The return of conference media days means that summer’s waning and the North Carolina college football season is right around the corner.
We’re tracking preseason conference predictions for FBS, FCS, D2 and D3 leagues with North Carolina teams as members. We’ll compile preseason conference rankings here, plus any special player recognitions, then check back at the end of the season to compare actual results.
Bookmark this page and check back throughout the preseason for the latest updates.
🔄 Last Updated: Aug. 4, 2025 | 10:20 p.m.
🟢 FBS Conferences
🏈 ACC Media Predicted Order of Finish
ACC beat writers and reporters prognosticate a middle-of-the-pack finish for the Triangle’s three league teams, with Duke being the highest ranked. Wake Forest, meanwhile, has been picked 16th in the 17-team conference.
Rank Team – Points (1st-place votes)
1. Clemson – 3,083 (167)
2. Miami – 2,679 (7)
3. SMU – 2,612 (2)
4. Georgia Tech – 2,397 (2)
5. Louisville – 2,370
6. Duke – 1,973
7. Florida State – 1,920 (4)
8. North Carolina – 1,611
9. Pittsburgh – 1,571
10. NC State – 1,505
11. Virginia Tech – 1,412 (1)
12. Syracuse – 1,381
13. Boston College – 953
14. Virginia – 871
15. California – 659
16. Wake Forest – 576
17. Stanford – 426
All eyes on kickoff 🔜
The 2025 ACC Preseason Poll has arrived. pic.twitter.com/kGdWOF7mp6— ACC Football (@ACCFootball) July 30, 2025
🏈 Sun Belt Conference Football Preseason Coaches Poll
Appalachian State will begin the Dowell Loggains coaching era picked third in the East Division, in the realm of making a bowl game.
East Division
1. James Madison – 94 Points (11)
2. Georgia Southern – 76 Points (1)
3. App State – 60 Points
4. Coastal Carolina – 49 Points (1)
5. Old Dominion – 48 Points
6. Marshall – 42 Points (1)
7. Georgia State – 23 Points
West Division
1. Louisiana – 86 Points (6)
2. Texas State – 78 Points (6)
3. Arkansas State – 64 Points (1)
4. South Alabama – 50 Points (1)
5. Southern Miss – 47 Points
6. Troy – 43 Points
7. ULM – 24 Points
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Braylon Braxton, Southern Miss (RS Sr., QB – Frisco, Texas)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Blayne Myrick, South Alabama (RS Jr., LB – Fairhope, Ala.)
Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year
Clune Van Andel, Arkansas State (Jr., K – Grand Rapids, Mich.)
🟡 FCS Conferences
🏈 2025 OVC-Big South Football Preseason Poll
Gardner-Webb, which won the 2023 OVC-Big South trophy, was picked to finish sixth with Eastern Illinois heading into this season.
Rank School (first-place votes) – Points
1. Tennessee Tech (5 first-place) – 57 points
2. UT Martin (2) – 56
3. Southeast Missouri (2) – 53
4. Lindenwood – 39
5. Western Illinois – 30
T-6. Eastern Illinois – 24
T-6. Gardner-Webb – 24
8. Tennessee State – 23
9. Charleston Southern – 18
OVC-Big South Football Association Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Steve Hall, RB, Lindenwood
OVC-Big South Football Association Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: JaMichael McGoy Jr., CB, UT Martin
🏈 CAA Football Predicted Order of Finish
North Carolina’s three CAA teams – Elon, Campbell and North Carolina A&T – will begin the year looking up at much of the rest of the conference.
1. Rhode Island (8 first-place votes) – 163
2. Monmouth (4 first-place votes) – 142
3. Villanova (2 first-place votes) – 139
4. Stony Brook – 125
5. UNH – 119
6. Towson- 108
7. William & Mary -104
8. Elon – 98
9. Maine – 71
10. Campbell – 53
11. Hampton – 50
12. UAlbany – 47
13. Bryant – 32
14. North Carolina A&T – 23
CAA Football Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Derek Robertson, QB, Monmouth
CAA Football Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: A.J. Pena, LB, Rhode Island
🏈 2025 MEAC Football Predicted Order of Finish
The top of the MEAC looks exactly like it did at the end of 2024, with South Carolina State on top and North Carolina Central right behind. Both coaches and sports information directors voted in the preseason poll.
School (first-place votes) Points
1. South Carolina State (5) 63
2. North Carolina Central (4) 61
3. Morgan State 39
4. Norfolk State (1) 36
5. Howard (1) 33
6. Delaware State (1) 20
2025 Preseason All-MEAC Honors
Preseason Player of the Year – Jason Collins Jr., Morgan State
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year – Erick Hunter, Morgan State
🏈 2025 Southern Conference Preseason Coaches Poll
Defending SoCon champion Mercer will begin 2025 on top of the coaches poll, with Chattanooga and Western Carolina chasing in second and third, respectively.
Team (1st-place votes)Total
1. Mercer (6) – 60
2. Chattanooga (2) – 50
3. Western Carolina (1) – 49
4. ETSU – 43
5. Samford – 40
6. Furman – 36
7. Wofford – 19
8. The Citadel – 17
9. VMI – 10
2025 Preseason All-Southern Conference Football Teams
Offensive Player of the Year: Taron Dickens, R-So., QB, Western Carolina
Defensive Player of the Year: Andrew Zock, So., DL, Mercer
🏈 Pioneer Football League Predicted Order of Finish
Davidson – which won PFL titles in 2020 and 2021, and was picked second in 2023 and third last year – will start this season way off the radar. The Wildcats and new coach Saj Thakkar have been tabbed eighth in the PFL coaches poll, released July 28. The ‘Cats received one third-place vote.
Team – Points
1. San Diego – 94
2. Drake – 78
3. St. Thomas – 72
4. Butler – 66
5. Dayton – 65
6. Morehead State – 64
7. Presbyterian – 55
8. Davidson – 53
9. Marist – 24
10. Valparaiso – 18
11. Stetson – 16
🔵 Division II Conferences
🏈 CIAA 2025 Predicted Order of Finish
Johnson C. Smith, picked second in the CIAA preseason, has never been picked this high in conference summer coaches polls, according to coach Maurice Flowers. Fayetteville State and Winston-Salem State join the Golden Bulls in the CIAA’s top five.
1. Virginia Union
2. Johnson C. Smith
3. Virginia State
4. Fayetteville State
5. Winston-Salem State
6. Bowie State
7. Livingstone
8. Shaw
9. Elizabeth City State
10. Lincoln (PA)
11. Bluefield State
🏈 Conference Carolinas Football Preseason Poll
Football returns to Conference Carolinas for the first time in more than 50 years. Fittingly, a North Carolina AND South Carolina team top the preseason predictions.
School Total (First Place)
T1. UNC Pembroke 32 (4)
T1. North Greenville 32 (3)
3. Shorter 26
4. Barton 22
5. Chowan 18
6. Erskine 11
7. Ferrum 6
🏈2025 South Atlantic Conference Football | Preseason Coaches Poll
North Carolina is well-represented at the top of the SAC’s preseason coaches voting. Lenoir-Rhyne, which won the 2023 conference title, has been picked to win it again in 2025. Wingate, last year’s champ, got two first-place votes and finished second. Mars Hill and Catawba also appear in the top six.
1. Lenoir-Rhyne – 85 points (6 first-place votes)
2. Wingate – 80 points (2 first-place votes)
3. Carson-Newman – 79 points (2 first-place votes)
4. Emory & Henry – 63 points
5. Mars Hill – 56 points
6. Catawba – 48 points
7. Newberry – 45 points
8. Anderson – 34 points
9. UVA Wise – 26 points
10. Tusculum – 24 points
