SALISBURY, N.C. — Fresh off its first winning season in nearly a decade, Livingstone College has announced its 2025 football schedule — one that features familiar non-conference opponents, tough road tests in CIAA play, and the latest edition of the historic Commemorative Classic against rival Johnson C. Smith.
The Blue Bears will open the 2025 season on Thursday, Aug. 28, traveling to Charleston (WV) for a rematch with a Mountain East Conference power that went 11-0 in the regular season last fall. Livingstone fell 38-7 to the Golden Eagles in Salisbury last year.
In Week 2, Livingstone stays on the road to visit Allen University (Sept. 6), a team the Blue Bears edged 23-21 last season behind three field goals from kicker Jason Zapata.
Non-conference play wraps up later in the season when Livingstone hosts Virginia University of Lynchburg on Oct. 25.
CIAA Slate Mirrors 2024 Run
The Blue Bears will play the same CIAA opponents in the same order as last season, with the locations flipped for 2025. Livingstone went 4-3 in CIAA play last fall, tying for fifth in the standings after being picked ninth in the preseason poll.
Signature wins included a 24-19 upset of Fayetteville State and a dramatic 15-10 season-ending win over rival Johnson C. Smith in the Commemorative Classic. The upset of the Golden Bulls knocked JCSU out of the CIAA title game and kept the Bulls out of the D2 playoffs.
Livingstone and JCSU famously played the first-ever HBCU football game on Dec. 27, 1892 in Salisbury. The 2025 meeting — set for Nov. 8 in Charlotte — will mark the 133rd renewal of the storied rivalry.
Gilbert Era Continues in Salisbury
Head coach Sean Gilbert has been head of the program since 2020. The former NFL Pro Bowler and All-American at Pitt has guided steady improvement at Livingstone, capped by a 6-4 finish in 2024 — the program’s first winning record since 2015.
The Blue Bears haven’t captured a CIAA championship since sharing back-to-back titles in 1997 and 1998, but momentum is building under Gilbert’s leadership.
2025 Livingstone Football Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time/Result | TV/Record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 28 | at | Charleston (WV) | 7 p.m. | |
| Sept. 6 | at | Allen University | 6 p.m. | |
| Sept. 20 | vs | Bowie State* | 4 p.m. | |
| Sept. 27 | vs | Lincoln* | 4 p.m. | |
| Oct. 4 | at | Elizabeth City State* | 1 p.m. | |
| Oct. 11 | at | Fayetteville State* | ||
| Oct. 18 | at | Winston-Salem State* | 1 p.m. | |
| Oct. 25 | vs | Virginia Lynchburg | 2 p.m. | |
| Nov. 1 | vs | Shaw* | 2 p.m. | |
| Nov. 8 | at | Johnson C. Smith* | 1 p.m. | |
| * denotes CIAA game |
Livingstone Football 2024 Results
| Date | Opponent | Result | Score | Overall | Conference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 31 | vs | Charleston (WV) | L | 7-38 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| Sep. 7 | vs | Virginia Univ. of Lynchburg | W | 37-9 | 1-1 | 0-0 |
| Sep. 14 | vs | Allen | W | 23-21 | 2-1 | 0-0 |
| Sep. 21 | at | Bowie State* | L | 17-31 | 2-2 | 0-1 |
| Sep. 28 | at | Lincoln (PA)* | W | 15-14 | 3-2 | 1-1 |
| Oct. 5 | vs | Elizabeth City State* | W | 23-17 | 4-2 | 2-1 |
| Oct. 12 | vs | Fayetteville State* | W | 24-19 | 5-2 | 3-1 |
| Oct. 19 | vs | Winston-Salem State* | L | 17-31 | 5-3 | 3-2 |
| Oct. 26 | BYE | |||||
| Nov. 2 | at | Shaw* | L | 17-24 | 5-4 | 3-3 |
| Nov. 9 | vs | Johnson C. Smith* | W | 15-10 | 6-4 | 4-3 |
