |
Alabama State |
(2-0,0-0) |
364 |
2 |
| T-3 |
Jackson State |
(2-0, 0-0) |
364 |
3 |
| 5 |
Delaware State |
(1-1, 0-0) |
274 |
4 |
| 6 |
Grambling State |
(2-0, 0-0) |
220 (1) |
8 |
| 7 |
Howard |
(1-1, 0-0) |
156 |
7 |
| 8 |
North Carolina Central |
(1-1, 0-0) |
72 |
NR |
| 9 |
Texas Southern |
(1-1, 0-1) |
68 |
6 |
| 10 |
Alabama A&M |
(1-1, 0-0) |
42 |
NR |
*(First-Place Votes)
Others Receiving Votes: Southern 38, Alcorn State 36,
Morgan State 30, Florida A&M 30,
Arkansas-Pine Bluff 18, Hampton 18
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) enters its 56th year of intercollegiate competition with the 2026–27 academic year. Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, the MEAC is comprised of eight distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) along the Atlantic seaboard: Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University, and South Carolina State University. Since its founding in 1970, the MEAC has been dedicated to promoting academic excellence, sportsmanship, and the personal growth of student athletes. For more information, visit
www.MEACSports.com.