The CIAA has published the official tiebreaker scenarios for the football championship picture heading into the final week of the regular season.
The conference has announced that the reigning champion Virginia Union Panthers have already secured their spot in the big game entering this weekend, seeking clarity as to who they will be facing.
Also in position to secure a berth in the CIAA championship game are Johnson C. Smith and Virginia State.
Virginia Union is the last remaining undefeated team in conference competition in the CIAA, boasting a perfect 6-0 record. They will clash with Virginia State this Saturday, with the Trojans needing a win to give themselves a chance to claim a spot in the championship game.
Meanwhile, Johnson C. Smith suffered its first conference loss of the season last week to Fayetteville State in a game they needed to win to clinch a spot in the CIAA championship game.
They will have another chance to clinch a spot when they go on the road to face Livingstone.
Could there be a 3-way tie in the CIAA?
Should Johnson C. Smith beat Livingstone and Virginia State beat Virginia Union, it would create a three-way tie, with each team holding a 6-1 conference record.
Among the criteria for settling a tiebreaker would be conference record, head-to-head competition within the 7-game conference schedule, and point differential against a common opponent.
Although Johnson C. Smith defeated Virginia Union earlier this season, it is not accounted for within the tiebreaker criteria because it was not a conference contest. That means the tiebreaker criteria will then shift to point differential against a common opponent.
The pathway for other contenders
The only team that all three teams faced in the regular season was Bluefield State. Virginia Union beat Bluefield State by the widest margin, shutting them out in a 91-0 win this past Saturday.
On the other hand, Johnson C. Smith and Virginia State both beat Bluefield State by an equal margin of 39 points, which is why Virginia Union would have the advantage in a three-way tie.
In this event, the criteria would reset to head-to-head competition within the 7-game conference schedule, giving the advantage to Johnson C. Smith, who beat Virginia State earlier this season.
Virginia State’s path to the CIAA championship game includes beating Virginia Union and Johnson C. Smith losing to Livingstone.
