HBCU basketball fans anticipate Fayetteville State and Bluefield State meeting for the 2026 CIAA Men’s Basketball Championship. It’s a matchup layered with irony, roster crossover and coaching history that makes it one of the most compelling title games in recent conference memory.
Luke D’Alessio coached Fayetteville State from 2019 to 2025. Devin Hoehn resigned from Bluefield State last April and was named Fayetteville State’s head coach the next day. Weeks later, D’Alessio took the Bluefield State job.
Now they meet for the trophy.
“It’s going to be a little crazy if Fayetteville State wins,” D’Alessio said after Bluefield State’s semifinal victory. “I don’t know what to tell you about that one. I’m sure that’s the one that everyone would like to see because the storyline is unbelievable. I can’t even believe it.”
Bluefield State: Back With Purpose
Bluefield State advanced with a gritty semifinal win, continuing a remarkable run for a program in just its third season back in the league. This marks Big Blue’s second consecutive appearance in the CIAA championship game. A victory would secure their first CIAA title.
D’Alessio acknowledged the challenge ahead — especially if it’s Fayetteville State on the other side.
“Fayetteville State is a terrific team,” he said. “To me they’re the best team in the conference because of all the experience they had. Zeke Cannedy there — that I left behind — and four or five players from Bluefield State.”
Earlier in the year, D’Alessio admitted the season didn’t always look like this.
“We were losing a whole bunch of close games early in the season, and that was tough for me.”
But Big Blue found rhythm late — and now they’re 40 minutes from history.
Fayetteville State: In The Mix Since 2020
Fayetteville State is making its fourth CIAA championship appearance since 2020. The Broncos won the 2022 title over Virginia Union and are seeking their third conference championship overall.
Hoehn, who reached the brink last year, knows the magnitude of the moment — and the narrative.
“Crazy stories, for sure. Couldn’t have wrote it any better. Definitely a crazy story,” Hoehn said. “Those guys are going to be ready. We’re going to be ready. It’s going to be a very interesting game, for sure.”
After dispatching JCSU 90-68 in the semifinal, Hoehn emphasized effort over scheme.
“I wouldn’t say that there was anything too crazy that we did X’s and O’s wise. It was just we played harder,” he said. “We have to make it look like we had a day off with this press.”
The Broncos’ depth has fueled their run.
“Really dangerous,” one FSU player said of their balanced scoring. “We got five, six guys that can give you 15 plus on any given night.”
An HBCU headline nobody can believe
Hoehn expects the title game to come down to identity.
“It ain’t even gonna probably come down to a whole lot of X’s and O’s,” he said. “We got two different styles of play. It’s whoever’s style is going to be most dominant tomorrow is gonna come out on top. It’s very simple.”
Two coaches with shared HBCU programs and histories.
And one CIAA championship on the line.