HOUSTON, Texas | Jackson State, last season's Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) East Division champion, was picked third in the inaugural Preseason Black College Football Poll released on Thursday afternoon.
Jackson State (9-3, 7-1 SWAC last season) garnered 149 total votes, including four first-place votes, to finish ahead of Alabama State in fourth (141 votes) with six first-place votes. The remainder of the top 10 includes North Carolina Central in fifth, followed by Delaware State, Grambling State, Bethune-Cookman, Texas Southern, and Florida A&M.
Defending national champion South Carolina State was picked first with 185 total votes (36 first-place votes), while Prairie View A&M was picked second with 165 total votes (two first-place votes).
The Black College Football Poll is formally endorsed and sanctioned by the four NCAA conferences that sponsor HBCU football: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). Beginning with the preseason rankings, the Black College Football Poll will be released each week throughout the regular season. Voters submit a Top 10 ballot using a 10-point scoring system, with first place receiving 10 points, second place 9 points, and so on down to 1 point for 10th place.
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About the Black College Football Poll
The Black College Football Poll is the official weekly ranking of Historically Black Colleges and Universities competing in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and NCAA Division II football. Endorsed by the MEAC, SWAC, CIAA, and SIAC, the poll recognizes team excellence through weekly rankings and honors outstanding student-athletes with annual Black College Football All-America Teams selected in both NCAA Division I and NCAA Division II.
About the HBCU4Us Association
The HBCU4Us Association (established July 30, 2025) is a landmark strategic alliance uniting the commissioners of the four major NCAA athletic conferences composed primarily of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It represents a unified front to protect, promote, and sustain HBCU athletics and student-athlete well-being. Together, these conference commissioners serve as the gatekeepers of HBCU athletics and provide a unified voice and strategic direction for the four conferences.
