LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor
This week’s mid-October schedule of black college football represents a lull before teams enter the storms of the home stretch of the 2025 season. Twelve (12) homecomings are also on tap this week.
BCSP FCS TOP FIVE
The teams at the top of the BCSP FCS Top Five, 5-1 Jackson State and 4-3 South Carolina State, the defending champions in the SWAC and MEAC respectively who represented their conferences in last year’s season-ending Celebration Bowl, both have byes this week.
JSU, the SWAC East leader at 3-0, is coming off a thrilling down-to-the wire 38-34win over BCSP No 4 Alabama State (4-2, 2-1 SWAC E), who is also idle this week.
SC State held off North Carolina A&T at the Aggies’ homecoming, 22-16. The Bulldogs, along with every MEAC team, including BCSP
No. 3 North Carolina Central (5-2), but excluding 3-3 No. 5 Howard, are off this week before league play plays out over the rest of the
regular season.
Howard travels to Nashville, Tennessee Saturday (4:30 p.m., ESPN+) for homecoming at Tennessee State (2-5, 0-3 OVC/Big South).
Others currently out of the BCSP Top Five, like SWAC West Division leader Prairie View A&M (4-2, 3-0 W), are facing teams at the bottom of the standings. New PV head coach Tremaine Jackson leads his Panthers, coming off a bye week, into Baton Rouge, La. Saturday (4 p.m., HBCUGo.tv)for homecoming at struggling Southern (1-5,0-2 W).
Texas Southern (3-3, 3-1 W), just behind PV in the West and coming off a close 21-20 win over Grambling State, brings Virginia Lynchburg (3-3) in for what should be a comfortable homecoming (2 p.m. SWAC TV).
Bethune-Cookman (3-4, 2-1 E), who has won three of its last four games to get in contention in the SWAC East, including a 45-14 beatdown of Southern last week, is idle as is Alabama A&M (4-3, 1-2 E).
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (3-3, 1-1 W) and Grambling (3-3, 0-2 W) tangle in Pine Bluff,Arkansas at 2 p.m. on SWAC TV.
Florida A&M (1-4, 0-1 E)has its homecoming (3 p.m., ESPN+) in Tallahasseevs. Alcorn State (1-5, 0-2) with each looking for a first conference win.