INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – A season of historic proportions continues to yield significant honors as Alabama A&M football has earned a No. 19 national ranking in the final FCS Coaches Poll as announced by that group earlier this week.
The Spring 2021 season saw the Bulldogs produce the first undefeated season in 53 years at 5-0, claim just their second Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) crown and first in 15 years and the first ever Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) National Championship in program history.
Those performances led A&M into the poll for the first time in a tie at No. 25 on April 13 and to No. 22 a week later before capping a run of three straight appearances among the top FCS teams in the country at No. 19.
That represents the highest ranking by an HBCU in the final poll, one spot ahead of fellow SWAC school Southern at No. 20. Alabama A&M also set themselves apart from the competition at large as they finished as one of just three undefeated teams in the nation, and one of just two that played a full season.
Headlining that group, and the poll, is undefeated national champion Sam Houston State (10-0) with the only other being 2-0 Montana in an abbreviated campaign. The rest of the top five rounded out with South Dakota State (8-2), James Madison (7-1), Delaware (7-1) and North Dakota State (7-3).
A&M will seek to defend those titles and extend their winning streak as they return to a more traditional schedule in Fall 2021, beginning with South Carolina State on September 4 at Louis Crews Stadium.
FCS Coaches Poll - Final
Rank
1. |
School
Sam Houston (21) |
Record
10-0 |
Points
525 |
Previous
4 |
| 2. |
South Dakota St. |
8-2 |
504 |
2 |
| 3. |
James Madison |
7-1 |
459 |
1 |
| 4. |
Delaware |
7-1 |
448 |
5 |
| 5. |
North Dakota St. |
7-3 |
437 |
7 |
| 6. |
North Dakota |
5-2 |
407 |
6 |
| 7. |
Jacksonville St. |
10-3 |
385 |
9 |
| 8. |
Weber St. |
5-1 |
373 |
3 |
| 9. |
Southern Illinois |
6-4 |
365 |
14 |
| 10. |
Monmouth (N.J.) |
3-1 |
331 |
10 |
| 11. |
Eastern Washington |
5-2 |
324 |
8 |
| 12. |
VMI |
6-2 |
312 |
11 |
| 13. |
Missouri St. |
5-5 |
225 |
17 |
| 14. |
Richmond |
3-1 |
219 |
13 |
| 15. |
Kennesaw St. |
4-2 |
195 |
15 |
| 16. |
UC Davis |
3-2 |
188 |
12 |
| 17. |
Murray St. |
5-2 |
159 |
18 |
| 18. |
Villanova |
2-2 |
149 |
16 |
| 19. |
Alabama A&M |
5-0 |
121 |
22 |
| 20. |
Southern |
5-1 |
115 |
19 |
| 21. |
Southeastern Louisiana |
4-3 |
105 |
21 |
| 22. |
Sacred Heart |
3-2 |
91 |
NR |
| 23. |
Nicholls |
4-3 |
84 |
20 |
| 24. |
East Tennessee St. |
4-2 |
75 |
23 |
| 25. |
Holy Cross |
3-1 |
49 |
NR |
Dropped Out: UIW (22), Mercer (25t)
Others Receiving Votes: UIW, 24; Austin Peay, 23; Holy Cross, 15; Sacred Heart, 14; Duquesne, 8; Mercer, 5; Northern Arizona, 5; Tarleton St., 5; Charleston Southern, 4; Samford, 4; Davidson, 3; South Carolina St., 3.
