SUWANEE, Ga. - Hendrix was voted to finish second in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference after exclusive polling conducted among the league's six head coaches, the conference office announced on Monday.

The Warriors earned two first place votes, falling just short of Texas Lutheran, who finished atop the poll.

With the offseason addition of Gallaudet, the conference will have an automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs in football for the first time since 2011. The winner of the 2026 SCAC Championship Game at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock will receive the conference's bid.

Hendrix is coming off a 6-4 (3-2 SCAC) season and a third place finish in 2025. Buck Buchanan's squad returns 15 starters from the 2025 roster, including senior receivers Westin Bruce, whose 2025 season ranked among the nation's best for all wideouts.

The Warriors open the season on September 12 in Conway as they host Huntingdon College for a 1:00 PM kick-off at Young-Wise Memorial Stadium. Hendrix will play three true home games in Conway, with their remaining contests all on the road leading up to War Memorial. League play in the SCAC kicks off on October 10 as Hendrix hosts Centenary College for Homecoming Weekend.

SCAC Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Texas Lutheran - 34 (4)
2. Hendrix - 32 (2)
3. Centenary - 18
T-4. Austin College - 17
T-4. Lyon College - 17
6. Gallaudet - 14