From a quality perspective, Division II has been the pride of North Carolina college football for years — producing conference champions, deep playoff runs and plenty of All-American talent.
The 2025 season looks to be no different.
With 13 programs across three leagues — the CIAA, South Atlantic Conference and the newly re-minted Conference Carolinas — the Old North State boasts as many as five to seven legitimate playoff contenders. And yes, we see a scenario where it’s possible a North Carolina team could win all three conferences this fall.
As we close up talking season and get ready for the pads to pop, here’s how we size up North Carolina’s D2 contingent right now:
2025 Preseason North Carolina Division II Power Rankings
1. Johnson C. Smith (8-2 in 2024)
The Golden Bulls’ 2024 conference championship and playoff hopes got derailed in the final two weeks after an 8-0 start. This is a team on a mission now, with a stocked roster, one of the best D2 receivers in the nation (Brevin Caldwell) and a collective chip on their shoulders.
2. Lenoir-Rhyne (10-3)
The Bears won more games in 2024 than any other North Carolina college team. They begin this season inside the national top 20. A new QB will run the show, but he’ll have plenty of talent around him (oh man, that LR running back room looks loaded!).
3. UNC Pembroke (6-5)
Questions remain at quarterback following the departure of gunslinger Colin Johnson, but the Braves still are co-favorites in Conference Carolinas. Third-year coach Mark Hall has proven his offenses can light up a scoreboard. Operators get your fingers ready.
4. Wingate (9-2)
Defense wins championships, coaches like to say, and the Bulldogs rode one of the best stopping units in the nation to a conference title in 2024. Wingate has lost some key pieces on both sides of the ball but won’t give up their SAC crown without a fight.
5. Winston-Salem State (7-3)
There’s a lot of chatter coming out of Winston these days about this being the year the Rams reclaim the CIAA throne. If QB Daylin Lee delivers as promised – he’s got lots of weapons around him, too – go ahead and pencil in JCSU vs. WSSU in Durham in mid-November.
6. Mars Hill (5-4)
An unanticipated head coaching change with a few weeks before the season opener might be cause for panic in other places. But the Lions handed the keys to someone who’s been around the program in a prominent role since the 1980s, Kevin Barnette. They’ll be fine.
7. Fayetteville State (4-5)
The Broncos got taken down a few pegs in 2024 after running North Carolina’s section of the CIAA for six straight seasons. But don’t sleep on FSU and coach Richard Hayes, this fall, though. Wouldn’t be a shocker to see the Broncos bully their way back toward the top of the league standings.
8. Catawba (3-8)
A dark-horse contender in the SAC, year three of the Tyler Haines’ coaching era could produce a big jump forward.
9. Barton (3-8)
A program that does things the right way – and has wins on the field to show for it, too – should be an immediate factor in its new conference home.
10. Livingstone (6-4)
The consummate “team no one wants to play” can grind you down and spoil your dreams (just ask forever rival JCSU).
11. Shaw (6-4)
New head coach Lamar Manigo has a proven track record as an offensive coordinator, including five strong years with the Bears from 2016-21. Now he’s in charge of the whole program.
12. Elizabeth City State (3-7)
Former Shaw coach Adrian Jones has landed on his feet and rejuvenated the Vikings’ fan base. Jones and staff should have the Vikes competitive right from the start.
13. Chowan (3-7)
Hawks will play in their third conference in four years. Now that they’ve found a stable home, expect their stock to trend upward.
Circle Your Calendars: Week One Filled With Blockbuster Matchups
The D2 college football season starts with a bang for North Carolina teams. Here’s the lineup for Labor Day weekend:
Thursday, Aug. 28
- Virginia State at Barton: Coach Chip Hester and the Bulldogs host the runners-up from the CIAA.
- Livingstone at Charleston: The Blue Bears tackle the preseason favorites from the Mountain East Conference to launch their season.
Friday, Aug. 29
- Lenoir-Rhyne at West Florida: Bears, ranked 17th in the initial D2 coaches poll, travel to face a preseason top-10 opponent to kickoff the season.
Saturday, Aug. 30
- Johnson C. Smith vs. Morehouse: The Golden Bulls open the season in an HBCU showcase game at Harvard University in Massachusetts.
- UNC Pembroke at Wingate: Our power rankings get tested right off the bat, with a No. 3 vs. No. 4 showdown under the lights. Bulldogs won a tight one at UNCP to start last season.
- Albany State at Shaw: The Golden Rams have been picked to win the SIAC this season, and quarterback Isaiah Knowles has been voted preseason conference player of the year. Shaw outdueled Knowles and Albany State 43-40 last September.
- Fayetteville State at Benedict: Two programs who know what it’s like to be on top, but who struggled in 2024, will lock horns in Columbia, SC.
- Elizabeth City State at Chowan: Northeastern North Carolina bragging rights at stake right away.
- Ferrum at Catawba: The Indians, picked sixth in the ultra competitive SAC, open against one of the newest members of D2 football. Ferrum will make the jump from D3, joining Conference Carolinas this fall.
Sunday, Aug. 31
- Winston-Salem State vs. Tuskegee: The Rams will open in the Red Tails Classic in Montgomery, Ala., enjoying a rare Sunday night time slot (with no NFL competition) and an ESPN audience.
Idle
- Mars Hill: The Lions kick off their season Saturday, Sept. 6 at home against Winston-Salem State.
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