Jackson State and Albany State retain top spots in HBCU-PSMA football polls for fourth straight week
Jackson State retains the top spot in this week’s HBCU-Pro Sports Media Association Major Division (week eight) football poll for the fourth straight week following a 42-12 win over Bethune-Cookman this past Saturday. Prairie View A&M, with the same 6-1 record as the Tigers of Jackson State, remains in the second position with Alcorn State jumping ahead of Florida A&M for the number three spot which the now No. 4 ranked FAMU Rattlers held last week. Norfolk State, a 45-31 victor over Howard University, stays at No. 5 and Tennessee State jumps two sports from last week into the number six spot. Alabama A&M and Alabama State, both idle this past week, as well as North Carolina A&T and Hampton University round out the Major Division top 10 football poll for week eight.
In the Mid-Major Division of the week eight HBCU-PSMA poll, Albany State retains the No. 1 spot, again barely holding off No. 2 Bowie State. Both schools, with victories this past week, are currently 7-1 on the season. Right behind the two is undefeated Langston University (7-0), with No. 4 Fayetteville State and No. 5 Savannah State flipping positions from last week. Fort Valley State University jumps two spots into the No. 7 ranking as does Lane College into the No. 8 spot. Both unranked from last week, Miles College and Bluefield State College round out the Mid-Major top 10 as No. 9 and No. 10, respectively.
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 Eight)
| Rank | Team | 2021 Season Record | Points * |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson State (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 1 Last Game: 10/23 won vs Bethune-Cookman Next Game: 10/30 away vs Mississippi Valley St | 6-1 | 127 (10) |
| 2 | Prairie View A&M (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 2 Last Game: 10/23 won vs Southern University Next Game: 11/6 home vs Alabama State | 6-1 | 120 (3) |
| 3 | Alcorn State (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 4 Last Game: 10/23 won vs Texas Southern Next Game: 10/30 away vs Southern Univ | 5-2 | 97 |
| 4 | Florida A&M (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 3 Last Game: 10/23 won vs Mississippi Valley St Next Game: 10/30 home vs Grambling State | 5-2 | 94 |
| 5 | Norfolk State (MEAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 5 Last Game: 10/23 won vs Howard University Next Game: 10/30 home vs Morgan State | 5-2 | 82 |
| 6 | Tennessee State (OVC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 8 Last Game: 10/23 won vs Eastern Illinois Next Game: 10/30 home vs Murray State | 4-3 | 62 |
| 7 | Alabama A&M (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 9 Last Game: 10/16 lost vs Florida A&M Next Game: 10/30 home vs Alabama State | 3-3 | 28 |
| 8 | Alabama State University (SWAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: Not Ranked Last Game: 10/16 lost vs Jackson State Next Game: 10/30 away vs Alabama A&M | 3-3 | 23 |
| 9 | North Carolina A&T (BSC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 6 Last Game: 10/23 lost vs Hampton University Next Game: 10/30 home vs Monmouth Univ | 3-4 | 22 |
| 10 | Hampton University (SoCon) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: Not Ranked Last Game: 10/23 won vs North Carolina A&T Next Game: 10/30 away vs Robert Morris | 3-4 | 20 |
| Others receiving votes: Grambling State, Southern University Dropped out: Grambling State, Southern 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 Eight)
| Rank | Team | 2021 Season Record | Points * |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albany State (SIAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 1 Last Game: 10/23 won vs Savannah State Next Game: 10/30 away vs Morehouse College | 7-1 | 120 (6) |
| 2 | Bowie State (CIAA) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 2 Last Game: 10/23 won at Virginia Union Next Game: 10/30 away vs Lincoln (PA) Univ | 7-1 | 117 (3) |
| 3 | Langston University (SAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 3 Last Game: 10/23 won vs Ottawa Univ-Arizona Next Game: 10/30 away vs Louisiana College | 7-0 | 100 (4) |
| 4 | Fayetteville State (CIAA) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 5 Last Game: 10/23 won vs Saint Augustine's Next Game: 10/30 home vs Livingstone College | 6-1 | 96 |
| 5 | Savannah State (SIAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 4 Last Game: 10/23 lost vs Albany State Next Game: 10/30 away vs Fort Valley State | 6-2 | 77 |
| 6 | Shaw University (CIAA) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 7 Last Game: 10/23 lost vs Johnson C Smith Next Game: 10/30 home vs Winston-Salem State | 5-3 | 52 |
| 7 | Fort Valley State (SIAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 9 Last Game: 10/23 won vs Clark Atlanta Next Game: 10/30 home vs Savannah State | 5-3 | 43 |
| 8 | Lane College (SIAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: 10 Last Game: 10/23 won vs Tuskegee University Next Game: 10/30 away vs Central State | 5-3 | 42 |
| 9 | Miles College (SIAC) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: Not Ranked Last Game: 10/23 won vs Kentucky State Next Game: 10/30 away vs Edward Waters | 4-4 | 28 |
| 10 | Bluefield State College (USCAA) Previous HBCU-PSMA Ranking: Not Ranked Last Game: 10/16 lost vs Erskine College Next Game: 10/30 away vs Barton College | 4-2 | 14 |
| Others receiving votes: Kentucky State, Virginia Union Dropped out: Kentucky State, Virginia Union |
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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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