BOXTOROW 2026 HBCU Football Preseason Media Poll: South Carolina State at No. 1

HOUSTON – South Carolina State starts the 2026 season just as it finished the last one.

The defending HBCU national champions are ranked No. 1 in the BOXTOROW 2026 Preseason HBCU Football Media Poll, earning 17 out of 21 first-place votes and 205 points. Prairie View A&M, Alabama State, and Johnson C. Smith received the other four first-place votes.

The media poll will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2026. Since its start in 2007, it now includes teams from the SWAC, MEAC, CIAA, and SIAC in a single top-10 ranking.

Chennis Berry: 2025 Sportsperson of the Year | Credit: HBCU Legends

Bulldogs carry the crown into fall camp

HBCU Legends' 2025 Sportsperson of the Year, Chennis Berry, and his team finished 10-3 in 2025, went undefeated in MEAC play, and beat Prairie View A&M 40-38 in four overtimes at the Cricket Celebration Bowl. That win gave South Carolina State its second HBCU national title in five years and Berry’s first as head coach in Orangeburg. Berry has a 19-6 record over two seasons with the Bulldogs.

South Carolina State was also ranked first in the final 2025 media poll, so this preseason vote continues their streak. The Bulldogs were just five points away from a unanimous ballot.

Apr. 2, 2026; Prairie View, Texas; Coach Tremaine Jackson says the 2026 team is "Always on the Hunt" at 2026 Spring Press Conference No. 2. | Credit: Kyle T. Mosley, HBCU Legends

Prairie View A&M and Alabama State anchor the SWAC

Prairie View A&M is ranked No. 2 with 184 points and one first-place vote. In his first season, Tremaine Jackson led the team to its first SWAC title since 2009 and their first Cricket Celebration Bowl appearance. The Panthers started fall camp on July 27, the earliest in Jackson’s career, due to a Week 0 game on the 2026 schedule.

Alabama State is ranked No. 3 with 160 points and two first-place votes, the second-highest total in the poll. The Hornets finished 10-2 in 2025 and were No. 4 in the final media poll after a strong season in the SWAC East.

Jackson State is No. 4 with 144 points. The 2024 HBCU national champions finished 9-3 and ended 2025 ranked No. 3, just ahead of Alabama State. This preseason poll reverses their positions.

MEAC pair separated by two points

North Carolina Central and Delaware State are ranked No. 5 and No. 6 with 88 and 86 points. Both teams finished 8-4 in 2025, and the two-point difference is the closest in the poll. North Carolina Central moved up two spots from last year, while Delaware State stayed at No. 6.

Four Division II programs crack the top 10

Albany State is ranked No. 7 with 68 points after a 12-2 season, an SIAC championship, and a trip to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals. The Golden Rams finished 2025 at No. 5 and received a first-place vote in the final poll.

Johnson C. Smith stays at No. 8 with 57 points and one first-place vote. Coach Maurice Flowers led the Golden Bulls to the CIAA championship and their first title game in 53 years. Johnson C. Smith also started at No. 1 in the Division II rankings of the new Black College Football Poll, a unified ranking created by the four HBCU conferences for this season.

Benedict is ranked No. 9 with 49 points after a 10-3 season. Virginia Union rounds out the top 10 with 36 points and a 9-3 record. Along with Albany State and Johnson C. Smith, the SIAC and CIAA now have four teams in the top 10, showing that voters are comparing Division II championship seasons with FCS bowl runs on the same ballot.

2026 Preseason HBCU Football Media Poll

1. South Carolina State (17) -- 10-3, 205 points, No. 1 in final 2025 poll
2. Prairie View A&M (1) -- 10-4, 184 points, No. 2 in final 2025 poll
3. Alabama State (2) -- 10-2, 160 points, No. 4 in final 2025 poll
4. Jackson State -- 9-3, 144 points, No. 3 in final 2025 poll
5. North Carolina Central -- 8-4, 88 points, No. 7 in final 2025 poll
6. Delaware State -- 8-4, 86 points, No. 6 in final 2025 poll
7. Albany State -- 12-2, 68 points, No. 5 in final 2025 poll
8. Johnson C. Smith (1) -- 10-2, 57 points, No. 8 in final 2025 poll
9. Benedict -- 10-3, 49 points, No. 9 in final 2025 poll
10. Virginia Union -- 9-3, 36 points, No. 10 in final 2025 poll

(First-place votes in parentheses)

Others receiving votes: Grambling (7-4) 21, Bethune-Cookman (6-6) 14, Florida A&M (5-7) 11, Texas Southern (6-5) 10, Edward Waters (5-5) 8, Kentucky State (9-3) 2, Alcorn State (5-7) 1, Southern (2-10) 1.

Kyle T. Mosley’s 2026 BOXTOROW ballot

1. South Carolina State
2. Prairie View A&M
3. Alabama State
4. Jackson State
5. North Carolina Central
6. Delaware State
7. Johnson C. Smith
8. Texas Southern
9. Bethune-Cookman
10. Benedict

My top six matched the panel. The split begins at No. 7. I placed Johnson C. Smith one spot higher than the final tally, left Albany State and Virginia Union off the ballot and spent the last three slots on Texas Southern, Bethune-Cookman and Benedict. Texas Southern drew 10 points from the full panel, and Bethune-Cookman drew 14, so both landed in the others-receiving-votes group rather than the top 10.

How the poll works

The HBCU Media Poll is administered by BOXTOROW and, in its 20th year, is voted on by media members across the country who cover HBCU football. BOXTOROW, hosted by Donal Ware, also administers the HBCU FCS coaches poll and a separate Division II coaches poll. Twenty-one first-place votes were cast in the 2026 preseason media ballot.

Frequently asked questions on BOXTOROW Polls

Who is No. 1 in the 2026 BOXTOROW HBCU football preseason media poll?

South Carolina State. The defending HBCU national champions opened at No. 1 with 205 points and 17 of the panel’s 21 first-place votes.

How many first-place votes did South Carolina State receive?

The Bulldogs received 17. The remaining four went to Prairie View A&M (1), Alabama State (2), and Johnson C. Smith (1).

Which HBCU teams received first-place votes in the 2026 preseason poll?

Four programs drew first-place support: South Carolina State, Alabama State, Prairie View A&M and Johnson C. Smith.

How many NCAA Division II programs are ranked in the preseason top 10?

Four. Albany State (No. 7), Johnson C. Smith (No. 8), Benedict (No. 9) and Virginia Union (No. 10) all placed, giving the SIAC and CIAA four of the 10 spots.

What is Kyle T. Mosley’s 2026 BOXTOROW ballot?

South Carolina State, Prairie View A&M, Alabama State, Jackson State, North Carolina Central, Delaware State, Johnson C. Smith, Texas Southern, Bethune-Cookman and Benedict, in that order.

How old is the BOXTOROW HBCU Media Poll?

The media poll is in its 20th year in 2026. It is administered by BOXTOROW and voted on by media members around the country who cover HBCU football.

When does the 2026 HBCU football season begin?

Week 0 opens Saturday, Aug. 29, with Southern facing Alabama State at Legion Field in Birmingham on ESPNU and Alabama A&M meeting Howard in the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Atlanta on ABC.

What comes next

Week 0 opens Saturday, Aug. 29, with Southern facing Alabama State at Legion Field in Birmingham on ESPNU and Alabama A&M meeting Howard in the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Atlanta on ABC.

South Carolina State draws Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 6, a Labor Day weekend measuring stick for the team every ballot placed first.

The first regular-season BOXTOROW media poll follows the opening weekend, and 205 points is a number the Bulldogs now have to defend.

HBCU LEGENDS PODCAST

Add us as a preferred source on Google