The ScoreClub Insider

🔥🏈 HBCU football is ready for the spotlight.

As excitement builds around the 2026 college football season, the ScoreClub Sports HBCU Football Top 20 puts South Carolina State at No. 1, followed by North Carolina Central, Jackson State, Alabama State and Prairie View A&M.

From the MEAC and SWAC to programs looking to make noise on the national stage, these rankings highlight 20 HBCU football teams to watch as another season of tradition, rivalries and championship football gets underway.

🏆 ScoreClub Sports HBCU Football Top 20

1. South Carolina State

2. North Carolina Central

3. Jackson State

4. Alabama State

5. Prairie View A&M

6. Tennessee State

7. Howard

8. Delaware State

9. Morgan

The 2026 HBCU Classic is bringing football, culture, tradition and HBCU excellence to Lincoln Financial Field!

⚔️ BATTLE OF THE LEGENDS: THE REMATCH

🔴 Delaware State Hornets — Head Coach DeSean Jackson

🆚

🟢 Norfolk State Spartans — Head Coach Michael Vick

📅 Saturday, October 31, 2026

⏰ 2:00 PM ET

📍 Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia

And it’s bigger than one game. One Philly HBCU Week runs October 27–31 with the Divine Nine Step Show, HBCU Choir Competition, Battle of the Bands, Student Opportunity Fair and more.

🏈 Plus: Lincoln University vs. Virginia Union on Friday, October 30!

This is MORE THAN A GAME — IT’S A MOVEMENT. ✊🏾

🎟️ TICKETS ON SALE NOW!

Who

Monta Ellis Returns Home as Alcorn State Basketball General Manager

Former NBA standout Monta Ellis is returning home to Mississippi, joining Alcorn State University as general manager of the Braves men’s basketball program.

The Jackson, Mississippi native and former Lanier High School star brings years of NBA experience and strong ties to Mississippi basketball to the HBCU program.

What Will Monta Ellis Do at Alcorn State?

Ellis’ role will focus on several major areas of today’s college basketball landscape, including:

Roster construction and player evaluation

Recruiting, including Mississippi talent

Transfer portal and NIL strategy

Alumni and donor relations

Building Alcorn State basketball’s profile

The position

There is nothing quite like the energy of HBCU football. It’s a masterclass in culture, deep-rooted tradition, and unapologetic grit. If you need any proof that the landscape of college football is shifting, look no further than Orangeburg, South Carolina, where the South Carolina State Bulldogs just wrapped up a season for the history books.

Under the brilliant leadership of head coach Chennis Berry, the Bulldogs didn’t just compete; they took over. They marched all the way to Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the Celebration Bowl, a stage that serves as the de facto Black college national championship.

What followed was one of the most thrilling, heart-stopping games in HBCU history.