LUT WILLIAMS BCSP Editor
Title-game matchups for the CIAA and SIAC can be decided this weekend.
The CIAA race
Virginia Union and Fayetteville State, both atop the CIAA race with 5-0 records with two games left in the regular season, can clinch
berths in the Nov. 15 CIAA Championship Game in Durham, N. C. with wins Saturday.
VUU (7-1) is on the road for a 6 p.m. start at Bluefield State (3-5, 2-3 CIAA) looking to clinch the Panthers’ third straight championship game appearance after back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. The Big Blue Sports Network is streaming the game. VUU beat Bluefield State 91-0 in the 2024 regular season.
Earlier Saturday, FSU (5-3) has a critical showdown at home vs. Johnson C. Smith (7-1, 4-1 CIAA) at 1 p.m. to be streamed on HBCUgo.
tv. A Broncos’ win would earn Richard Hayes’s troops their seventh championship game appearance in eight seasons. A JCSU win
however puts the Golden Bulls in the drivers’ seat for the title game berth.
The SIAC race
After its’ 31-13 win over Benedict Saturday knocked the Tigers from the unbeaten ranks, Albany State (7-1) is alone on top of the SIAC race at 6-0 as it hosts Savannah State (4-4, 3-3) Saturday (1 p.m., ESPN+). A win by Albany State clinches the home field for the Nov. 15
Championship game.
Benedict (7-1, 6-1 SIAC) is tied for second in the loss column but is a half-game ahead of Kentucky State (6-2, 5-1). Benedict has a non-conference homecoming game Saturday (2p.m., SIAC Network) vs. Virginia-Lynchburg. KSU is hosting Clark Atlanta (2-6, 1-5), ASU closes the regular season next week in Columbus, Ga. vs. Fort Valley State. Benedict closes the regular season at Savannah State while Kentucky State has a Nov. 8 date at Lane.
The MEAC race
The three winners in the first week of MEAC play all have home dates this week. Delaware State (5-3, 1-0 MEAC) and first-year head coach DeSean Jackson, fresh off a stunning 35-26 win at North Carolina Central’s homecoming, has moved its home date vs. Norfolk State to Thursday (7:30 p.m.,ESPNU) at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field home of the NFL’s Eagles. The game will match Jackson’s Hornets against first-year NSU head coach Michael Vick’s Spartans (1-7, 0-1). Jackson and Vick were teammates on the Eagles during their NFL careers.
NCCU (5-3, 0-1) looks to bounce back Saturday (1 p.m., ESPN+) at Howard (4-4, 1-0) who got a 33-27 win in overtime vs. Morgan State (3-5, 0-1) Saturday.
Defending champion South Carolina State (5-3, 1-0), who got a 51-20 win at NSU’s homecoming, hosts MSU (2 p.m., ESPN+).
The SWAC race
Grambling State handed Jackson State its first conference loss in a last-second 26-24 win in Las Vegas Saturday evening. It leaves JSU
(5-2, 3-1 SWAC E) tied with Alabama State (5-2, 3-1) for the East Division lead. JSU holds ahead-to-head 38-34 win over ‘Bama State.
This week JSU is at (6 p.m., ESPN+) Florida A&M (3-4, 2-1) likely playing without starting QB Jacobian Morgan who went out late in the first quarter of the Grambling game. Alabama State has a game-to-watch (2 p.m.,SWACTV) at West Division leader Prairie View A&M (6-2, 4-0). Bethune-Cookman (4-4, 3-1 E) is hosting (2 p.m., SWAC TV) Miss. Valley State (1-6, 0-3 E).
Texas Southern (4-3, 3-1 W) is hosting (2 p.m.) Alcorn State (2-6, 1-3 W) while Grambling (5-3, 2-2 W) hosts (2 p.m., SWAC TV) Alabama
A&M (4-4, 1-3 E).