The USA South Athletic Conference's football coaches have released their 2023 preseason poll. Head coaches do not vote for their own teams in the balloting.
Huntingdon was placed atop the rankings thanks to receiving 61 total points and six of the possible nine first place votes. The Hawks finished last season with a 7-0 Conference record, marking the second consecutive year without dropping a Conference contest. Huntingdon claimed its seventh League title in the last eight years. Belhaven, who joined the USA South last season in the sport of football, was second in the poll grabbing 55 total points and the final three first place votes. Maryville rounded out the top-three with 52 points while Brevard and Methodist shared fourth place with 40 points.
Since the first Conference football preseason poll in 2003, the Huntingdon program, who joined the USA South in 2013, has been picked to capture the title six times, following through on that prediction five times, including last fall. The team picked first in the preseason poll's history has grabbed the Conference crown 11 out of 19 years. Conversely, the team picked second has won the Conference championship four times.
| 2023 USA South Coaches Preseason Football Poll |
| Rank |
Institution (1st Place Votes) |
Points |
| 1. |
Huntingdon* (6) |
61 |
| 2. |
Belhaven (3) |
55 |
| 3. |
Maryville |
52 |
| t-4. |
Brevard |
40 |
| t-4. |
Methodist |
40 |
| 6. |
N.C. Wesleyan |
31 |
| 7. |
LaGrange |
17 |
| 8. |
Southern Virginia |
15 |
| 9. |
Greensboro |
13 |
| *Defending Champion |
All-Time Football Conference Records
(listed by wins of current Conference members) |
| Team |
Seasons |
Record |
Pct. |
Conference Championships |
| Maryville |
18 |
74-49 |
.602 |
4 |
| N.C. Wesleyan |
19 |
74-54 |
.578 |
3 |
| Methodist |
22 |
70-77 |
.476 |
3 |
| Huntingdon |
10 |
58-10 |
.853 |
7 |
| Greensboro |
22 |
28-118 |
.192 |
0 |
| LaGrange |
10 |
22-50 |
.306 |
0 |
| Brevard |
5 |
21-11 |
.656 |
1 |
| Belhaven |
1 |
6-2 |
.750 |
0 |
| Southern Virginia |
2 |
2-13 |
.133 |
0 |