Last season Grambling State won its first SWAC championship since 2011 and are the favorites to repeat as Black College Football National Champion this season.
Going into the 2017 season, the Tigers are atop the preseason HBCU Sports Ultimate Football Poll.
1. Grambling State
2. North Carolina Central
3. North Carolina A&T
4. South Carolina State
5. Bethune Cookman
6. Southern
7. Alcorn State
8. Tennessee State
9. Prairie View
10. Tuskegee
11. Albany State
12. Winston Salem State
13. Norfolk State
14. Jackson State
15. Texas Southern
16. Hampton
17. Fort Valley State
18. Alabama A&M
19. Miles
20. Howard
21. Morgan State
22. Florida A&M
23. Livingstone
24. Virginia State
25. Langston
Do you all believe the Tuskegee and Albany State could beat the MEAC and SWAC schools they are ahead of in this poll?
Yes, Tuskegee has consistently beaten SWAC schools over the years. There’s not to much difference in the talent level between HBCU FCS and HBCU DII schools. Are there exceptions yes but not many. BTW Albany had a D lineman drafted in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Also the Celebration Bowl is not an “official designation” for an HBCU National Champion. Dont know why the media keeps spending it that way.
Tenn State and the rest of the DII HBCUs are not part of/sanction with the Celebration Bowl so how can the winner of that game really be crown the National Black Champion?
It is a marketing thing. Real HBCU fans know the Celebration Bowl is not a true national championship.