RALEIGH, N.C. – Bethune-Cookman University has been announced as the Boxtorow 2013 HBCU Football National Champions, giving the Wildcats their first HBCU national title since 2010. It is the team's second Boxtorow national title in the history of the media poll.
After compiling a 10-3 overall record, and a 7-1 mark in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play, B-CU received just four first place votes out of a possible 18 in the final media poll. Champions of the MEAC for three of the past four years, the Wildcats narrowly edged Tennessee State for the HBCU crown.
The Tigers of TSU collected six first place votes, but the head-to-head matchup against B-CU in the annual John Merritt Classic weighed heavily on the voters. The Wildcats claimed a hard-fought 12-9 victory over the Tigers at L.P. Field in Nashville on Labor Day weekend. The game was the season-opener for both squads.
Bethune-Cookman would lose just two regular season games on the campaign, one coming against then-ranked No. 8 Florida State out of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Now set to play in the BCS title game against Auburn, that loss to the Seminoles allowed Bethune-Cookman to advance the team's RPI and strength of schedule further than ever before in school history, moving them to No. 4 nationally in one Division I calculated poll, ahead of teams such as Oregon and Baylor during Week 8 of the season.
Despite a league loss to Norfolk State late in the year, B-CU would earn the conference's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs by winning its second consecutive league title. B-CU, ranked No. 12 nationally in the FCS poll, traveled to No. 11 Coastal Carolina for its opening round game in Conway, S.C. It served as the third FCS Playoff game in four years under the direction of head coach Brian Jenkins.
Last year's Boxtorow national champion Winston-Salem State received four first place votes in the final media poll, finishing fourth, six points ahead of SWAC champion Southern who received two first-place votes.
South Carolina State finished third, just two points behind Tennessee State and also received two first place votes.
Southern receives a top five finish for the first time in the polls history after defeating Jackson State in the SWAC championship game on Saturday 27-24 in double overtime.
The Boxtorow media poll is administered by FROM THE PRESS BOX TO PRESS ROW and is voted on by media members around the country who cover HBCU football.
| Rk |
School |
W-L
|
Pts
|
Prev.
|
| 1. |
Bethune-Cookman (4) |
10-3
|
157
|
2
|
| 2. |
Tennessee State (6) |
10-4
|
148
|
4
|
| 3. |
South Carolina State (2) |
9-4
|
146
|
1
|
| 4. |
Winston-Salem State (4) |
10-2
|
127
|
3
|
| 5. |
Southern (2) |
9-4
|
121
|
7
|
| 6. |
Jackson State |
8-4
|
86
|
6
|
| 7. |
Alcorn State |
9-3
|
81
|
5
|
| 8. |
Alabama State |
8-4
|
48
|
8
|
| 9. |
Tuskegee |
8-3
|
39
|
9
|
| 10. |
North Carolina A&T |
7-4
|
29
|
NR
|
For more information on the Bethune-Cookman University football team, please log onto BCUathletics.com. Once there, you will find up-to-date news, stats and information regarding the Wildcats football program.
Fans can keep up-to-date with all B-CU Athletics via twitter at Twitter.com/BCUathletics, in addition to the official football twitter page at Twitter.com/BCUGridIron. You can also become a fan of the Wildcats on Facebook at Facebook.com/BCUathletics.
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