Two North Carolina D2 football programs will compete for conference championship hardware next Saturday, Nov. 15. Johnson C. Smith will play in its first CIAA title game since 1972, facing Virginia Union, while UNC Pembroke will square off against North Greenville in the inaugural Conference Carolinas Bowl.
The winner of both games will receive automatic bids into the NCAA D2 football playoffs. The losers won’t be eliminated from playoff consideration but will be at the whim of the selection committee.
NORTH CAROLINA D2 FOOTBALL GAME DAY: Check out scores, recaps and top performers from Nov. 8 games around the state.
CIAA Championship: Johnson C. Smith vs. Virginia Union
Saturday, Nov. 15 – 3:05 p.m. | Durham County Memorial Stadium (Durham)
Top-seeded Virginia Union (10-0, 7-0) will chase a third straight CIAA title, while Johnson C. Smith (9-1, 6-1) returns to the stage for the first time since 1972 — ending a 53-year drought between championship appearances.
The Golden Bulls have been building toward this moment “brick by brick” as they like to say under head coach Maurice Flowers, who guided 2-7, 7-4 and 8-2 teams before this season’s surge. Their nine wins in 2025 are the most in program history.
Virginia Union, meanwhile, has dominated the conference for two years, powered this season by players like running back Curtis Allen and quarterback R.J. Rosales. The Panthers won the regular-season meeting 28-10 in Richmond in September, but JCSU has been a determined bunch since then, winning six in a row.
Dual-threat quarterback Kelvin Durham pilots the Golden Bulls’ prolific offense, with Bobby Smith emerging in recent weeks as workhorse running back.
History made on the West End! 💛💙🐂
The Golden Bulls defeat Livingstone 26–21 in the Commemorative Classic — and are headed to the CIAA Championship for the first time since 1972! 🏆🔥#neweraofexcellence #GoldenBulls #JCSU #CIAAChampionship pic.twitter.com/K8PGixJnmE — JCSU Athletics (@JCSUSports) November 8, 2025
Conference Carolinas Bowl: UNC Pembroke at North Greenville
Saturday, Nov. 15 – 1 p.m. | Younts Stadium (Tigerville, S.C.)
A new era of Conference Carolinas football began this fall, with the league sponsoring the sport for the first time since the 1974 season. Saturday brings the culmination of a successful debut season, with hardware and an auto-bid to the playoffs on the line.
Regular-season champion North Greenville (6-4, 6-0) hosts runner-up UNC Pembroke (8-2, 5-1) for the crown. The Trailblazers won the first meeting 20-7 on Oct. 18, but the Braves enter the rematch off a bye week and with extra motivation — and perhaps the inside track to the NCAA D2 playoffs.
Despite finishing second in the standings, UNCP has appeared in the first two D2 Super Region rankings, signaling that the selection committee views the Braves as postseason-caliber. North Greenville was not in either listing.
UNC Pembroke is riding its best record since a 10-2 season in 2016; now the challenge shifts south to Tigerville and extending its campaign even deeper into November.
The Braves have been dynamic on both sides of the ball. Receivers JaQuan Albright, Que Kennedy and Malik Brown have combined for 22 touchdown catches. Quarterback Tre Robinson has thrown for more than 2,100 yards and leads UNCP in rushing (506 yards, eight TDs). Isi Etute has been a backfield menace, racking up 14.5 tackles-for-loss, five sacks and eight QB hurries.
Following last night’s win, Coach Hall and @UNCP_Football received a hand-crafted football from First Lady Rebecca Cummings to celebrate their victory and spot in the Conference Carolinas Bowl! 👏#BraveNation pic.twitter.com/ikLqJDSupy — UNCP Braves l #BraveNation (@UNCP_Sports) November 2, 2025
A Big Weekend Ahead for North Carolina D2 Football
While these aren’t the only two D2 games on the docket for Nov. 15, they certainly carry the highest stakes. Johnson C. Smith hasn’t won a CIAA title since 1969. North Carolina hasn’t had a CIAA champ since Fayetteville State beat Chowan in the 2022 finale.
Wingate was the only North Carolina college football team to win a conference title in 2024, capturing South Atlantic hardware. While Newberry won this year’s SAC race – there is no championship game this season in that conference – the Bulldogs face Mars Hill looking to build a playoff-worthy resume.
VIEW THE FULL NOV. 15 SCHEDULE: Visit our North Carolina college football Master Schedule page.
