HOUSTON-- Week 0 is in the books for the 2026 HBCU football season, and the 27-game slate delivered the usual swagger and bravado, intriguing debuts and compelling storylines across the country.
South Carolina State and Alabama State remain atop the BC+ Division I Top 10, while Texas Southern made one of the week's biggest moves after defeating North Carolina Central. Alcorn State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Grambling State also served notice in the SWAC West.
These are not last year's teams.
Week 0 Rankings | HBCU Legends, Unmatched Sports, MSU Athletics, SCS Athletics, Lighton College Sports, PVAMU Athletics
Three new Division I HBCU head coaches earned victories in their debuts: Ted White at Howard, Quinn F. Gray Sr. at Florida A&M and Van Malone at Hampton.
Marshall Faulk nearly joined them.
Southern had Alabama State fans on edge after taking a 17-13 halftime lead over the Hornets. However, Eddie Robinson Jr.'s defense tightened in the second half while quarterback Andrew Body and the Alabama State offense took control and went to work. The Hornets scored 17 unanswered points after halftime to secure a 30-17 victory.
Perhaps the most impressive coaching debut belonged to White, who guided Howard to a 31-24 victory over Alabama A&M in the 2026 Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kick-Off.
HBCU Legends had a bird's-eye view of an aggressive Howard offense that controlled much of the first half and delivered when the game was on the line.
Quarterback Ja'Shawn Scroggins picked apart Alabama A&M's secondary, completing 19 of 36 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns while adding 49 rushing yards.
His biggest play came with the game tied late in the fourth quarter. With a Bulldogs defender closing in for a potential sack, Scroggins fired a pass to wide receiver Se'Quan Osborne, who turned on the jets for a 51-yard touchdown.
Watching the play materialize at ground level was incredible. Scroggins was pummeled after releasing the throw; it was a great read and catch by the Howard playmakers.
Game, Bison.
The rest of the MEAC should be paying attention to what White is building at The Mecca.
Hampton also gave Malone a memorable debut with a 45-0 victory over Virginia University of Lynchburg. The degree of difficulty rises considerably in Week 1 when the Pirates visit Maryland.
South Carolina State didn't simply win its opener. The Bulldogs overwhelmed Savannah State, 87-0, setting a program scoring record in the process.
Coach Chennis Berry told Shannon Sharpe on "Nightcap" that his team's focus was finding a way to go 1-0.
Mission accomplished.
Texas Southern delivered another Week 0 eye opener.
Cris Dishman improved to 2-1 in season openers as Texas Southern defeated North Carolina Central, 42-30. Calling it merely an upset would undersell what happened. The Tigers validated the progress of Dishman's program by beating one of the MEAC's established contenders.
The result also produced one of the most interesting questions entering Week 1.
Prairie View A&M lost 49-30 to No. 5-ranked Tarleton State in Stephenville, Texas, but the Panthers still produced 30 points against one of the FCS' top teams.
Will that offensive production be enough against Texas Southern in the 41st Labor Day Classic?
We shall see.
Grambling State wasn't playing around with Clark Atlanta, either. Neither was Arkansas-Pine Bluff against Morehouse.
Both Atlanta University Center programs went home disappointed. Still, Brad Sherrod and the Maroon Tigers can take some encouragement from putting 15 points on the scoreboard despite being overmatched by the Golden Lions.
Jackson State, Alcorn State, Delaware State, Morgan State and Norfolk State also collected victories in Week 0.
Michael Vick and the Spartans deserve special recognition.
Vick's first season at Norfolk State was a difficult one as the Spartans finished 1-11. His second season couldn't have started much better.
Norfolk State demolished Winston-Salem State, 56-0, recording the program's first shutout since 2019 and its first 50-point performance since 2021.
Howard scores go-ahead touchdown. | MEAC
The BC+ model went 20-5 in Week 0 , missing the final margins by an average of 16.7 pointsagainst a projected error band of 16.5 points.
That's an encouraging opening-week performance, but one week does not make a model. As more 2026 results enter the system, BC+ will have more current-season data to separate legitimate contenders from teams benefiting from preseason expectations .
Before turning to Week 1, here's what the BC+ algorithm generated for the Division I and Division II Top 10 rankings.
Week 0:Defeated Savannah State, 87-0
Championship bonus:+1.0
Week 0:Defeated Southern, 30-17
Week 0:Lost at Tarleton State, 49-30
Championship bonus:+0.5
Week 0:Defeated Tennessee State, 26-24
Championship bonus:+0.25
Week 0: Defeated Stony Brook, 41-34
Championship bonus:+0.25
Week 0:Defeated North Carolina Central, 42-30
Ranking adjustment:Head-to-head victory over North Carolina Central
Week 0:Lost at Texas Southern, 42-30
Ranking adjustment:Head-to-head loss to Texas Southern
Week 0:Defeated Miles, 56-7
Week 0:Did not play
Week 0:Defeated Clark Atlanta, 49-7
BC+ ranking note:North Carolina Central carries a stronger raw BC+ rating than Texas Southern, but the Tigers move ahead of the Eagles in the Top 10 because of their 42-30 head-to-head victory in Week 0.
No championship bonus is applied to the Division II rankings. These are raw BC+ ratings.
Week 0:Lost at Florida A&M, 20-7
Week 0:Defeated Central State, 41-14
Week 0:Defeated Johnson C. Smith, 32-10
Week 0:Defeated Chowan, 56-24
Week 0:Defeated Shaw, 33-20
Week 0:Lost to Benedict, 32-10
Week 0:Lost at Lenoir-Rhyne, 45-3
Week 0:Defeated Livingstone, 37-16
Week 0:Defeated Florida Memorial, 42-28
Week 0:Defeated Barton, 44-17
South Carolina State Wins 87-0 | South Carolina State Football
There were plenty of impressive performances across HBCU football in Week 0, but South Carolina State separated itself from the field.
The Bulldogs' 87-0 victory over Savannah Statewasn't simply a blowout. It was a historic performance and the largest Week 0 overperformance measured by the BC+ model.
South Carolina State broke a program single-game scoring record that had stood since a 1981 victory over Johnson C. Smith.
The Bulldogs amassed 627 yards of total offense, including 423 rushing yards, with four running backs surpassing 70 yards.
Berry's defense was equally dominant.
Savannah State managed only six first downs, converted 3 of 15 third-down attempts and committed four turnovers, including three lost fumbles and an interception.
The 87-point margin was the largest in FCS football since Idaho State's 90-0 victory a year ago.
But the most revealing number may be what happened relative to expectations.
South Carolina State exceeded the BC+ projected margin by 50.5 points, the largest overperformance by an HBCU winner in Week 0.
That matters because BC+ isn't merely rewarding the Bulldogs for running up the scoreboard against an overmatched opponent. The model already expected South Carolina State to win comfortably. Berry's team performed roughly seven touchdowns better than even that expectation.
After one week, the defending HBCU national champions aren't merely holding the No. 1 position.
They're giving BC+ a reason to believe they may be even better than projected.
Texas Southern players huddle before playing against NCCU. | Credit: Jamail Mathews, Unmatched Sports
South Carolina State produced the biggest Week 0 overperformance in the BC+ model, but Norfolk State wasn't far behind. Texas Southern and Florida A&M also significantly exceeded the model's expectations.
South Carolina State vs. Savannah State: Won by 87 points. BC+ projected a 36.5-point victory, meaning the Bulldogs beat the projection by 50.5 points. Savannah State entered with a 56.8 BC+ rating.
Norfolk State vs. Winston-Salem State: Won by 56 points. BC+ projected a 10.5-point victory, and the Spartans beat the projection by 45.5 points. Winston-Salem State entered at 54.8.
Benedict vs. Johnson C. Smith: Won by 22 points despite BC+ projecting Johnson C. Smith as a 3.8-point favorite. Benedict therefore outperformed the projection by 25.8 points. Johnson C. Smith entered at 40.1.
Hampton vs. Virginia-Lynchburg: Won by 45 points after BC+ projected a 25.3-point margin. The Pirates beat the projection by 19.7 points. Virginia-Lynchburg entered at 76.3.
Allen vs. Livingstone: Won by 21 points after BC+ projected a 1.6-point victory. Allen beat the projection by 19.4 points. Livingstone entered at 58.6.
Texas Southern vs. North Carolina Central: Won by 12 points despite BC+ projecting North Carolina Central as a 5.4-point favorite. The Tigers outperformed the projection by 17.4 points, one of Week 0's most significant results. North Carolina Central entered at 24.9.
Florida A&M vs. Albany State: Won by 13 points despite BC+ projecting Albany State as a 4.2-point favorite. The Rattlers beat the projection by 17.2 points. Albany State entered at 35.5.
Week 1 features two Saturday road tests and three Sunday clashes for HBCU football programs across the nation. Here are six games worth watching and what the BC+ model projects:
Florida A&M vs. South Carolina State: The Orange Blossom Classic in Miami features one of Week 1's premier HBCU matchups. BC+ projects South Carolina State to win by 20.7 points.
Texas Southern at Prairie View A&M: The 41st Labor Day Classic will test whether Texas Southern's impressive Week 0 victory over North Carolina Central carries over against the defending SWAC champions. BC+ favors Prairie View A&M by 11.0 points. The game will be televised on ESPN2.
Johnson C. Smith vs. Albany State: Two of Division II HBCU football's top programs meet in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic in Canton, Ohio. BC+ projects Albany State to win by 13.2 points.
Norfolk State at Old Dominion: Michael Vick's Spartans take a significant step up in competition after their 56-0 Week 0 victory over Winston-Salem State. Norfolk State travels to face FBS opponent Old Dominion on Saturday, Sept. 5. No BC+ margin is listed.
Delaware State at William & Mary: DeSean Jackson and the Hornets take their 1-0 record on the road after defeating Stony Brook, 41-34. Delaware State visits William & Mary in Williamsburg on Saturday, Sept. 5. No BC+ margin is listed.
Elizabeth City State at North Carolina Central: The Eagles will attempt to rebound from their 42-30 loss at Texas Southern when they host Elizabeth City State in the Hall of Fame Game. BC+ projects North Carolina Central to win by 41.5 points. The game will air on the MEAC Digital Network.
The Orange Blossom Classic is South Carolina State's first significant test since winning the Celebration Bowl. The Bulldogs opened 2026 with an 87-0 demolition of Savannah State, but Florida A&M presents a considerably different challenge.
BC+ favors South Carolina State by 20.7 points. Florida A&M enters after defeating Albany State, 20-7, and will have the advantage of playing in Miami under first-year coach Quinn F. Gray Sr.
A convincing victory would strengthen South Carolina State's claim to No. 1. Alabama State sits only 0.4 points behind the Bulldogs in the BC+ ratings, making the top spot one of the most intriguing early-season battles in HBCU football.
Prairie View A&M fell to Tarleton State | PVAMU Athletics
The 41st Labor Day Classic arrives with an unusual twist. For the first time since 1984, the rivalry will not serve as either program's season opener.
Week 0 gave both teams valuable measuring sticks. Prairie View A&M scored 30 points in a 49-30 loss at No. 5-ranked Tarleton State, while Texas Southern stunned North Carolina Central, 42-30.
The rivalry shifts to Panther Stadium. That gives Tremaine Jackson's Panthers a home-field advantage that accounts for roughly one-third of BC+'s projected 11-point margin.
Texas Southern leads the all-time series, 45-35-1. Prairie View won last season's meeting, 22-21, on Cam Peters' last-second 17-yard touchdown pass to Rodny Ojo.
BC+ projects Prairie View A&M to win by 11 points. Kyle T. Mosley says ... wait until Friday's predictions. The Texas Southern Tigers are lurking.
History suggests caution with an 11-point projection. The Labor Day Classic has a way of making comfortable predictions uncomfortable.
BC+ (Black College Plus) is HBCU Legends' predictive rating system for Black college football.It uses opponent strength, scoring margin, game location and historical results to place FCS, Division II and NAIA HBCU programs on a common scale.
BC+ evaluates results, not rosters. The model does not directly account for transfer portal additions, injuries or coaching changes until their impact appears in game results.
A BC+ rating is a distance, not a projected score. Each rating represents approximately how many points per game a team trails the model's Top-5 FCS baseline after adjusting for opponent strength and game location.
Zero represents the baseline. A BC+ rating of 0.0 would indicate performance at approximately the model's Top-5 FCS standard. No HBCU program currently reaches that level. Therefore, ratings closer to zero indicate stronger teams.
Game projections are calculated separately. BC+ uses the difference between the teams' ratings along with game location to generate an expected margin.
Beginning with the Week 1 rankings, Division I teams can also receive a temporary championship bonusbased on their accomplishments during the previous season.
The championship bonus is an editorial adjustment applied after the BC+ model generates its raw ratings. It is not presented as a statistical output of the algorithm.
South Carolina State: +1.0 as the reigning HBCU national and MEAC champion
Prairie View A&M: +0.5 as the reigning SWAC champion and Celebration Bowl runner-up
Jackson State: +0.25
Delaware State: +0.25
The championship adjustment recognizes significant team accomplishments from the previous season while the model accumulates enough current-season data to evaluate teams primarily on their 2026 performances.
The championship bonus expires after Week 6.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/hbcu as HBCU Football Rankings: BC+ Week 0 Top 10, Biggest Winners and Week 1 Games to Watch .
