Defending historically Black college/university champion Bethune-Cookman has been tabbed as the top Football Championship Subdivision HBCU team by the coaches in the Boxtorow HBCU FCS preseason Coaches Top-10 Poll.
The Wildcats and head coach Brian Jenkins, who was named Boxtorow National Coach of the Year in 2010, received nine of 16 first place votes. The Wildcats earned a 10-2 record last year, finished as Co-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions, and received the MEAC’s automatic berth to the FCS playoff.
Four other schools shared the remaining first-place votes including the second-ranked South Carolina State Bulldogs, who received four first place votes. The Bulldogs, who are the three-time defending MEAC champions and also received an at-large berth to the FCS Playoffs a season ago, have been picked to win the conference title again this year. Third-ranked Texas Southern, the defending Southwestern Athletic Conference champions, who edged out Co-MEAC champions and fourth-ranked Florida A&M by one point, each received one first place vote.
Rounding out the top five is the Grambling State Tigers, who under new head coach Doug Williams have been picked to win the SWAC Western Division.
The rest of the poll has Jackson State, who received the other first place vote at No. 6, Prairie View A&M under first year Head Coach Heishma Northern at No. 7, Hampton at No. 8, Alabama State, who lost to Texas Southern in the SWAC Championship Game at No. 9, and Norfolk State at No. 10.
Each week during the season, the coaches will vote on the top 10 teams.
Every team in the poll is in action when the season opens up Labor Day Weekend (South Carolina State will be at Central Michigan on Thursday, Sept. 1) with the exception of Texas Southern which has a bye, and will face Prairie View A&M the following week.
FROM THE PRESS BOX TO PRESS ROW (Boxtorow) is a nationally syndicated sports talk radio show which places major emphasis on HBCU Sports.The Boxtorow FCS HBCU Coaches Top 10 Football Poll is voted on by the FCS HBCU football coaches.
