FAIRMONT, W.Va. -- The Mountain East Conference announced its 2026 Preseason Football Coaches' Poll on Friday (Aug. 14) afternoon. Fairmont State was voted third in the poll, receiving 41 points.
In 2025, the Falcons finished with a record of 6-5. The team returns starting quarterback
Nino Marzullo. He had a passing efficiency of 132.6 a season ago. Additionally, the Falcons welcome back first-team all conference kickers
Emmanuel Richardson and
Ethan Vargo-Thomas.Â
Four MEC teams will get their season underway on Thursday, August 27 with the rest of the conference starting play on Saturday, August 29. Conference play will begin on Saturday, September 19 with Fairmont State traveling to Wheeling, Frostburg State at West Liberty, West Virginia Wesleyan at West Virginia State and Charleston at Concord.
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| 2026 MEC Football Preseason Poll |
| Rank |
School (First Place Votes) |
Voting |
| 1. |
Frostburg State (8) |
64 |
| 2. |
Charleston (1) |
57 |
| 3. |
Fairmont State |
41 |
| 4. |
West Virginia State |
39 |
| 5. |
Wheeling |
36 |
| 6. |
Glenville State |
32 |
| T-7. |
Concord |
22 |
| T-7. |
West Liberty |
22 |
| 9. |
West Va. Wesleyan |
11 |
( ) - 1st-place votes
*Â Coaches not permitted to vote for own team
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2026 MEC Football Preseason Countdown
The MEC will preview the 2026 football season with a preseason countdown beginning on Friday, Aug. 14 via the conference's social media channels and YouTube page. The countdown will feature an exclusive 1-on-1 interview with each of the league's nine head coaches.
Friday, August 14 — Frostburg State's Eric Wagoner
Monday, August 17 — Charleston's Mike Tesch
Tuesday, August 18 — Fairmont State's Luke Barker
Wednesday, August 19 — West Virginia State's John Pennington
Thursday, August 20 — Wheeling's Zac Bruney
Friday, August 21 — Glenville State's Jake Casteel
Monday, August 24 — Concord's Cody Edwards
Tuesday, August 25 — West Liberty's Chad Salisbury
Wednesday, August 26 — West Virginia Wesleyan's Mike Kellar
