The top two teams in HBCU football lost, MEAC conference play started and more craziness took place in Week 9 of HBCU football. Of course, all of that means that there are some changes in this week's HBCU football power rankings from Stan Becton.
These are the ninth rankings of the regular season. The rankings will be done weekly throughout the regular season, sorting each HBCU football team at the FCS level based on their performances this season. Nicknamed "The Road to Atlanta," the weekly power rankings lead to the annual meeting of HBCU football's two best teams at this year's Celebration Bowl held in Atlanta.
See the latest power rankings below.
The Road to Atlanta: 2025 Week 10 HBCU football power rankings
1. Jackson State | SWAC | 5-2 (3-1) | Prev: 1
Jackson State was up 7-0 before star quarterback Jacobian Morgan got injured in the first quarter against Grambling State. Even still, JSU fought to grab a late fourth-quarter lead. While Jackson State ultimately lost to a game-winning field goal, the Tigers hold on to the top spot since it took a game-winner to beat them without a starting quarterback.
Add in a head-to-head win over Alabama State, and the Tigers are the No. 1 team by a razor-thin margin.
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2. Alabama State | SWAC | 5-2 (3-1) | Prev: 3
Alabama State dominated Alabama A&M in the Magic City Classic, coming out swinging harder than Cam Newton when he sees a mascot. The Hornets led 49-6 in the first half behind a big day from quarterback Andrew Body.
It's that dominant showing that keeps Alabama State in front of Delaware State. It's a power ranking, and no team looked better than the Hornets last week.
3. Delaware State | MEAC | 5-3 (1-0) | Prev: 5
Delaware State can make an argument for the top spot in the power rankings, but a loss to Sacred Heart holds it back for now. As predicted, the Delaware State rushing offense's success continued in MEAC play to the tune of 241 yards in an upset win over North Carolina Central.
DSU is a top-three team in HBCU football, but with two FCS losses, it's hard to justify it leapfrogging to the No. 1 spot.
4. Prairie View A&M | SWAC | 6-2 (4-0) | Prev: 4
Prairie View A&M holds steady at No. 4 after a homecoming win over Lincoln (CA).
5. North Carolina Central | MEAC | 5-3 (0-1) | Prev: 2
North Carolina Central lost to Delaware State, dropping the Eagles three spots. Since the loss came against a team that's in the top five, the Eagles hang on to the fifth spot.
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6. South Carolina State | MEAC | 5-3 (1-0) | Prev: 6
South Carolina State stays put, behind North Carolina Central because of a loss to Charleston Southern.
7. Grambling State | SWAC | 5-3 (2-2) | Prev: 10
While Grambling State lost by one point to Texas Southern, it still moves in front of TSU this week. That's because Grambling State has a win over Jackson State, which is better than anything Texas Southern can claim.
8. Texas Southern | SWAC | 4-3 (3-1) | Prev: 7
Texas Southern was the lone HBCU with a bye last week.
9. Bethune-Cookman | SWAC | 4-4 (3-1) | Prev: 8
Bethune-Cookman handled its business against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, outscoring the Golden Lions in the second half, 17-7.
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10. Alabama A&M | SWAC | 4-4 (1-3) | Prev: 9
Alabama A&M gets the final spot in the top 10, even after a blowout loss to Alabama State in the Magic City Classic. The Bulldogs hold off Howard for the final spot as both teams have lost three of their last four games.
While Howard has the more recent win, both AAMU and HU has a common opponent for the deciding factor — Tennessee State. The Bulldogs won that matchup while the Bison lost.
| RANK | TEAM |
|---|---|
| 1 | Jackson State |
| 2 | Alabama State |
| 3 | Delaware State |
| 4 | Prairie View A&M |
| 5 | North Carolina Central |
| 6 | South Carolina State |
| 7 | Grambling State |
| 8 | Texas Southern |
| 9 | Bethune-Cookman |
| 10 | Alabama A&M |
| 11 | Howard |
| 12 | Florida A&M |
| 13 | Tennessee State |
| 14 | North Carolina A&T |
| 15 | Morgan State |
| 16 | Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
| 17 | Hampton |
| 18 | Alcorn |
| 19 | Southern |
| 20 | Norfolk State |
| 21 | Mississippi Valley State |
PAST POWER RANKINGS: Preseason | WK 2 | WK 3 | WK 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9
11. Howard | MEAC | 4-4 (1-0) | Prev: 13
Howard is 1-0 in MEAC play after a homecoming win over Morgan State in overtime. While the broadcast was subpar, the game still served as an exciting start to the Bison's potential run in the conference.
12. Florida A&M | SWAC | 3-4 (2-1) | Prev: 17
Florida A&M has won back-to-back games for the first time this season and sit at 2-1 the SWAC East. Quarterback RJ Johnson has thrown for 610 yards while completing 69 percent of his passes during the win streak. The Rattlers have momentum entering a critical stretch of games.
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13. Tennessee State | OVC-Big South | 2-6 (0-4)| Prev: 11
Tennessee State gave Western Illinois its second win of the year as the Tigers fell to 0-4 in conference play. Tennessee State stays at No. 13 for now thanks to a head-to-head win over North Carolina A&T to start the season.
14. North Carolina A&T | CAA | 2-6 (2-2) | Prev: 15
North Carolina A&T now has won its second CAA game ever, with its win over Campbell marking its first PWI win since 2022. Head coach Shawn Gibbs has won two one score games while losing four one score games. The Aggies are a competing this year, which is a sign of progress.
15. Morgan State | MEAC | 3-5 (0-1) | Prev: 12
Morgan State drops three spots after overtime loss to Howard. The Bears have three wins on the season, but have yet to beat a DI opponent.
16. Arkansas-Pine Bluff | SWAC | 2-5 (1-3) | Prev: 14
Arkansas-Pine Bluff couldn't hang with Bethune-Cookman, but on the bright side, a prior win over Alcorn State looks better on the resume this week. That helps the Golden Lions stay out of the bottom five.
*Arkansas-Pine Bluff's win over Westgate Christian is not a countable win.
MORE RANKINGS: AFCA Coaches Poll | STATS PERFORM
17. Hampton | CAA | 2-7 (0-5) | Prev: 16
Hampton has now its second three-game losing streak of the season, remaining winless in CAA play. Yet, it has two wins over NCAA opponents, so that keeps the Pirates at No. 17.
18. Alcorn State | SWAC | 2-6 (1-3) | Prev: 21
Alcorn State moves out of the bottom spot thanks to its first DI win of the year, knocking off Mississippi Valley State. The win also moves the Braves to fifth in the SWAC West.
19. Southern | SWAC | 1-7 (0-4) | Prev: 18
Southern lost its sixth straight game Saturday, falling to 1-7 on the year. The Jaguars had a better offensive performance under interim coach Fred McNair, but even that wasn't enough to get back in the win column. Moreover, Southern falls below Alcorn State because the Braves have a larger margin of victory over a common opponent — Mississippi Valley State.
20. Norfolk State | MEAC | 1-7 (0-1) | Prev: 19
Norfolk State lost by 31 points on homecoming to open it's MEAC slate. The Spartans are still in search of their first DI win under coach Vick.
21. Mississippi Valley State | SWAC | 1-6 (0-3) | Prev: 20
After losing to Alcorn State, Mississippi Valley State drops to the bottom spot in the rankings.
🏈: Recapping the 2024 HBCU football season
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📚 Football History: Top MEAC/SWAC Challenge moments | Individual stars | Recapping 2023 | Recapping 2022 | Recapping 2021
🏆 Championships: Jackson State wins 2024 Celebration Bowl | Tennessee State, NC Central win tennis title | Football title history | Track champions
🏟 Classics: Every HBCU Football Classic's history | Florida Classic | Bayou Classic | Can't miss atmospheres
🏀 HBCU hoops: Pac-12/SWAC series |1980s Alcorn State | NBA draft picks | Hall of Famers
👀 March Madness: Men's history | Women's history | Two HBCU wins in 2021 | HBCU vs. HBCU | Tournament upsets
