Bulldogs and Tigers sit No. 1 in Division I and Division II after undefeated starts
South Carolina’s historically Black colleges are ruling the early-season HBCU football landscape.
South Carolina State University and Benedict College hold the No. 1 spots in their respective divisions of the Black College Football Poll, giving the Palmetto State No. 1 programs in both major NCAA classifications.
The latest poll, released Sept. 14, confirms what voters saw in the preseason: that the Bulldogs and Tigers are the teams to beat across HBCU football in 2026.
South Carolina State Bulldogs — No. 1 in Division I FCS
SC State Head Football Coach Chennis Berry
The Bulldogs improved to 3-0 and received 26 first-place votes, totaling 520 points — well ahead of No. 2 Jackson State’s 406. South Carolina State has been the consensus No. 1 since the preseason, when it opened at the top of the Black College Football Poll, the BOXTOROW HBCU Football Media Poll, and the HBCU FCS Coaches Poll.
Head coach Chennis Berry’s squad has been dominant through three games. The Bulldogs opened the season with an 87-0 demolition of Savannah State, knocked off Florida A&M 31-13 in the Orange Blossom Classic, and steamrolled Virginia State 66-0 this past weekend. The Bulldogs have outscored opponents 184-13 on the young season
South Carolina State enters 2026 as the defending HBCU national champion. The Bulldogs won their second consecutive MEAC title in 2025 and defeated Prairie View A&M 40-38 in four overtimes in the Cricket Celebration Bowl on Dec. 13, 2025, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Quarterback Ryan Stubblefield connected with Jordan Smith on a two-point pass in the fourth overtime to seal the win. The Bulldogs finished the season 10-3 and were the only HBCU program to appear in the year-end Stats Perform FCS Top 25, landing at No. 21.
The Bulldogs currently sit at No. 18 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 poll, making them the lone HBCU representative in the national FCS rankings.
Benedict College Tigers — No. 1 in Division II
Benedict College Head Football Coach Ron Dickerson
Benedict holds the top spot in the Division II rankings with 334 points and 16 of 19 first-place votes. The Tigers improved to 2-0 and have held the No. 1 position since overtaking defending Division II champion Johnson C. Smith in the opening week of the poll.
The Tigers opened the season by defeating Johnson C. Smith 32-10, a statement victory that knocked the Golden Bulls out of the No. 1 slot they occupied in the preseason poll. Benedict then improved to 2-0 to solidify its grip on the top position.
Benedict’s rise follows a breakthrough 2025 campaign in which the Tigers went 10-3 and won their first NCAA Division II playoff game in school history. The Tigers finished the 2025 season ranked 20th in the AFCA Division II poll and 22nd in the D2football.com media poll.
The latest Division II poll shows movement behind Benedict, with Kentucky State climbing to No. 2 (260 points) and Johnson C. Smith holding at No. 3 (256 points). Virginia State and Virginia Union round out the top five.
A First-of-Its-Kind Poll
The Black College Football Poll, now in its inaugural season, was created jointly by the four NCAA conferences that sponsor HBCU football — the MEAC, SWAC, CIAA, and SIAC. A 57-member panel of coaches and media members who cover HBCU sports votes weekly throughout the regular season, producing separate Top 10 rankings for Division I FCS and Division II programs.
In the voting system, first-place votes are worth 20 points, with second place earning 18, third place 16, and the scale continuing in two-point increments through 10th place.
Palmetto State Pride
The twin No. 1 rankings place South Carolina at the center of the HBCU football conversation. Both programs entered the season with championship expectations, and neither has stumbled.
South Carolina State, located in Orangeburg, competes in the MEAC and plays at the Division I FCS level. Benedict, located in Columbia, competes in the SIAC at the Division II level. The two schools are separated by roughly 40 miles of Interstate 26.
With the Bulldogs and Tigers both holding firm at the top, South Carolina boasts No. 1 programs in both HBCU football classifications — a feat that underscores the depth of talent and coaching across the Palmetto State’s historically Black colleges.