After a competitive Week Six across the HBCU football landscape, the HBCU Sports Ultimate Division Top 10 will feature a week of rest for most of the teams on our list.
Here’s Week Seven’s rankings with a lot of movement and a few questions.
1. Jackson State (5-1)
Last Week: Defeated Alabama State 38-34
Up Next: Bye Week
The Tigers’ clash with Alabama State was as good as advertised, maybe more so, and now they are in the SWAC East drivers’ seat heading into a well-earned week off.
Only a collapse of epic proportions keeps JSU from winning the division and they will likely represent the SWAC once again in the Celebration Bowl.
2. North Carolina Central (5-2)
Last Week: Defeated Florida A&M 45-7
Up Next: Bye Week
The only team comparable to Jackson State right now is North Carolina Central, who made life miserable for Florida A&M this past weekend.
The Eagles have another bye week before welcoming Delaware State to Durham for homecoming. That should be a good one.
3. Alabama State (4-2)
Last Week: Lost to Jackson State 38-34
Up Next: Bye Week
A painful loss at JSU relegates the Hornets to second best in the SWAC East once again, so the key will be finding motivation to finish strong and begin planning for 2026. A bye week to sort through the emotions of that ball game is right on time for Alabama State.
4. Prairie View A&M (4-2)
Last Week: Bye Week
Up Next: at Southern, Saturday Oct. 18
Prairie View can all but close out the SWAC West race with a win at Southern this weekend.
The bye week likely served them well after a scare at Alcorn, so Tremaine Jackson’s bunch could be ready for the first major win in his time as Panthers head coach.
5. Delaware State (4-3)
Last Week: Defeated Southern Connecticut State 70-23
Up Next: Bye Week
The Hornets’ record-breaking homecoming rout of Southern Connecticut State was a nice way to head into their first (and only) bye week of 2025.
They’ll need it with another top rushing offense waiting at North Carolina Central Oct. 25.
6. South Carolina State (4-3)
Last Week: Defeated North Carolina A&T 22-16
Up Next: Bye Week
After being shut out by the Aggies in the first half Saturday, the Bulldogs woke up in time to finish non-conference play with a winning record.
Now here comes the part of the season where Chennis Berry’s mantra of “1-0 every day” begins to take shape, as MEAC play is right around the corner.
SCSU is the conference champion until further notice, so everyone else is playing catch-up with them.
7. Howard (3-3)
Last Week: Lost to Sacred Heart 32-14
Up Next: at Tennessee State Saturday Oct. 18
Howard couldn’t hold an early lead at MEAC nemesis Sacred Heart, so they’ll regroup for their final non-conference test of the year at struggling Tennessee State.
8. Alabama A&M (4-3)
Last Week: Defeated Mississippi Valley State 45-25
Up Next: Bye Week
The Bulldogs took out their frustrations from the Gulf Coast Classic on Valley and will now have a bye week before the Magic City Classic against Alabama State, a bragging rights game of epic proportions.
9. Texas Southern (3-3)
Last Week: Defeated Grambling 21-20
Up Next: vs. Virginia-Lynchburg Oct. 18
The Tigers are now fans of Southern and Arkansas-Pine Bluff after spoiling Grambling’s homecoming, staying one game behind rival Prairie View in the SWAC West standings.
Texas Southern will host VUL for homecoming, whether that game should count is another matter altogether, but a win heading into a bye will be important for TxSO.
10. Grambling (3-3)
Last Week: Lost to Texas Southern 21-20
Up Next: at Arkansas-Pine Bluff Saturday Oct. 18
It is officially scary hours in Lincoln Parish.
After losing homecoming to Texas Southern, Grambling is now 0-2 in the SWAC West with no real way to catch the teams they’ve lost to (TxSO and Prairie View).
The last thing they need is a loss at UAPB, but that couldn’t possibly happen…could it?
