Virginia Union enters the 2026 season as the favorite to win the CIAA championship after being picked first in the conference’s predicted order of finish, released Wednesday during CIAA Football Media Day in Durham.
The Panthers received the top spot after advancing to last season’s CIAA championship game. It fell to Johnson C. Smith in that game. Despite losing Harlon Hill Award winner and leading rusher Curtis Allen, Virginia Union returns with championship expectations and is expected to remain one of the league’s premier programs.
Defending CIAA champion Johnson C. Smith was picked second. The Golden Bulls must replace standout quarterback Kelvin Durham, who helped lead the program to last year’s conference title. However, JCSU has been active in the transfer portal, adding several highly regarded newcomers in hopes of making another championship run.
HBCU playoff contenders
Fayetteville State earned the No. 3 spot after a strong finish to the 2025 campaign. The Broncos have consistently been among the CIAA’s top contenders in recent seasons and are expected to challenge for the conference title once again.
Virginia State landed fourth after another solid season. The Trojans return All-CIAA quarterback R.J. Matthews, giving them one of the league’s most experienced signal callers entering the fall.
Winston-Salem State begins a new era
Winston-Salem State was picked fifth as the Rams begin their first season under new head coach Tory Woodbury.
The Rams finished 4-6 a season ago and underwent significant offseason changes following the hiring of Woodbury. Winston-Salem State also lost starting quarterback Daylin Lee to the transfer portal, leaving one of the team’s biggest questions heading into preseason camp.
Woodbury, a Winston-Salem native and former NFL assistant coach, has centered his first offseason around restoring the program’s championship culture. His “Restore the Standard” message has become the foundation of a new era as WSSU looks to climb back into the conference title picture.
Livingstone was picked sixth after showing flashes of improvement last season, while Elizabeth City State checked in seventh. Former CIAA powerhouse Bowie State was selected eighth after an uncharacteristic down year by its standards.
Bluefield State, Shaw and Lincoln (Pa.) rounded out the preseason poll.
CIAA predicted order of finish
- Virginia Union
- Johnson C. Smith
- Fayetteville State
- Virginia State
- Winston-Salem State
- Livingstone
- Elizabeth City State
- Bowie State
- Bluefield State
- Shaw
- Lincoln (Pa.)
The preseason poll sets the stage for what could be one of the CIAA’s most competitive seasons in years. Virginia Union enters as the team to beat, but the defending champion Golden Bulls, perennial contender Fayetteville State and an experienced Virginia State squad all appear poised to contend for the conference crown.
Meanwhile, Winston-Salem State opens a new chapter under Woodbury, hoping to outperform its preseason projection and return to the upper tier of CIAA football.
The HBCU conference should be fun to watch from start to finish