NORFOLK, Va., July 29, 2022 — South Carolina State has been picked to win the 2022 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) football championship, as the Bulldogs topped the league’s annual preseason poll, presented by The Home Depot.
Voting was conducted by the conference’s head football coaches and sports information directors.
The Bulldogs received eight first-place votes and racked up 124 points. Led by head coach Oliver “Buddy” Pough, South Carolina State won the 2021 championship by going undefeated in MEAC play, before defeating Jackson State in the Cricket Celebration Bowl. It bring back several key players, including quarterback Corey Fields, wide receiver Shaquille Davis and defensive end Jablonski Green.
Last season’s runner-up North Carolina Central, with one first-place vote, was picked to finish second, while Norfolk State was tabbed to finish third. Both NCCU and NSU went 6-5 last season.
Delaware State, Howard and Morgan State (one first-place vote each) rounded out the preseason poll.
Here is the MEAC predicted order of finish for the 2021 season (first-place votes in parentheses):
| School (First-Place Votes) | Points |
| 1. South Carolina State (8) | 124 |
| 2. North Carolina Central (1) | 92 |
| 3. Norfolk State | 80 |
| 4. Delaware State (1) | 58 |
| 5. Howard (1) | 52 |
| 6. Morgan State (1) | 26 |