HBCU
Champions: Grambling State Is No. 1
By Tony McClean
Dec 17, 2008

NEW HAVEN, Ct. -- In 2006, Rod Broadway led the Eagles of North Carolina Central to a second straight CIAA championship. That season, NCCU finished 11-1 and were named black college football's national champions.

Now some two years after spreading his golden touch from North Carolina to Louisiana, Broadway is ready to claim another HBCU national championship for a school whose name has been synonymous with such titles.

Fresh off of their SWAC Championship win last Saturday, the Grambling State Tigers were tabbed as black college champions as they finished atop the final BoxToRow.com/BASN HBCU Football Top 10 Poll.

GSU, who ended the season with a 10-game winning streak, received 12 of 16 first-place votes. South Carolina State (10-3), the champions of the MEAC, got the other four first-place votes and finished second.

The rest of the top five includes three-time SIAC champion Tuskegee (10-1) at number three, followed by Prairie View A&M (9-1) at four, and Florida A&M (9-3) in at five.

The Golden Tigers had been the No. 1 team for most of the season until their controversial loss to Alabama State on Thanksgiving Day.

As for Grambling, the 41-9 victory over Jackson State marked the Tigers' 22nd SWAC Championship and first since 2005. In just his second season at GSU, head coach Broadway entered elite company as he guided them to an 11-win campaign for only the fifth time in school history.

It's also the third time Broadway has won 10 or more games in his career. In leading N.C. Central to consecutive CIAA crowns in 2005-06, he led the Eagles to 10-2 and 11-1 marks respectively.

The bottom half of the final poll has Tennessee State (8-4) at number six followed by CIAA champion Shaw (8-3) at number seven. Bethune-Cookman (8-3) is eighth followed by Jackson State (7-5) at number nine.

Both Albany State (7-4) and Southern (6-5) were tied for tenth.

FINAL BOXTOROW.COM/BASN
HBCU TOP 10 FOOTBALL POLL

(Records through December 13)

School                            W-L Pts LW
1. Grambling State (12)    11-2 154   1
2. S.C. State (4)              10-3 140   2
3. Tuskegee                    10-1 129 T3
4. Prairie View A&M        9-1 113 T3
5. Florida A&M               9-3   94   5
6. Tennessee State           8-4   71   6
7. Shaw                            8-3   62   7
8. Bethune-Cookman         8-3   30 T9
9. Jackson State               7-5   26   8
10. Albany State               7-4   18 NR
(tie) Southern                    6-5   18 T9

(First place votes in parentheses

Others receiving votes: Langston (10-2) 15, Fayetteville State (8-2) 10, West
Virginia State (7-3) 2, Elizabeth City State (7-4) 1.