Jackson State and Albany State move into top spots in HBCU-PSMA week five football polls
Coach Dion Sanders and his Jackson State Tigers hold the number one ranking in the HBCU-Pro Sports Media Association Black College Football Major Division poll for the first time this season.
The Tigers garnered 135 points on its way to the top and were followed by Prairie View A&M, Alabama A&M (last week’s number one ranked team), North Carolina A&T and Norfolk State rounding out the top five. Alcorn State, Florida A&M, Southern University, Hampton and Alabama State completed the top ten in the Major Division.
Meanwhile there is a new number one in the Mid-Major Division as the Golden Rams of Albany State garnered 124 points and unseated the, now second ranked, Lions of LangstonUniversity. The top twp are followed by Bowie State, Savannah State and Lane College rounding out the first five. Fayetteville State, Fort Valley State, Shaw University, Miles College, and Bluefield State complete the top ten of the Mid-Major Division.
The HBCU-Pro Sports Media Black College Football Poll will be released every Monday evening on the HBCU-Pro Sports Media Knights of the Round Table Podcast (hbcuprosportsmedia.com).
Major Division Rankings (Week Five )
| Rank | Team | 2021 Season Record | Points * |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson State (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 2 Last Game: 9/25 won vs Delta State Next Game: 10/9 home vs Alabama A&M | 3-1 | 135 (9) |
| 2 | Prairie View A&M (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 3 Last Game: 9/30 won vs Arkansas at Pine Bluff Next Game: 10/16 away vs Bethune-Cookman University | 4-1 | 119 (5) |
| 3 | Alabama A&M (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 1 Last Game: 10/2 lost vs Grambling Next Game: 10/9 home vs Jackson State | 3-1 | 92 |
| 4 | North Carolina A&T (BSC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 4 Last Game: 10/2 won vs Robert Morris Next Game: 10/9 home vs North Alabama | 2-2 | 86 |
| 5 | Norfolk State (MEAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 8 Last Game: 10/2 won vs Hampton University Next Game: 10/16 home vs Virginia University of Lynchburg | 3-2 | 75 |
| 6 | Alcorn State (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 5 Last Game: 9/23 won vs Univ of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Next Game: 10/9 home vs Grambling State University | 2-2 | 71 |
| 7 | Florida A&M (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 9 Last Game: 10/2 won vs Alabama State Next Game: 10/9 home vs South Carolina State | 2-2 | 48 |
| 8 | Southern University (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 7 Last Game: 9/26 won vs Mississippi Valley State Next Game: 10/9 away vs Texas Southern | 2-2 | 19 |
| 9 | Hampton University (SoCon) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 6 Last Game: 10/2 lost vs Norfolk State Next Game: 10/9 home vs Kennesaw State | 2-2 | 17 |
| 10 | Alabama State University (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 10 Last Game: 10/2 lost vs Florida A&M Next Game: 10/9 home vs University of Arkansas- Pine Bluff | 2-2 | 16 |
| Others receiving 10 or more votes: Grambling State Dropped out: None |
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| * First place votes in parentheses | |||
“Major” schools include all HBCU members that participate in FCS: MEAC and SWAC teams, and teams who do not participate in traditional HBCU conferences – Hampton, North Carolina A&T State, and Tennessee State.
Mid-Major Division Rankings (Week Five)
| Rank | Team | 2021 Season Record | Points * |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albany State (SIAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 3 Last Game: 10/2 won vs Miles College Next Game: 10/9 home vs Edward Waters University | 4-1 | 124 (4) |
| 2 | Langston University (SAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 1 Last Game: 10/2 won vs Lyon College Next Game: 10/9 home vs Texas Wesleyan University | 5-0 | 121 (8) |
| 3 | Bowie State (CIAA) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 2 Last Game: 10/2 won vs Johnson C Smith University Next Game: 10/9 away vs Chowan Universiy | 4-1 | 113 (2) |
| 4 | Savannah State (SIAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 4 Last Game: 10/2 won vs Kentucky State University Next Game: 10/9 home vs Erskine College | 4-1 | 93 |
| 5 | Lane College (SIAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 5 Last Game: 10/2 won vs Texas College Next Game: 10/9 away vs Kentucky State | 4-1 | 91 |
| 6 | Fayetteville State (CIAA) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 7 Last Game: 10/2 won vs Lincoln (PA) University Next Game: 10/9 away vs Shaw University | 3-1 | 79 |
| 7 | Fort Valley State (SIAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 10 Last Game: 10/2 won vs Benedict College Next Game: 10/9 home vs Central State | 3-2 | 45 |
| 8 | Shaw University (CIAA) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: Not Ranked Last Game: 10/2 won vs Virginia Union Next Game: 10/9 home vs Shaw University | 3-2 | 43 |
| 9 | Miles College (SIAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 6 Last Game: 10/2 lost vs Albany State Next Game: 10/9 home vs Benedict College | 2-3 | 31 |
| 10 | Bluefield State College (USCAA) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 9 Last Game: 10/2 forfeit win vs UNC Greensboro Next Game: 10/9 home vs University of Fort Lauderdale | 3-1 | 11 |
| Others receiving 10 or more votes: Allen University Dropped out: Kentucky State |
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| * First place votes in parentheses | |||
“Mid-Major” schools include all HBCU teams that participate in an NCAA Division II HBCU conference (CIAA, SIAC), NCAA Division II teams in a non-traditional HBCU conference (Bluefield State, Lincoln-MO, West Virginia State), NAIA (Florida Memorial, Langston, Texas College), and USCAA (Virginia-Lynchburg).
About the HBCU-Pro Sports Media Association:
While the seeds of the HBCU-Pro Sports Media Association were planted well before, early in 2020 a like-minded group of journalists got together and built an organization that represented who collectively we are… professionals providing multimedia coverage of Historically Black College and University sports, as well as professional sports.
The purpose of the association is to transform and empower the culture of media by providing informative broadcast stories, rich contextual reporting, and inspirational photography of the marginalized by educating, inspiring, and informing a global community.
It is the vision of the HBCU-PSMA to
- acknowledge the heritage of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the connection to professional sports organization,
- illuminate the pride of the African American community and the Black Diaspora,
- recognize the voice of Black media,
- create unity for substantive change in the world.
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