Villanova, which posted a 10-3 record, earned a share of the CAA championship, and reached the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs last season, has been picked to finish atop the CAA football standings in 2024, according to a vote of the league’s head coaches.
The Wildcats received nine first-place votes and 217 points in the preseason poll. Richmond got one first-place vote and was chosen second with 189 points, while UAlbany garnered three first-place votes and finished third with 179 points.
William & Mary (175 points) was close behind in fourth, and Delaware (163 points) got three first-place tallies and placed fifth.
Elon (157 points) was chosen sixth, followed by New Hampshire (150), Rhode Island (142), Towson (114), Monmouth (95), Campbell (83), Hampton (62), Maine (57), North Carolina A&T (49), Bryant (46) and Stony Brook (42).
![Hampton ranked ahead of North Carolina A&T in expanded CAA preseason poll 2 Vincent Brown](https://i0.wp.com/hbcusports.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Vincent-Brown.jpg?resize=750%2C375&ssl=1)
Hampton is coming off a season in which they finished a respectable 5-6 overall and 3-5 in the CAA. The Pirates return several players from the 2023 team, including All-CAA First Team running back Elijah Burris.
North Carolina A&T is coming off one of its worst seasons in program history after going 1-10 a year ago.
Courtesy: CAA