HBCU Homecoming season is in full effect with fun and celebration planned for the weekend, but Fayetteville State and Miles will have to take care of business first as their conference championship plans could be in jeopardy.
Fayetteville State and Miles College will step into homecoming against tough opponents who look to ruin the fun and can make or break their chances at a spot in the CIAA and SIAC championships.
Fayetteville State is at the top of the CIAA Southern Division with an overall record of 5-2 and conference record of 5-0. Johnson C. Smith is right behind Fayetteville State with an overall record of 5-2 and a conference record of 4-1. Both Fayetteville State and Johnson C. Smith are the toughest opponent on both team’s schedules. Saturday’s matchup could go a long way towards determining the eventual winner of the CIAA Southern Division. The Southern Division Champion will meet the Northern Division Champion in Salem, Virginia for the CIAA championship game.
Miles College comes into the it’s HBCUhomecoming weekend ranked fifth in SIAC, but they not completely out of the race to reach the SIAC Championship game. The four teams ahead of Miles College are Benedict College who is undefeated and Fort Valley State, Allen University and Tuskegee University. Fort Valley State is currently 5-2 overall and 5-1 in conference play. Allen is currently 5-1 overall and 5-2 in conference. Tuskegee and Miles are both currently 5-2 overall and 4-1 in conference.
Miles will play Tuskegee two weeks later. In the new SIAC format without east and west divisions, the top two teams will play in the conference championship. If Miles College wins its homecoming game and and their final two games of the season, they will have a shot to play in the championship if Fort Valley loses one of its final conference games.
Here is the full list of HBCU homecoming games for the week of Oct. 21.
HBCU Homecoming: Oct 21
ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF vs. Alcorn State
BENEDICT vs. Kentucky State
CLARK ATLANTA vs. Central State
DELAWARE STATE vs. South Carolina State
FAYETTEVILLE STATE vs. Johnson C. Smith
FLORIDA MEMORIAL vs. Webber International
FORT VALLEY STATE vs. Morehouse
HOWARD vs. Norfolk State
LANE vs. Virginia-Lynchburg
LANGSTON vs. Arkansas-Baptist
LIVINGSTONE vs. Shaw
MILES vs. Allen
SAVANNAH STATE vs. Tuskegee
VIRGINIA UNION vs. Lincoln (Pa.)
WINSTON-SALEM STATE vs. Saint Augustine’s