BIRMINGHAM, AL (April 23, 2026) - The Black College Football Poll (BCFP) and the Black College Football All-American teams will make inaugural debuts just in time for the start of the 2026 college football season as it was announced on Wednesday, April 22nd.
The Black College Football Poll and the Black College Football All-American teams have been formally endorsed and sanctioned by the two NCAA Division I conferences (Southwestern Athletic Conference and the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) along with the two NCAA Division II conferences (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association and the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference).
The Black College Football Poll will be conducted weekly throughout the regular season using a panel of head coaches and select media members. Each voter will submit a Top 10 with a first-place vote worth 10 points, second place 9, and so on down to one point for 10th.
In addition to the weekly poll the voting body for each respective division will also vote and select a Black College Football All-American team (Preseason and Postseason) that will consist of the top HBCU student athletes (1st Team and 2nd Team).
Individual awards shall also be awarded for Coach of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Freshman of the Year.
The Commissioners of the four HBCU conferences released a joint statement highlighting the significance of the newly created Black College Football Poll and the Black College Football All-American Team.
“We’re extremely excited to partner on the formation and creation of the Black College Football Poll and the Black College Football All-American Team,” the statement read.
“We view this strategic alliance as a game changer for our respective leagues and undoubtedly a significant step in the right direction towards unifying our collective conferences as it relates to preseason/postseason polls and awards while simultaneously recognizing the best Black College Football teams and student-athletes at the highest level.”
The Black College Football Poll will feature two poll divisions and two All-American teams (NCAA Division I and NCAA Division II). The first preseason poll release along with the unveiling of the Preseason Black College Football teams is slated for Wednesday, July 1.
Media Contact:
Anna M. Butzlaff | abutzlaff@theciaa.com
Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first, and longest running, African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University.
For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.