Jackson State and Albany State retain top spots in HBCU-PSMA week six football polls
Jackson State University holds the number one ranking in the HBCU-Pro Sports Media Association Black College Football Major Division week six football poll after a 61-15 shellacking of the previously No. 3 ranked Alabama A&M Bulldogs. Prairie View A&M remains ranked No. 2 with North Carolina A&T moving up one spot from last week to the No. 3 ranking. The 3-2 Rattlers of Florida A&M made the jump of three slots into No. 4 with a 30-7 home victory over South Carolina State and Alcorn State rounds out the top five. The remainder of the top 10 includes Norfolk State, Alabama State (jumping from No. 10 to No. 7), Alabama A&M, Delaware State (making its first appearance in the rankings) and Southern University.
In the Mid-Major Division rankings, Albany State remains in first place with Bowie State (No. 2) and Langston University (No. 3) flipping positions from last week’s poll. All three received first place consideration from voters. Savannah State remains ranked No. 4 with the 4-1 Fayetteville State Broncos jumping into the top five. Rounding out the top ten are Fort Valley State, Lane College Shaw University, Kentucky State (unranked last week) and Bluefield State College.
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 Six )
| Rank | Team | 2021 Season Record | Points * |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson State (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 1 Last Game: 10/9 won vs Alabama A&M Next Game: 10/16 home vs Alabama State | 4-1 | 107 (8) |
| 2 | Prairie View A&M (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 2 Last Game: 9/30 won vs Arkansas at Pine Bluff Next Game: 10/16 away vs Bethune-Cookman University | 4-1 | 95 (3) |
| 3 | North Carolina A&T (BSC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 4 Last Game: 10/9 won vs North Alabama Next Game: 10/16 away vs Kennesaw State | 3-2 | 81 |
| 4 | Florida A&M (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 7 Last Game: 10/9 won vs South Carolina State Next Game: 10/16 away vs Alabama A&M | 3-2 | 72 |
| 5 | Alcorn State (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 6 Last Game: 10/9 won vs Grambling State University Next Game: 10/16 away vs Mississippi Valley State University | 3-2 | 64 |
| 6 | Norfolk State (MEAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 5 Last Game: 10/2 won vs Hampton University Next Game: 10/16 home vs Virginia University of Lynchburg | 3-2 | 63 |
| 7 | Alabama State University (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 10 Last Game: 10/9 won vs University of Arkansas- Pine Bluff Next Game: 10/16 away vs Jackson State | 3-2 | 38 |
| 8 | Alabama A&M (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 3 Last Game: 10/9 lost vs Jackson State Next Game: 10/16 home vs Florida A&M | 3-2 | 37 |
| 9 | Delaware State (MEAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: Not Ranked Last Game: 10/9 won vs VA Lynchburg Next Game: 10/23 home vs South Carolina State | 3-3 | 14 |
| 10 | Southern University (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 8 Last Game: 10/9 lost vs Texas Southern Next Game: 10/16 away vs University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff | 2-3 | 8 |
| Others receiving votes: Tennessee State Dropped out: Hampton University |
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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 Six)
| Rank | Team | 2021 Season Record | Points * |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albany State (SIAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 1 Last Game: 10/9 won vs Edward Waters University Next Game: 10/16 away vs Benedict College | 5-1 | 100 (4) |
| 2 | Bowie State (CIAA) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 3 Last Game: 10/2 won vs Johnson C Smith University Next Game: 10/16 home vs Virginia State Universiy | 5-1 | 95 (3) |
| 3 | Langston University (SAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 2 Last Game: 10/2 won vs Lyon College Next Game: 10/16 home vs Texas Wesleyan University | 5-0 | 85 (3) |
| 4 | Savannah State (SIAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 4 Last Game: 10/9 won vs Erskine College Next Game: 10/16 home vs Clark Atlanta University | 5-1 | 79 |
| 5 | Fayetteville State (CIAA) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 6 Last Game: 10/9 won vs Shaw University Next Game: 10/16 home vs Johnson C Smith University | 4-1 | 73 |
| 6 | Fort Valley State (SIAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 7 Last Game: 10/9 won vs Central State Next Game: 10/16 away vs Morehouse College | 4-2 | 55 |
| 7 | Lane College (SIAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 5 Last Game: 10/9 lost vs Kentucky State Next Game: 10/16 home vs Miles College | 4-2 | 37 |
| 8 | Shaw University (CIAA) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 8 Last Game: 10/9 lost vs Fayetteville State Next Game: 10/16 away vs Livingston’s College | 4-2 | 31 |
| 9 | Kentucky State (SIAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: Not Ranked Last Game: 10/9 won vs Lane College Next Game: 10/16 away vs Edward Waters University | 3-3 | 16 |
| 10 | Bluefield State College (USCAA) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 10 Last Game: 10/9 won vs University of Fort Lauderdale Next Game: 10/16 away vs Erkine College | 4-1 | 14 |
| Others receiving votes: Benedict College, West Virginia State University Dropped out: Miles College |
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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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