North Carolina A&T No. 1 in HBCU final poll

For the third consecutive season and fourth in the last five years, North Carolina A&T rules football among Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

The Aggies finished No. 1 in the BOXTOROW HBCU coaches and media polls again after defeating Alcorn State 66-44 in the Celebration Bowl last Saturday in Atlanta.

A&T quarterback Kylil Carter, a Georgia native, threw six touchdown passes as his school won the Celebration Bowl for the fourth time in five seasons.

“What we did at the Celebration Bowl is historic,” said second-year A&T coach Sam Washington. “There are not many teams on any level at any sport that can say they won their sport’s top honor back-to-back-to-back, three in a row.”

Florida A&M, which 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 to finish No. 2 in both polls. Alcorn State was 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 and media polls are administered by FROM THE PRESS BOX TO PRESS ROW nationally syndicated sports talk radio show. The coaches poll, in its 11th year, is voted on by the HBCU Championship

BOXTOROW HBCU Coaches Poll

W-L Pts LW

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 Others receiving votes: Arkansas-Pine Bluff (6-5) 4, Hampton (5-7) 1, Jackson State (4-8) 1.

Subdivision coaches. The media poll, in its 13th year, is voted on by media members across 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