CIAA Football Championship Game returns to Durham; Host North Carolina Central and Defending Champ Shaw are among the favorites
CIAA Football Championship Game returns to Durham; Host North Carolina Central and Defending Champ Shaw are among the favorites
July 20, 2005
Hampton, VA - The CIAA Football Championship Game will return to
Durham and North Carolina Central on Saturday, Nov. 5, the league
announced on Wednesday. This will be third consecutive year that
the CIAA has played its Championship Game at North Carolina
Central. Kickoff is set for 1:00 p.m.
"North Carolina Central and Durham have been outstanding hosts over
the last two years," CIAA Commissioner Leon Kerry stated. "The 2005
Season has the potential to be one of our greatest ever and when
you factor in the possibility of the Home Team Eagles and Shaw
advancing to this year's Championship Game, this could be the
sporting event of the year in the Triangle."
Last year, the CIAA enjoyed one of its finest seasons. Shaw, in
just its second season of football since 1978, knocked off two-time
defending champ Fayetteville State (FSU) 10-7 in the 2004
Championship Game. By winning that contest, Shaw earned a berth in
the Pioneer Bowl and promptly knocked off top-ranked Tuskegee
(Sheridan Poll) 30-28 in its home state of Alabama. In spite of its
loss in the Championship Game, FSU earned its second NCAA playoff
invitation in three seasons. Powerful North Carolina Central, 8-2
in 2004, fell just short of the postseason.
Both the Eagles and Bears return many of their stellar performers
from last season and are among the divisional favorites. However,
Fayetteville State, Bowie State and Winston-Salem State are still
contenders for the CIAA crown. The predicted order of finish and
the 2005 Preseason All-CIAA Team will be announced at the CIAA
Football Kick-Off Luncheon at Virginia State University. The
luncheon is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, July
21.
The CIAA will also celebrate the Silver Anniversary of creating the
divisional championship game format in 1970. In the first college
football conference championship game in history, Virginia State
defeated Johnson C. Smith 32-14. Beginning with that game, the
northern and southern division champions squared off and played a
championship game until 1973, the format returned in 1981 and
continued until 1990. The conference rejuvenated the championship
game in 2000.
Since the Eastern-Western Divisional format was put in place in
2000, CIAA regular season attendance has continued to grow. Also,
the CIAA has undergone expansion by adding three new football
members from its current league membership (St. Augustine's in
2002, Shaw in 2003, and St. Paul's this season).
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME RESULTS (Since 1970)
1970 - Virginia State 32, Johnson C. Smith 14
1971 - Elizabeth City State 33, Winston-Salem State 22
1972 - Virginia State 17, Johnson C. Smith 6
1981 - Virginia Union 45, North Carolina Central 7
1982 - Virginia Union 33, North Carolina Central 26
1983 - Virginia Union 34, Winston-Salem State 7
1984 - Norfolk State 20, Winston-Salem State 19
1985 - Hampton 13, Winston-Salem State 7
1986 - Virginia Union 14, Winston-Salem State 7
1987 - Winston-Salem State 22, Hampton 12
1988 - Winston-Salem State 13, Virginia State 9
1989 - Bowie State 28, Winston-Salem State 24
1990 - Winston-Salem State 34, Virginia Union 21
2000 - Winston-Salem State 31, Virginia Union 28
2001 - Virginia Union 31, Winston-Salem State 24
2002 - Fayetteville State 17, Bowie State 14
2003 - Fayetteville State 23, Virginia Union 19
2004 - Shaw 10, Fayetteville State 7
