SoCon Football 2026: Mercer Tabbed to Three-Peat as League Champion
GREENVILLE, S.C.— The team picked to win the 2026 SoCon crown is a program that has claimed each of the previous two SoCon gridiron titles, as Mercer is the preseason coaches pick to win the 2026 Southern Conference football crown it was announced by the league office at the league’s annual football media day Tuesday at Hotel Hartness. The Bears picked up a total of 76 points and six first-place votes in the poll. Mercer also enters the 2026 season under the direction of a new head coach, as the Joel Taylor era is set to commence this fall in Macon. The poll was conducted by the nine-coach panel, with no coach able to vote for his own team. Over the past five seasons, the Bears have won 49 games, including a 37-11 mark in league play since the start of the 2020-21 season. The Bears have a 21-3 mark over the past three seasons in league play, and have made three-straight FCS Playoff appearances, and will enter the campaign with a string of 12-straight league wins, posting a p...