A&T Football Enters Both FCS National Polls

GREENSBORO, North Carolina -- North Carolina A&T’s four-game winning streak including its 24-14 win over MEAC perennial power Bethune-Cookman on Saturday has reaped benefits. The Aggies are now ranked in both major Division I-FCS national polls.

The Aggies (5-1, 3-0 MEAC) enter both the NCAA FCS Coaches and the STATS FCS Top 25 polls for the first time this season, as the 24th-ranked team in the nation. The Aggies received 83 points from a panel of FCS head coaches to finish ahead of No. 25 Northern Iowa who had 63 points. The No. 1 team in the coaches poll is undefeated Coastal Carolina (6-0), followed by Jacksonville State, James Madison, Illinois State, Chattanooga, South Dakota State, Eastern Washington, North Dakota State, McNeese State and Sam Houston State in the Top-10.

N.C. A&T enters the coaches’ poll for the first time since 2004 when it was the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. The Aggies are the only historically black college in the poll. The same is true for the STATS poll, where N.C. A&T enters for the first time since Nov. 22, 2014 when the Aggies were No. 25 in the nation before losing to N.C. Central in the final game of the season.

Last week the Aggies had the 27th highest number of points in the STATS po
ll. This week the Aggies posted 491 points based on votes from media members and FCS media relations professionals. Dartmouth was No. 25. The STATS Top-10 is led by Jacksonville State (5-1) followed by Coastal Carolina, Illinois State, James Madison, Chattanooga, South Dakota State, Eastern Washington, North Dakota State, Sam Houston State and Fordham.

The Aggies next game will be at home against Howard University, Saturday, Oct. 24. It will be N.C. A&T’s homecoming which is dubbed The Greatest Homecoming on Earth.

Rankings - STATS FCS Top 25
NCAA FCS COACHES POLL

COURTESY NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION