Defending Champion San Mateo Leads Golden West in Preseason State Football Poll
San Mateo, Calif. - After successfully defending its 3C2A Football Championship in 2025, College of San Mateo is the choice of the California Community College Football Coaches Association (CCCFCA) for a 3-peat in the JC Athletic Bureau's annual preseason coaches poll. CSM garnered a dozen first place votes and totaled 324 points. Golden West occupies the No. 2 spot with 306 points, including the other first place vote from league reps.
With a fourth-straight Northern California Football Conference (NCFC) Championship in hand, San Mateo gave Golden West its only 2025 setback, 28-27, in the 2025 3C2A title game in Costa Mesa. Both teams finished 12-1.
Modesto, the NorCal runner-up, occupies the No. 3 poll position with 289 points ahead of SoCal finalist Saddleback (277 points) with Mt. San Antonio (261) in the No. 5 spot.
No. 21 Feather River College (10-1) is the top American Division team in the poll.
Major Season Openers:
Saturday, Aug. 29: No. 1 San Mateo at No. 15 College of the Sequoias; No. 2 Golden West hosts Mt. San Jacinto. One early clash of Top 10 teams features No. 8 Cerritos at No. 5 Mt. SAC. No. 3 Modesto at No. 20 American River; Pasadena at No. 4 Saddleback; Palomar at No. 6 Ventura; No. 7 Diablo Valley at Santa Rosa; No. 9 Fresno at No. 23 Sierra; T-No. 10 El Camino at Santa Barbara; T-No. 10 Fullerton at Moorpark.
Thursday, Aug. 27: No. 22 Monterey Peninsula at Laney; No. 25 San Diego Mesa at East Los Angeles; Allan Hancock at Los Angeles Valley.
2026 JC Athletic Bureau / CCCFCA Coaches Poll (Preseason)
| Rank | College | 2025 Record | Points | Previous Ranking (Final 2025) |
| 1. | San Mateo (12) | 12-1 | 324 | 1 |
| 2. | Golden West (1) | 12-1 | 309 | 2 |
| 3. | Modesto | 9-3 | 289 | T-3 |
| 4. | Saddleback | 10-2 | 277 | T-3 |
| 5. | Mt. San Antonio | 10-2 | 261 | 6 |
| 6. | Ventura | 10-2 | 258 | 5 |
| 7. | Diablo Valley | 10-2 | 245 | 7 |
| 8. | Cerritos | 8-3 | 207 | 9 |
| 9. | Fresno | 7-5 | 197 | 8 |
| 10. | El Camino | 8-3 | 191 | 10 |
| Fullerton | 8-3 | 191 | 13 | |
| 12. | Butte | 8-3 | 184 | 12 |
| 13. | San Francisco | 7-4 | 183 | 11 |
| 14. | Riverside | 7-4 | 174 | 14 |
| 15. | Sequoias | 7-4 | 134 | 16 |
| 16. | Southwestern | 8-3 | 124 | 15 |
| 17. | Foothill | 6-5 | 103 | 19 |
| 18. | Pasadena | 6-5 | 93 | 17 |
| 19. | Citrus | 6-5 | 66 | 21 |
| 20. | American River | 5-6 | 65 | 22 |
| 21. | Feather River | 10-1 | 55 | 18 |
| 22. | Monterey Peninsula | 7-4 | 47 | 24 |
| 23. | Sierra | 4-6 | 35 | NR |
| 24. | Victor Valley | 10-1 | 30 | 20 |
| 25. | San Diego Mesa | 4-6 | 28 | NR |
Others Receiving Votes: Moorpark 27, Laney 21, Canyons 16, Bakersfield 14, Redwoods 13, De Anza 11, Antelope Valley 7, Mt. San Jacinto 7, Reedley 7, Los Medanos, 6, Palomar 6, Allan Hancock 5, San Jose 4, Long Beach 3, San Bernardino Valley 3, Santa Rosa 3, Sacramento City 2.
Win Streaks: 8 - Feather River; 5 - Antelope Valley, Los Medanos, San Mateo; 4 - American River.
Opening Week Schedule
Thursday, Aug. 27
NCFC NATIONAL - NON-LEAGUE
Monterey Peninsula at Laney (5:30 p.m.)
SCFA - NON-LEAGUE
San Diego Mesa at East Los Angeles (6 p.m.)
Allan Hancock at LA Valley (7 p.m.)
Saturday, August 29
NCFC NATIONAL - NON-LEAGUE
San Mateo at Sequoias (11 a.m.)
Redwoods at San Jose (12 p.m.)
De Anza at Reedley (1 p.m.)
Diablo Valley at Santa Rosa (1 p.m.)
Modesto at American River (1 p.m.)
San Francisco at Sacramento (1 p.m.)
Butte at Foothill (6 p.m.)
Fresno at Sierra (6 p.m.)
NCFC AMERICAN - NON-LEAGUE
Cabrillo at Chabot (1 p.m.)
Coalinga at Siskiyous (1 p.m.)
Gavilan at Contra Costa (1 p.m.)
Hartnell at San Joaquin Delta (1 p.m.)
Shasta at Feather River (1 p.m.)
Merced at Los Medanos (6 p.m.)
SCFA - NON-LEAGUE
Southwestern at Canyons (10 a.m.)
Mt. San Jacinto at Golden West (12 p.m.)
Compton at Grossmont (3 p.m.)
Riverside at Long Beach (4 p.m.)
Glendale at Victor Valley (5 p.m.)
LA Southwest at Santa Monica (5 p.m.)
Cerritos at Mt. San Antonio (6 p.m.)
Citrus at Chaffey (6 p.m.)
El Camino at Santa Barbara (6 p.m.)
Fullerton at Moorpark (6 p.m.)
Palomar at Ventura (6 p.m.)
Pasadena at Saddleback (6 p.m.)
San Bernardino Valley at Antelope Valley (6 p.m.)
Santa Ana at Bakersfield (6 p.m.)
(Fred Baer, JC Athletic Bureau)