Madness and chaos reigned supreme across all levels of HBCU football this past weekend, but Division I saw quite a few surprising results that led to some serious movement in the HBCU Sports’ Ultimate D-I poll.
We have a new No. 1, some teams moving up, teams moving down and either out or in. And we have three more weeks to go. Isn’t this fun?
1. Jackson State (7-2)
The Tigers were rather rude homecoming hosts to Arkansas-Pine Bluff in winning their fifth straight game. Next up is Mississippi Valley State, hard-luck losers to Prairie View A&M last weekend.
JSU will be prepared for this one but expect Valley to make it difficult for them.
2. South Carolina State (6-2)
There’s a new big dog in the MEAC yard, and naturally, it’s the program with the most conference championships (18).
South Carolina State jumped out to a big lead, then held off preseason favorite North Carolina Central for sole possession of first place and the program’s biggest win since the 2021 Celebration Bowl.
Next up for the Bulldogs is a trip to the nation’s capital and defending MEAC champ Howard, who still has some say in the matter, so this should be a good one.
3. North Carolina Central (6-3)
The Eagles five-game winning streak came to an abrupt end and now they’ll need help to win the MEAC title. They’ll have a bye week to stew over the South Carolina State game before welcoming Howard to O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium for a Friday night game on Oct. 15.
4. Florida A&M (5-3)
Homecoming was good for the Rattlers as they took down Texas Southern in a convincing fashion.
They’ll visit Prairie View A&M this weekend in a non-divisional battle that will prove pivotal in a potential conference tiebreaker situation.
5. Tennessee State (6-3)
A slow start cost Tennessee State against UT-Martin, so their Big South-OVC title hopes are likely a thing of the past.
An at-large bid in the FCS playoffs is still a possibility, but that quest can only start with a win this week at Western Illinois.
6. Alabama State (5-3)
Another week, another Classic win for the Hornets, who held off a late Alcorn State challenge in the Port City Classic in Mobile.
ASU travels to Grambling this week, who has lost three in a row and will be desperate for a win to try to salvage what’s left of their season.
7. Hampton (5-4)
The Pirates were so close to a program-defining win, but Villanova escaped Armstrong Stadium with a 20-14 win.
Hampton visits Towson this weekend, looking to even their conference record and secure at least a .500 winning percentage on the season.
8. Southern (5-4)
The Jaguars rallied late to edge Alabama A&M to get back on the winning track. They’ll entertain Bethune-Cookman this weekend, riding the high of an upset win over Grambling. Southern Can’t get careless, or else the Wildcats could be celebrating a Boot State sweep.
9. Alcorn State (4-5)
Alcorn State scored 17 points against a stingy Alabama State defense, but it wasn’t enough to win.
They return to SWAC West play this weekend against Texas Southern, which has already won over Prairie View and Grambling.
10. Howard (4-5)
The Bison return to the Top 10 following a dominant win over Delaware State, and with North Carolina Central’s loss to South Carolina State, they can make things really interesting by beating the Bulldogs this weekend at Greene Stadium.
