FCS CONFERENCE · 2026 SEASON
VERDICT BEGINS · 2026
The MEAC and SWAC champions meet every December in Atlanta for the Celebration Bowl — the de facto HBCU national championship, which routinely draws 40,000+ fans and national broadcast attention that neither conference's FCS playoff path could generate. The MEAC leads the all-time Celebration Bowl series 7–3. North Carolina Central, Norfolk State, and Howard have all built programs that compete for the title. The MEAC's identity is inseparable from that game and the broader HBCU athletic tradition it represents.
Conference Standings · MEAC · 2026
| # | Team | Conf |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | South Carolina State | 0–0 |
| 2 | North Carolina Central | 0–0 |
| 3 | Delaware State | 0–0 |
| 4 | Morgan State | 0–0 |
| 5 | Howard | 0–0 |
| 6 | Norfolk State | 0–0 |
Conference record determines standing. Power = neutral-field pts vs. all-level average. Last 5 = most recent game results.
Projected Standings · MEAC · 2026
Odds of winning at least N conference games from current power ratings — full slate played out, not locked to results. AVG = expected wins; W–L = most-likely record.
| # | Team | W–L | PWR | AVG | ≥5 | ≥4 | ≥3 | ≥2 | ≥1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favorites | |||||||||
| 1 | South Carolina State | 3–2 | +3.6 | 3.1 | 8 | 35 | 70 | 92 | 99 |
| Challengers | |||||||||
| 2 | North Carolina Central | 2–3 | +0.2 | 2.5 | 3 | 18 | 49 | 81 | 97 |
| 3 | Delaware State | 2–3 | -0.2 | 2.4 | 3 | 17 | 47 | 80 | 97 |
| The Field | |||||||||
| 4 | Morgan State | 2–3 | -0.5 | 2.5 | 3 | 18 | 49 | 81 | 97 |
| 5 | Howard | 2–3 | -1.4 | 2.2 | 2 | 13 | 41 | 74 | 95 |
| Rebuilding | |||||||||
| 6 | Norfolk State | 2–3 | -1.7 | 2.3 | 2 | 14 | 43 | 77 | 96 |
Conference Power · FCS
| # | Conference | Avg Power |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | MVFC | |
| 2 | Big Sky | |
| 3 | UAC | |
| 4 | Southland | |
| 5 | SWAC | |
| 6 | MEACYou are here | |
| 7 | Coastal Athletic | |
| 8 | Southern | |
| 9 | Patriot | |
| 10 | OVC | |
| 11 | NEC | |
| 12 | Pioneer | |
| 13 | Ivy |
Round-robin power = strength of schedule-adjusted conference average, points vs. all-level average team. Record = MEAC's record vs. that conference across all games this season.
The MEAC and SWAC champions meet every December in Atlanta for the Celebration Bowl — the de facto HBCU national championship, which routinely draws 40,000+ fans and national broadcast attention that neither conference's FCS playoff path could generate. The MEAC leads the all-time Celebration Bowl series 7–3. North Carolina Central, Norfolk State, and Howard have all built programs that compete for the title. The MEAC's identity is inseparable from that game and the broader HBCU athletic tradition it represents.
The league stack, sorted by predictive strength. Power is shown as neutral-field points versus the all-level average team, while resume is shown on a 0-100 season score.
| Rank | Team | Record | Power | Resume | ATS | Wins vs Market | Recent Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #121 | South Carolina State | 3-0 | +14.0 | 70 | 0-1 | +0.06 | 3-0 over the last 3 (W1 W1 W2) |
| #177 | North Carolina Central | 2-1 | +10.6 | 22 | 0-2 | -0.78 | 2-1 over the last 3 (L1 W1 W2) |
| #186 | Delaware State | 2-1 | +10.2 | 39 | 2-0 | +0.42 | 2-1 over the last 3 (W1 L1 W2) |
| #196 | Morgan State | 2-1 | +9.8 | 68 | 1-1 | +0.29 | 1-1 over the last 2 (W1 L1) |
| #220 | Howard | 1-2 | +9.0 | 68 | 3-0 | +0.42 | 1-2 over the last 3 (W1 L1 L2) |
| #229 | Norfolk State | 1-2 | +8.7 | 60 | 1-1 | -0.00 | 1-2 over the last 3 (W1 L1 L2) |