albanyherald
ALBANY Albany State spent last season climbing to the top of Division II HBCU football.
Now the challenge is staying there.
The Golden Rams will open the 2026 season ranked No.
3 in the inaugural Black College Football Poll, a first-of-its-kind national ranking devoted exclusively to NCAA Division I FCS and Division II Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Released this week, the poll is endorsed by the four NCAA conferences that sponsor HBCU football the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC).
A 57-member panel of head coaches and media members ranks the nations top 10 programs each week using a 10-point voting system.
For Albany State, the preseason ranking recognizes one of the finest seasons in program history while signaling that expectations remain high despite a change in leadership.
The Golden Rams trail only Johnson C.
Smith and SIAC rival Benedict College in the Division II preseason rankings.
Johnson C.
Smith claimed the No.
1 spot, followed by Benedict at No.
2 and Albany State at No.
3.
Virginia Union was fourth, Kentucky State fifth, Fayetteville State sixth, Virginia State seventh, Allen eighth, Edward Waters ninth and Tuskegee rounded out the Top 10.
The rankings also highlight the depth of the SIAC, which placed six teams in the preseason Top 10 Benedict, Albany State, Kentucky State, Allen, Edward Waters and Tuskegee.
The polls release comes just days before SIAC Football Media Days in Macon, where league coaches and players will officially kick off the 2026 season.
The top-ranked team also has a familiar connection to Albany State.
New Golden Rams head coach David Bowser joined Albany State after serving on the coaching staff at Johnson C.
Smith, which enters the season as the nations top-ranked Division II HBCU program.
This recognition reflects the standard at Albany State, Bowser said in a university release.
Its an honor to be among the top HBCU football programs, but we focus on the hard work ahead to prepare our student-athletes for competition.
We embrace the expectations that come with wearing the Albany State uniform.
Those expectations were earned during a memorable 2025 campaign.
Albany State captured the SIAC championship, claimed HBCU Division II national champion honors and advanced to the NCAA Division II quarterfinals before its postseason run came to an end.
The success established the Golden Rams as one of the premier programs in Division II and raised expectations for Bowsers first season.
Fortunately for the new coaching staff, the cupboard is far from bare.
Albany State returns 42 players and 25 starters from last years championship squad while adding 29 transfers and 55 newcomers.
Leading the returning nucleus is Second Team All-American Derrick Drayton, a D2Football.com Elite 100 selection who anchors one of the SIACs top defensive units.
The inaugural Black College Football Poll will be updated weekly throughout the season, giving HBCU programs a nationally recognized measuring stick for the first time.
For Albany State, however, the preseason ranking is simply a starting point.
The Golden Rams will have an opportunity to make an early statement when they open the season Aug.
29 at Florida A&M before meeting Bowsers former program, Johnson C.
Smith, on Sept.
6 in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic in Canton, Ohio.