Entering the final weekend of the regular season in the CIAA, the teams that will be competing in the conference title game are still unknown.
As it stands, three teams still have a shot at clinching a berth in the CIAA championship game: Virginia Union, Johnson C. Smith, and Virginia State.
Virginia Union is aiming to become the first team to repeat as CIAA champions in consecutive years since Bowie State did so in 2019 (they also won it in 2021 after a hiatus in 2020).
Virginia State is looking to clinch its first spot in the conference title game since 2017, which is also the last time they won the championship.
On the other hand, Johnson C. Smith has not been to the CIAA championship game since 1972 (the first official CIAA title game was held in 1970), and the Golden Bulls have not topped the conference since 1969.
How each team got here
Johnson C. Smith
Since Johnson C. Smith hired head coach Maurice Flowers in 2022, Johnson C. Smith has been on the rise toward championship contention.
Last season, the Golden Bulls finished with a 7-4 record, marking the first time they have completed a season with a record above .500 since 2012.
Johnson C. Smith has only built on the momentum from last season. It is off to its best start in school history, winning the first eight games of this year.
This made the Golden Bulls the last remaining undefeated team remaining in HBCU football. However, their run came to an abrupt halt last weekend against Fayetteville State, losing in a 27-0 shutout.
Johnson C. Smith needed to win that game to clinch a spot in the CIAA championship game.
Virginia Union
After toeing the line of being a contender in the CIAA for many years, averaging 7.5 wins in the previous four seasons, Virginia Union finally realized its potential last season.
The Panthers finished with a 9-1 record in the regular season before defeating Fayetteville State to capture their first conference title since 2001.
Their quest to repeat as champions got off to a slow start, beginning with a 1-2 record, including suffering a loss to Johnson C. Smith.
Thankfully for the Panthers, their loss to the Golden Bulls did not count toward their conference record, and they have not lost since that outing.
Virginia Union goes into the last weekend of the regular season as the only team in the CIAA unbeaten in conference competition, boasting a 6-0 record (7-2 overall).
Virginia State
Since last claiming the CIAA championship in 2017, the Virginia State Trojans have been on the long road to returning to the top of the mountain.
After having their five-season winning streak snapped in 2018 and posting a 3-6 record in 2021, the Trojans finally began to put the pieces together the following year.
Led by head coach Dr. Henry Frazier III, the Trojans have recorded three straight winning years, including a 6-3 overall record (5-1 conference record) this season.
Unlike Virginia Union, VSU’s loss to Johnson C. Smith did count toward its conference record (although their loss to Winston-Salem State did not count as a conference loss).
How the CIAA could be won
On the final weekend of the regular season, Johnson C. Smith goes on the road to face Livingstone while Virginia Union and Virginia State battle it out on the Trojans’ home field.
Virginia Union has already solidified its spot in the CIAA championship game, the only question is who will they be facing.
Simply put, Johnson C. Smith is in charge of its destiny after failing to clinch a berth in the CIAA championship game last weekend.
A Johnson C. Smith win this weekend would restore order for the Golden Bulls, punching their ticket to Salem to face Virginia Union.
However, a Johnson C. Smith loss could eliminate them from contention entirely should Virginia State beat Virginia Union.
In that event, Virginia Union and Virginia State would rematch, this time with the CIAA championship on the line.
If Johnson C. Smith were to lose and Virginia Union was to beat Virginia State, the CIAA championship matchup would be Virginia Union vs. Johnson C. Smith.
