COLUMBIA, S.C. – The undefeated Benedict College Tigers football team have cracked a national Top 25 poll, and continue to be ranked among the top Division II HBCU teams in the country.
Benedict, 5-0 after defeating previously unbeaten Fort Valley State 45-13 last week, are ranked 24
th national in the D2Football.com Top 25 poll. Benedict is one of three HBCU programs ranked in that poll, with Albany State ranked 13
th and Virginia Union ranked 17
th.
Benedict also received votes in the other national Top 25 poll, the American Football Coaches Association poll. Benedict received 57 points, three spots out of the Top 25 poll.
In several HBCU polls, Benedict continues to be ranked high. In the Ultimate HBCU Sports Division II poll, the Tigers are ranked second, ahead of Albany State. In the HBCU Division II Coaches Poll by BoxToRow, Benedict is third, but received two first-place votes. In the HBCU Sports-Pro Media Association, Benedict is also third, and received one first-place vote. Benedict climbed to second in the Black College Sports Network Non-Division I power rankings. The College Football Network HBCU Top 15, which includes all HBCU schools across all divisions, has the Tigers ranked seventh this week, ahead of notable Division I programs South Carolina State, Hampton and North Carolina A&T.
The Tigers home this week, taking on Miles College at 2 p.m.
Ultimate HBCU Sports Division II poll
| |
|
|
|
| Rank |
Team |
Previous Rank |
Record |
| 1 |
Virginia Union |
1 |
5-0 |
| 2 |
Benedict |
2 |
5-0 |
| 3 |
Albany State |
3 |
4-1 |
| 4 |
Langston |
6 |
5-0 |
| 5 |
Fort Valley State |
4 |
4-1 |
| 6 |
Virginia State |
7 |
4-1 |
| 7 |
Fayetteville State |
5 |
3-2 |
| 8 |
Lane |
NR |
3-2 |
| 9 |
West Virginia State |
8 |
3-2 |
HBCU Division II Coaches Poll by BOXTOROW
| 1 |
Virginia Union (21) |
5-0 |
227 |
1 |
| 2 |
Albany State (1) |
4-1 |
197 |
2 |
| 3 |
Benedict (2) |
5-0 |
191 |
3 |
| 4 |
Virginia State |
4-1 |
135 |
5 |
| 5 |
Fort Valley State |
4-1 |
110 |
4 |
| 6 |
Bowie State |
3-2 |
108 |
6 |
| 7 |
Lane |
3-2 |
95 |
9 |
| 8 |
Fayetteville State |
3-2 |
87 |
7 |
| 9 |
Tuskegee |
3-2 |
29 |
NR |
| 10 |
West Virginia State |
3-2 |
26 |
NR |
Others receiving votes: Shaw (2-3) 18, Savannah State (2-3) 12, Bluefield State (3-2) 8, Chowan (2-3) 4, Lincoln (Pa.) (2-2) 2, Miles (1-4) 2, Johnson C. Smith (1-3) 1.
HBCU Sports-Pro Media Association
| RANK |
SCHOOL |
POINTS |
FIRST PLACE VOTES |
LAST WEEK |
| 1 |
Virginia Union |
197 |
17 |
1 |
| 2 |
Albany State |
161 |
2 |
2 |
| 3 |
Benedict College |
156 |
1 |
3 |
| 4 |
Langston University |
127 |
|
5 |
| 5 |
Virginia State |
113 |
|
6 |
| 6 |
Fort Valley State |
95 |
|
4 |
| 7 |
Bowie State |
80 |
|
7 |
| 8 |
Lane College |
67 |
|
10 |
| 9 |
Fayetteville State |
46 |
|
9 |
| 10 |
Tuskegee University |
26 |
|
NR |
Others Receiving Votes (points in parentheses): West Virginia State (14), Bluefield State (10)
Dropped Out of Top Ten: Shaw University
Black College Sports Network Power Rankings
- Virginia Union
- Benedict
- Albany State
- Virginia State
- Langston
The College Football Network HBCU 15
1. Jackson State
2. Albany State
3. Virginia Union
4. North Carolina Central
5. Florida A&M
6. Prairie View A&M
7. Benedict
8. Alcorn State
9. South Carolina State
10. Hampton
11. North Carolina A&T
12. Langston
13. Alabama State
14. Fort Valley State
15. Virginia State
