WALESKA, Ga. – The University of Pikeville is a slight favorite to repeat as AAC football champions.
 
This is according to a poll released on Tuesday by the conference. In a vote of the football coaches in the league, the Bears received three of seven first-place votes and 45 voting points.
 
Reinhardt (Ga.) University, which shared the regular-season championship with the Bears last year, also had three votes and received 43 ratings points to finish second.
 
Bluefield (Va.) University was third with 30 points, while Point (Ga.) University, which got the remaining first-place nod, is picked fourth with 27 points.
 
Union Commonwealth (21 points) and Kentucky Christian (20) follow, with newcomer University of Rio Grande (Ohio), which is resuming its program after a lengthy hiatus, picked seventh with 10 points.
 
The Red Storm last played football on Thanksgiving Day, 1949.
 
UPike and Reinhardt each finished 5-1 in the league in 2024, with the Bears receiving the automatic bid into the national tournament thanks to beating the Eagles 47-21 on October 5 in the AAC opener for both teams.
 
They will close out the 2025 campaign on Saturday, Nov. 15 when the Bears visit the Eagles in Waleska, Ga.
 
UPike picked up its first-ever postseason win last year when it traveled to Baldwin City, Kan., and beat Baker University 42-35 in the opening round.
 
Bluefield and Point tied for third place last season with 4-2 records. Union was 2-4 while KCU was 1-5. St. Andrews (N.C.) University, which closed its doors after the 2024-25 academic year, finished 0-6.
 
UPike will open the 2025 season on August 30 at Georgetown College. The home opener is on Saturday, Sept. 20, when the Bears host Cumberland (Tenn.) University at 6 p.m.
 
The poll, in its entirety, is as follows:

AAC Football Preseason Poll
School (First-Place Vote) - Total Voting Points
1. Pikeville (3) - 45
2. Reinhardt (3) - 43
3. Bluefield - 30
4. Point (1) - 27
5. Union Commonwealth - 21
6. Kentucky Christian - 20
7. Rio Grande – 10