As the old saying goes, the hay is in the barn and so too are the final standings of the HBCU FCS regular season. While there was little change from Thanksgiving week to this week, I have to give a nod to the Alabama State Hornets for their fantastic season under head coach Eddie Robinson Jr.
HBCU Fab Five (December 6)
1. South Carolina State (9-3 Overall, 5-0 MEAC)
The Bulldogs pulled off a convincing 28-17 win over Delaware State to secure the MEAC conference title (second in a row) and an invitation to the Celebration Bowl next week. South Carolina State moves up to the top spot as the sole conference winner at this point in the season. A date in Atlanta is coming up and the Bulldogs will either face Jackson State or Prairie View A&M in the Celebration Bowl.
2. Jackson State (9-2 Overall, 7-1 SWAC)
The Tigers are back on top in the SWAC East after a tiebreaker with Alabama State, which means that JSU will be playing at home for the SWAC conference championship this weekend against Prairie View A&M. A win puts them back in the Celebration Bowl.
3. Prairie View A&M (9-3, 7-1 SWAC)
PVAMU claimed the SWAC West title and earned a berth in the conference championship game against Jackson State this weekend. The winner of that game will face South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl next weekend.
4. Delaware State (8-4 Overall, 4-1 MEAC)
The Delaware State Hornets fell short against South Carolina State in the MEAC title game two weeks ago. However, the 2025 season under first-year head coach DeSean Jackson brought an element of excitement back to a moribund football program. DSU improved from one win in 2024 to eight victories this year and made it to the conference championship game. I fully predict this program will be on the rise again next season.
5. North Carolina Central (8-4 Overall, 3-2 MEAC)
The Eagles played their final game like it was a bowl game and took care of business against Morgan State with a 33-14 win. With little more to play for than pride, NCCU came out and made a positive season-ending statement and finished up the 2025 campaign with a solid overall record of 8-4.
6. Alabama State (10-2 Overall, 7-1 SWAC)
With a ten-win regular season, the Alabama State Hornets deserved nothing less than an at-large playoff bid, if not for the traditional scheduling. Instead, ASU had to be satisfied with a beatdown on in-state rival Tuskegee on Thanksgiving Day. Head coach Eddie Robinson Jr. continues to set the bar higher with this program and will continue to be a force in the FCS for the foreseeable future.
HBCU Flop Five (The Rebuilding Five)
1. Morgan State (4-8 Overall, 1-4 MEAC)
Morgan State nearly upset Delaware State earlier this year and one missed field goal seemed to doom the rest of their season. Morgan State looks to rebuild next year and turn things around in the MEAC.
2. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (4-8 Overall, 2-6 SWAC)
Another hard season for the Lions culminated in a 44-14 loss to Alabama State in the season finale. A winter of discontent and rebuilding awaits this program.
3. Norfolk State (1-11 Overall, 0-5 MEAC)
Under first-year head coach Michael Vick, the Spartans suffered defeat after defeat this season. However, NSU played in many really close games that could have gone a different way. With some heavy recruiting and rebuilding in the off-season, the Spartans should have a better season next year.
4. Mississippi Valley State (2-10 Overall, 1-7 SWAC)
The Delta Devils earned a level of redemption with a season-finale win over Florida A&M. With that momentum, things have to move in an upward trajectory for MVSU next season.
5. Southern University (2-10 Overall, 1-7 SWAC)
Losing a head coach and most of your regular season games is not how the Southern Jaguars envisioned the 2025 season to end. However, a nice 28-27 win over arch-rival Grambling State on Thanksgiving weekend helped take some of the sting out of the season. In addition, the announcement of Hall of Fame running back (and fellow San Diego State Aztec) Marshall Faulk as the new Southern head coach could bring a massive turnaround for this program next year.
Photo Credit to Alabama State University Athletics
