This weekend is the final in the regular season for the SIAC and CIAA, and the championship picture still needs to be decided.
A pair of games in each conference will give clarity as to who will be competing for the respective conferences, including a pair of teams coming off monster shutout wins.
Then, in the MEAC, the last remaining unbeaten team in conference play has a chance to take a big step toward clinching the title.
Here are the 5 Games to Watch in Week 11 of the HBCU football season.
Virginia Union vs. Virginia State
Day: November 9; Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: TheGrio
Virginia State looks to keep its longshot hopes of a CIAA championship appearance alive when they host defending champion Virginia Union in the season finale.
The Trojans’ championship hopes remained intact thanks to their win against Lincoln (PA) last weekend and Johnson C. Smith’s loss to Fayetteville State.
Meanwhile, Virginia Union’s 91-point shutout destruction of Bluefield State secured their spot in the conference championship game for the second consecutive year.
Virginia State needs a win and a Johnson C. Smith loss to punch its ticket to Salem in a rematch against the Panthers.
History is on the side of the Panthers, who have won three straight and four of the last five against the Trojans.
Johnson C. Smith vs. Livingstone
Day: November 9; Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: CIAA Sports Network
Johnson C. Smith has a second chance to punch its ticket to the CIAA championship game, going on the road for a season-finale clash with Livingstone.
With an opportunity to clinch a berth in the title game last weekend against Fayetteville State, the Golden Bulls had their worst performance of the season, getting shut out en route to their first conference loss.
A win would secure Johnson C. Smith’s first CIAA championship berth since 1972. However, they have a tough task in front of them against a team that has forced the second-most turnovers in the country.
It has been tough sledding for Livingstone, coming into this game having lost its last two games, including a loss in its previous contest against Shaw. They are searching for their first season, finishing with a record above .500 since 2015.
Albany State vs. Fort Valley State
Day: November 9; Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: ESPN+
A spot in the SIAC championship game is on the line when Fort Valley State faces Albany State in the annual Fountain City Classic.
Last season, Albany State’s win over Fort Valley State helped them overcome longshot odds to catapult itself into the SIAC championship.
They have a chance to do so again, needing a win, a Tuskegee loss, and a Clark Atlanta loss to do so.
Meanwhile, the mission for Fort Valley State is simple: win, and you’re in with a loss, effectively eliminating them from contention.
Miles vs. Tuskegee
Day: November 9; Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: ESPN+
Tuskegee has a chance to overcome longshot odds in its quest for an SIAC championship berth but will have to do so against the conference-leading Miles.
The Golden Tigers’ loss last weekend against Clark Atlanta put them in a three-way tie with Albany State and Savannah State for third place in the conference.
For Tuskegee to be in contention for a conference championship, they would need to win along with losses from Fort Valley State, Clark Atlanta, and Allen.
On the other hand, Miles is sitting comfortably as the number-one seed in the SIAC, having wrapped up its spot in the big game last weekend with its win over Morehouse.
South Carolina State vs. Howard
Day: November 9; Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
How to Watch: ESPN+
Looking to build on its big win last weekend, South Carolina State aims to remain unbeaten in MEAC play when they face the defending champion, Howard.
South Carolina State kicked off week 10 of the season on Thursday night, taking down the conference favorite North Carolina Central, handing them their first conference loss.
A win and a Morgan State loss would put the Bulldogs in the driver’s seat to potentially clinch the division with a win next weekend.
However, their focus should remain on getting a win over a Howard team that shut out Delaware State in its last outing.
