NCCU wins, tops polls.
boxtorow.com
The defending HBCU national champion North Carolina Central Eagles began the 2023 season with a 47-21 victory over Winston-Salem State and were voted No. 1 after Week 1 in HBCU football with the releases of The HBCU Coaches and Media Polls presented by BOXTOROW which were released on Monday.
In the coaches poll, the Eagles received 18-of-20 first place votes. The No. 2 Florida A&M Rattlers defeated Jackson State in the Orange Blossom Classic and received the other two first place votes. No. 3 Prairie View A&M and No. 4 Alabama State, both of whom secured big wins against fellow SWAC opponents, moved up three and four spots, respectively, from the preseason polls. Jackson State rounded out the top five.
In the media poll, Benedict defeated Shaw and moved up a spot from the preseason poll to No. 3. Jackson State and Alabama State round out the top five.
Morgan State, who arguably got the biggest win in HBCU football in Week 1 with its victory over nationally ranked Richmond, sits at No. 8 in both polls.
The HBCU FCS coaches and media polls are administered by BOXTOROW. The coaches poll, in its 14th year is voted on by the HBCU Football Championship Subdivision coaches and the media poll, in its 16th year, is voted on by media members around the country who cover HBCU football.
2023 BOXTOROW HBCU FCS Coaches Poll
Week 1
(Records through September 3, 2023)
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts | Preseason Poll |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina Central (18) | 1-0 | 188 | 1 |
| 2 | Florida A&M (2) | 1-0 | 173 | 2 |
| 3 | Prairie View A&M | 1-0 | 128 | 6 |
| 4 | Alabama State | 1-0 | 108 | 8 |
| 5 | Jackson State | 1-1 | 91 | 3 |
| 6 | Howard | 1-0 | 76 | 7 |
| 7 | North Carolina A&T | 0-1 | 70 | 4 |
| 8 | Morgan State | 1-0 | 69 | NR |
| 9 | Hampton | 1-0 | 58 | NR |
| 10 | Southern | 0-1 | 39 | 5 |
Others receiving votes: Alcorn State (0-1) 29, Texas Southern (0-1) 26, Alabama A&M (0-1) 10, Grambling (0-1) 6, Mississippi Valley State (0-1) 4.
(1st place votes in parentheses)
2023 HBCU Football Media Top 10 Poll
Week 1
(Records through September 3, 2023)
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts | Preseason Poll |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina Central (15) | 1-0 | 192 | 1 |
| 2 | Florida A&M (4) | 1-0 | 184 | 2 |
| 3 | Benedict | 1-0 | 129 | 4 |
| 4 | Jackson State | 1-0 | 112 | 3 |
| 5 | Alabama State | 1-0 | 99 | NR |
| 6 | Virginia Union | 1-0 | 82 | 8 |
| 7 | Prairie View A&M | 1-0 | 65 | 9 |
| 8 | Morgan State (1) | 1-0 | 57 | NR |
| 9 | Howard | 0-1 | 54 | 7 |
| 10 | North Carolina A&T | 0-1 | 29 | T-5 |
Others receiving votes: Southern (0-1) 24, Hampton (1-0) 19, Tuskegee (1-0) 19, Texas Southern (0-1) 9, Fayetteville State (0-1) 7, Grambling (0-1) 6, Bowie State (1-0) 5, South Carolina State (0-2) 5, Virginia State (1-0) 3.
NCCU wins, tops polls.