Following the conclusion of the regular season on Saturday, November 7, 2026, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association locked in the seeding and four-team lineup for the 2026 CIAA Football Championship Weekend, which takes place November 13 and 14 at Durham County Memorial Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
Virginia Union University claimed the No. 1 seed after a 36-14 victory over Virginia State University to cap an undefeated 8-0 conference campaign. Panthers quarterback RJ Rosales led the offense with 211 passing yards and three passing touchdowns while adding a rushing touchdown, while running back Ramon Brown contributed 111 rushing yards and a touchdown. Virginia Union’s defense limited Virginia State to 170 yards of total offense.
The Road to Durham and the Title Matchup
That win sets up a championship clash on Saturday, November 14, at Durham County Memorial Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. Standing across the field from the top-seeded Panthers will be Johnson C. Smith University, which earned the No. 2 seed by defeating Livingstone College 27-14 on Saturday, November 7. The Golden Bulls built a 20-0 lead through three quarters, leaning on a 148-yard, two-touchdown performance from running back Fabian Duncan.
Virginia Union finished the regular season 9-1 overall and 8-0 in CIAA competition, while Johnson C. Smith finished with a 7-1 CIAA record. The 2026 CIAA Football Championship will be contested between two of the league’s elite squads in this head-to-head battle.
Deciding the Margins in the Friday Night Blitz
The 2026 CIAA Football Championship Weekend introduces the inaugural Friday Night Blitz on November 13, featuring the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds. That bracket features Virginia State University as the No. 3 seed and Fayetteville State University as the No. 4 seed.
Virginia State and Fayetteville State finished the regular season tied in the applicable standings, forcing the CIAA to apply its Sporting Code tiebreaking procedures. When evaluating results against five common opponents—Elizabeth City State University, Winston-Salem State University, Livingstone College, Johnson C. Smith University, and Virginia Union University—both squads logged identical 3-2 records.
That 38-point advantage handed Virginia State the No. 3 seed, leaving Fayetteville State at No. 4. Established in 1912, the CIAA stands as the nation’s initial and oldest African American athletic conference, alongside being among NCAA Division II’s most prominent leagues. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country.
Four teams, two games, and one championship weekend now converge in Durham.
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