Writers Recognize North Carolina A&T As Unanimous HBCU Champion

NCAT Celebration Bowl Champs

ATLANTA, GA. — North Carolina A&T All-American running back Tarik Cohen sat at the podiumof the postgame press conference at the Georgia Dome after the Aggies 41-34 victory over Alcorn State in the first-ever Celebration Bowl in Atlanta.

During the first quarter, Cohen, who rushed for 295 yards and three touchdowns, left the game do to dehydration. When asked about it by a reporter Cohen said, “All I had for breakfast was a half of a glass of orange juice. I wasn’t hungry for food. I was hungry for this national championship.”

The North Carolina A&T Aggies sit on top of the HBCU football world as the Aggies were voted 2015 BOXTOROW HBCU national champions in the final BOXTOROW Media Poll of 2015.

“It’s great to be national champions and I’m proud of our players, staff and administration” said A&T fifth-year head coach Rod Broadway. “We’re glad to win it. We had a good team and the players got everything they deserved.”

N.C. A&T, the MEAC co-champions for the second-straight season, was a unanimous selection.

Alcorn State, the back-to-back SWAC champions and the 2014 BOXTOROW national champions finished No. 2. MEAC co-champion Bethune-Cookman finished No. 3, followed by Grambling at No. 4 and MEAC co-champion North Carolina Central rounded out the top five.

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.

2015 BOXTOROW HBCU Football Media Top 10 Poll

Final

(Records through December 19, 2015)

Team W-L Points Previous Rank (11/23)

1. North Carolina A&T (16) 10-2 160 3

2.Alcorn State 9-4 139 6

3.Bethune-Cookman 9-2 111 2

4.Grambling 9-3 106 1

5.North Carolina Central 8-3 98 4

6.Prairie View A&M 8-2 76 5

7.Tuskegee 10-3 54 7

8.South Carolina State 7-4 49 8

9.Southern 6-4 34 10

10.Virginia Union 8-3 19 NR

Other receiving votes: Bowie State (9-3)13, Hampton (6-5) 7, Alabama State

(6-5) 6, Winston-Salem State (6-5) 2, Virginia State (6-4) 2.

(1st place votes in parentheses)

BOXTOROW National Football Champions (Media)

Year-by-Year

2015 North Carolina A&T

2014 Alcorn State

2013 Bethune-Cookman

2012 Winston-Salem State

2011 Winston-Salem State

2010 Bethune-Cookman

2009 South Carolina State

2008 Grambling

2007 Tuskegee