Two of North Carolina’s top Division II football teams from 2024 will collide on the field this spring. Taking advantage of a new NCAA ruling, Johnson C. Smith will scrimmage at Wingate on Saturday, April 5.
In 2023, the NCAA began allowing D2 programs to compete against another four-year college as one of its permissible 11-on-11 scrimmages during the off-season. The scrimmage between the Golden Bulls and Bulldogs will start at 1 p.m. at Wingate’s Irwin Belk Stadium.
Johnson C. Smith vs. Wingate is a marquee match-up we almost saw during the 2024 playoffs. JCSU started the year 8-0 before losing the last two games and falling out of playoff contention. Wingate won nine games last season, including the South Atlantic Conference championship trophy, before falling to Virginia Union in the D2 playoffs.
Both Johnson C. Smith and Wingate will hold regular spring games as well as the neighborhood D2 showdown. Both spring games will be Friday, April 11, with Johnson C. Smith’s game set to begin at 6 p.m.
CIAA standouts will compete in HBCU Legacy Bowl on Saturday
Johnson C. Smith will have two participants in this weekend’s HBCU Legacy Bowl in New Orleans. Linebackers Benari Black and Jack Smith, who combined for 200 tackles in 2024, will play in the HBCU showcase game for NFL-draft eligible players on Saturday at Tulane’s Yulman Stadium..
Black was voted the CIAA’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2024. He led the conference with 114 tackles and also had 14.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.. Smith added 86 tackles and picked off two passes.
Other North Carolina Division II players participating in the HBCU Legacy Bowl and HBCU Combine this week include wide receiver Ah’shaan Belcher (Shaw), tight end Kameron King (Fayetteville State), offensive lineman Keith Quick (Winston-Salem State), defensive lineman Shi Gaskin (Fayetteville State), defensive lineman Saevion Gibbs (Shaw), defensive back Justin Fleming (Winston-Salem State) and Kolby Merritt (Fayetteville State).
Spring Games Filling Up Division II Calendar
Not every D2 school in our state has announced their spring schedule. Here is what we know about spring games so far:
UNC Pembroke: Friday, April 4, TBA
Johnson C. Smith: Friday, April 11 at 6 pm.
Wingate: Friday, April 11, TBA
Lenoir-Rhyne: Saturday, April 12 at 11 a.m.
Mars Hill: Saturday, April 12 at 3 p.m.
Barton: Saturday, April 12, TBA
Chowan: Saturday, April 12, TBA
Explore our 2025 Spring Game Tracker
Check out our 2025 Master Schedule: It’s still under construction but it will eventually contain every 2025 game involving every North Carolina college program.
