Randolph‑Macon College entered the 2026 ODAC football preseason poll as the clear favorite, capturing the top spot for the eighth consecutive year.
Preseason Favorites
The Yellow Jackets earned 49 points, a tally that reflects all seven first‑place votes except a single dissenting ballot, underscoring the near‑unanimous confidence coaches and media place in the program.
Hampden‑Sydney College and Washington and Lee University followed closely, each receiving 38 points and sharing second place, while Shenandoah University rounded out the top four with 33 points.
Bridgewater College and Roanoke College were tied for fifth at 23 points, completing a tightly contested mid‑table.
Conference Realignment
The preseason rankings also highlighted a significant shift in conference composition: Gallaudet University, which had been a member since 2020, announced its departure after the 2025 season, reducing the ODAC to eight schools for the upcoming year.
Championship pedigree
Randolph‑Macon’s dominance is not limited to poll positioning. In 2025 the team captured the ODAC championship with an unblemished 8‑0 conference record, securing its 16th league title in program history.
That championship contributed to a broader pattern of excellence: over the past eight seasons the Yellow Jackets have compiled a 51‑3 record in ODAC play, a .944 winning percentage that includes only a single conference loss since the 2017 campaign, even accounting for the shortened 2020‑21 season affected by the pandemic.
Bowl Series Revitalization
The Chesapeake Challenge bowl series, which had been staged at a neutral site in 2024, returned to campus venues in 2025, providing home‑field advantages that culminated in Shenandoah’s first appearance in the Cape Henry Bowl.
Washington and Lee further enriched the narrative by defeating Lycoming College 14‑12 in that bowl, improving to a 2‑1 record in such matchups and reinforcing the league’s growing competitiveness.