Six SWAC Programs Crash the National Top 10 After Week 0 — Even a Loss Couldn’t Knock Prairie View Out
The SWAC opened the 2026 season with six teams in the Black College Football Top 10, while three more conference programs received votes, giving the league a strong early presence across the HBCU football landscape.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Southwestern Athletic Conference made an immediate statement in the first Black College Football Poll of the 2026 season, placing six of its 12 football-playing institutions in the national Top 10 and three additional programs among those receiving votes.
The early poll also revealed something more significant than the rankings themselves: the SWAC's preseason expectations have already begun shifting after just one weekend of competition.
Alabama State made the biggest move among the conference's nationally recognized programs, jumping from No. 4 in the preseason poll to No. 2 after defeating Southern 30-17 in the inaugural Birmingham Football Classic. The Hornets received 482 points and eight first-place votes.
Jackson State remained at No. 3, collecting 446 points after rallying past Tennessee State 26-24 in the John Merritt Classic in Nashville. The Tigers entered the season No. 3 in the preseason poll and held that spot after their opening-week win.
The most intriguing case may be Prairie View A&M.
The Panthers fell from No. 2 in the preseason poll to No. 5, despite losing their opener 49-30 to Tarleton State. Prairie View entered the season as the defending SWAC champion and the league's preseason Western Division favorite. Tarleton, which advanced to the FCS quarterfinals last season, scored 14 points in each of the first three quarters to pull away from the Panthers.
That result makes Prairie View's No. 5 ranking notable because the Black College Football Poll panel did not completely abandon the Panthers after a difficult opening-night matchup against a nationally competitive FCS opponent.
Texas Southern was the poll's biggest SWAC riser. The Tigers climbed from No. 9 to No. 6, gaining 258 points and one first-place vote after defeating North Carolina Central 42-30. TSU was the only SWAC team other than Alabama State to receive a first-place vote.
Grambling State landed at No. 8 with 142 points after overwhelming Clark Atlanta 49-7, while Florida A&M moved into No. 9 with 102 points following its 20-7 victory over Albany State.
The SWAC's presence extends beyond the Top 10.
Alcorn State received 64 points, Bethune-Cookman received 34 and Alabama A&M received 22, meaning nine of the conference's 12 football-playing institutions appeared on ballots in the first regular-season poll.
That is particularly noteworthy because the preseason poll also recognized nine SWAC programs, although the distribution changed considerably after opening weekend.
Receiving votes: Alcorn State, 64; North Carolina Central, 62; Bethune-Cookman, 34; Tennessee State, 28; Alabama A&M, 22.
The poll is sanctioned by the SWAC, MEAC, CIAA and SIAC and is determined by a national panel of HBCU head coaches and media members who cover Black college football. The rankings will be released weekly throughout the regular season.
For SWAC fans, the early numbers provide a compelling snapshot: five of the conference's six ranked teams won their openers, while defending champion Prairie View remained nationally ranked despite facing one of the tougher non-conference assignments of the opening weekend.
The next test comes quickly. Prairie View will host Texas Southern in the Labor Day Classic on Sept. 6, allowing two nationally ranked SWAC teams to settle their positions on the field rather than on paper.
