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North Carolina A&T topped Alcorn State in the Celebration Bowl to win the HBCU national championship for the third straight year and finish at the top of the BOXTOROW Coaches and Media Polls.
The championship means a lot to second-year head coach Sam Washington. A&T also won the championship in 2015.
“What we did at the Celebration Bowl is historic. There are not many teams on any level at any sport that can say they won their sports top honor back-to-back-to-back, three in a row,” says Washington. “I want to thank the coaches and the media for recognizing us as BOXTOROW national champions for the third straight year.
“To make it to this point takes a lot of sacrifices. I am not only talking about on the field but in the classroom as well. We want these young men not to just come to class but do well in the classroom. We want them to have a degree with some meaning and some direction and with some purpose. They need some direction to where they’re going when this football life is over. That’s why we emphasize winning at everything we do. Walk like. Act like. Talk like a champion.” Saturday’s game in Atlanta was the fifth Celebration Bowl. Each time, the game has decided the national champion.
Florida A&M, who defeated the Aggies earlier in the season, but was ineligible for the Celebration Bowl or MEAC crown, received three first place votes from the coaches and one from the media and finished No. 2 in both polls.
The Braves finished third in the final coaches poll and No. 4 in the media poll. South Carolina State finished No. 3 with the media and No 4 with the coaches. Southern rounded out the top five in the coaches poll, while CIAA champion Bowie State rounded out the top five in the media poll.
The BOXTOROW HBCU FCS coaches poll and media poll is administered by FROM THE PRESS BOX TO PRESS ROW. The coaches poll, in its 11th year is voted on by the HBCU Football Championship Subdivision coaches and the media poll, in its 13th year, is voted on by media members around the country who cover HBCU football.
BOXTOROW National Football Champions (Coaches) Year-by-Year
2019 North Carolina A&T
2018 North Carolina A&T
2017 North Carolina A&T
2016 Grambling
2015 North Carolina A&T
2014 Alcorn State
2013 Bethune-Cookman
2012 Arkansas-Pine Bluff
2011 Norfolk State
2010 Bethune-Cookman
2009 South Carolina State
BOXTOROW National Football Champions (Media) Year-by-Year
2019 North Carolina A&T
2018 North Carolina A&T
2017 North Carolina A&T
2016 Grambling
2015 North Carolina A&T
2014 Alcorn State
2013 Bethune-Cookman
2012 Winston-Salem State
2011 Winston-Salem State
2010 Bethune-Cookman
2009 South Carolina State
2008 Grambling
2007 Tuskegee
2019 BOXTOROW HBCU FCS Football Coaches Top 10 Poll
Final
(Records through December21, 2019)
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina A&T (16) | 9-3 | 187 | 2 |
| 2 | Florida A&M (3) | 9-2 | 164 | 3 |
| 3 | Alcorn State | 9-4 | 158 | 1 |
| 4 | South Carolina State | 8-3 | 123 | 4 |
| 5 | Southern | 8-5 | 117 | 5 |
| 6 | Bethune-Cookman | 7-4 | 101 | 6 |
| 7 | Alabama A&M | 7-5 | 75 | 7 |
| 8 | Grambling | 6-5 | 59 | 8 |
| 9 | Prairie View A&M | 6-5 | 34 | 9 |
| 10 | Alabama State | 5-6 | 20 | 10 |
Other receiving votes: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (6-5) 4, Norfolk State (5-7) , Hampton (5-7) 1, Jackson State (4-8) 1.
(1st place votes in parentheses)
2019 BOXTOROW HBCU Media Top 10 Poll
Final
(Records through Deccember 21, 2019)
| No. | Team | W-L | Pts. | Last Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina A&T (14) | 9-3 | 149 | 1 |
| 2 | Florida A&M (1) | 9-2 | 120 | 4 |
| 3 | South Carolina State | 8-3 | 119 | 3 |
| 4 | Alcorn State | 9-4 | 116 | 2 |
| 5 | Bowie State | 11-1 | 89 | 5 |
| 6 | Southern | 8-5 | 76 | 6 |
| 7 | Bethune-Cookman | 7-4 | 59 | 7 |
| 8 | Grambling | 6-5 | 36 | 8 |
| 9 | Savannah State | 7-3 | 29 | 9 |
| 10 | Miles | 9-3 | 20 | 10 |
Other receiving votes: Virginia State (8-2) 8, Fayetteville State (8-3) 3, Alabama A&M (7-5) 2, Prairie View A&M (6-5) 1.
(1st place votes in parentheses)