Multiple CIAA programs have started releasing their 2026 football schedules, including defending champion Johnson C. Smith and in-state rival Shaw. We’ll update this page as official schedules are announced across the league and link to each school’s full schedule page once available.
CIAA football schedules officially released
Click team name to view schedule page
Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls – Full schedule released
Shaw Bears – Full schedule released
Elizabeth City State Vikings – Schedule coming soon
Fayetteville State Broncos – Schedule coming soon
Livingstone College Blue Bears – Schedule coming soon
Winston-Salem State Rams – Schedule coming soon
🔍 Schedule Spotlight: Johnson C. Smith 2026
The defending CIAA champion Golden Bulls, who posted a school-record 10 wins in 2025, aren’t slowing down heading into 2026. JCSU will face two of the SIAC’s top teams away from home to start the season, including an appearance in an HBCU showcase event over Labor Day weekend.
Some highlights of the Johnson C. Smith 2026 schedule:
Elite non-conference opening stretch
- Aug. 29: at Benedict (SIAC champion, Battle of the Border Classic)
- Sept. 6: vs. Albany State (SIAC champion, a Sunday game in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic in Canton, Ohio)
→ Two straight games against recent NCAA Division II playoff teams before CIAA play even begins
In-state rivalries hit early
- Sept. 12: at Winston-Salem State (CIAA opener, Bowman Gray Stadium)
- Sept. 19: vs. Fayetteville State (home opener)
→ Two of JCSU’s biggest North Carolina conference foes show up in mid-September
Balanced home slate
- Four home games, including Shaw, Fayetteville State and Homecoming vs. Lincoln (Pa.) on Oct. 17
No Virginia Union matchup
JCSU will not face Virginia Union in the regular season after meeting the Panthers twice in 2025, including a win in the CIAA championship game in Durham.
Season-ending tradition
- Nov. 7: vs. Livingstone in the Commemorative Classic, literally the oldest rivalry in all of HBCU football
👉 View Johnson C. Smith’s full 2026 football schedule
🧭 A Shift in CIAA Football Scheduling Philosophy
For several seasons, CIAA football operated with 12 teams split into two six-team divisions, a format that created a clear geographic split.
- The South Division was made up entirely of North Carolina programs: Shaw, St. Augustine’s, Fayetteville State, Winston-Salem State, Livingstone and Johnson C. Smith.
- The North Division included Elizabeth City State along with five out-of-state programs: Bowie State, Virginia State, Virginia Union, Lincoln (Pa.) and Bluefield State (Chowan prior to 2023)
That structure changed after St. Augustine’s discontinued football following the 2023 season, reducing the league to 11 teams. Beginning in 2024, the CIAA officially eliminated divisions, though scheduling in 2024 and 2025 largely mirrored the old format, with former “South” teams still playing one another and former “North” teams doing the same, along with several crossover games.
Early 2026 schedules, however, suggest a different approach.
For example, Shaw’s 2026 schedule does not include Winston-Salem State, a longtime North Carolina conference matchup, but does feature games against all five former North Division opponents from out of state. That departure from recent patterns will be interesting to watch as other CIAA schools release their schedules in the coming weeks.
Shaw University — 2026 Schedule Notes
Shaw’s 2026 football schedule is highlighted by an early-season home stretch and a conference slate that leans heavily toward teams from the former CIAA North Division.
- Season opener: Aug. 29 at Fayetteville State
- Early home stand: Three straight home games (Ferrum, Lincoln PA and Livingstone from Sept. 12-26
- Heavy road stretch: October trips to Bowie State, Johnson C. Smith, Virginia State and Virginia Union
- Homecoming finale: Oct. 31 vs Bluefield State at Durham County Memorial Stadium
- Notable absence: No scheduled matchup with Winston-Salem State in 2026. The Bears and Rams have played every year since 2010, minus the COVID year in 2020.
👉 View Shaw’s full 2026 football schedule
Other CIAA Matchups Confirmed
While not all CIAA schedules have been released yet, here are other matchups involving North Carolina schools that we have confirmed from other schools’ own schedule postings:
- Virginia State at Elizabeth City State – Sept. 19
- Bowie State at Elizabeth City State – Sept. 26
- Winston-Salem State at Virginia State – Sept. 26
- Fayetteville State at Livingstone – Oct. 3
- Lincoln (PA) at Elizabeth City State (homecoming) – Oct. 10
- Livingstone at Virginia State – Oct. 10
- Bowie State at Winston-Salem State – Oct. 10
- Bowie State at Fayetteville State – Oct. 31
🏆 CIAA Championship Game Date Is Set
The CIAA Football Championship Game will return to Durham County Memorial Stadium for the second straight season in 2026. The title game is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 14, with kickoff time to be announced.
The Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls captured the 2025 conference title with a 45-21 victory over Virginia Union Panthers.
Visit North Carolina CIAA team schedule pages
- Elizabeth City State Vikings
- Fayetteville State Broncos
- Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls
- Livingstone College Blue Bears
- Shaw Bears
- Winston-Salem State Rams
