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Alabama A&M maintained its No. 1 ranking in HBCU football after a 42-41 victory over South Carolina State on Saturday as the BOXTOROW Coaches and Media Polls were released on Monday.
Losses by North Carolina A&T, Florida A&M, and SCSU allowed for Arkansas-Pine Bluff to move up three spots with the coaches and two with the media to the No. 2 spot in both polls. Jackson State held on to defeat Florida A&M in the Orange Blossom Classic on Sunday and holds the No. 3 spot in both polls. Also of significance, Grambling defeated Tennessee State and reenters the poll at No. 10 with the coaches and No. 9 with the media.
The BOXTOROW HBCU FCS coaches and media polls are administered by FROM THE PRESS BOX TO PRESS ROW. The coaches poll, in its 12th year is voted on by the HBCU Football Championship Subdivision coaches and the media poll, in its 14th year, is voted on by media members around the country who cover HBCU football.
2021 BOXTOROW HBCU Football Coaches Poll
Week 1
(Records through September 5, 2021)
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts | Preseason Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama A&M (16) | 1-0 | 178 | 1 |
| 2 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1) | 1-0 | 140 | 5 |
| 3 | Jackson State | 1-0 | 126 | 8 |
| 4 | North Carolina A&T | 0-1 | 104 | 2 |
| 5 | North Carolina Central | 1-0 | 86 | 7 |
| 6 | Florida A&M | 0-1 | 73 | 3 |
| 7 | South Carolina State | 0-1 | 69 | 4 |
| 8 | Prairie View A&M | 1-0 | 65 | 10 |
| 9 | Southern (1) | 0-1 | 60 | 6 |
| 10 | Grambling | 1-0 | 35 | NR |
Others receiving votes: Alcorn State (0-1) 19, Alabama State (1-0) 15, Delaware State (1-0) 9, Tennessee State (0-1) 9, Bethune-Cookman (0-1) 5, Hampton (1-0) 1, Norfolk State (0-1) 1, Howard (0-1) 1.
(1st place votes in parentheses)
2021 BOXTOROW HBCU Football Media Poll
Week 1
(Records through September 5, 2021)
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts | Preseason Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama A&M (14) | 1-0 | 140 | 1 |
| 2 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff | 1-0 | 116 | 4 |
| 3 | Jackson State | 1-0 | 108 | 7 |
| 4 | North Carolina A&T | 0-1 | 85 | 2 |
| 5 | Prairie View A&M | 1-0 | 65 | 10 |
| 6 | South Carolina State | 0-1 | 60 | 6 |
| 7 | Florida A&M | 0-1 | 46 | 3 |
| 8 | North Carolina Central | 1-0 | 38 | 9 |
| 9 | Grambling | 1-0 | 25 | NR |
| 10 | Southern | 0-1 | 20 | 5 |
Others receiving votes: Alcorn State (0-1) 18, Albany State (1-0) 13, Delaware State (1-0) 10, Fayetteville State (1-0) 5, Bethune-Cookman (0-1) 5, Bowie State (1-0) 5, Hampton (1-0) 4, Alabama State (1-0) 3, Miles (0-1) 2, Tennessee State (0-1) 1, Fort Valley State (1-0) 1.
(1st place votes in parentheses)