Johnson C. Smith University Claims 2025 CIAA Football Championship

by Marlena Chertock |

Johnson C. Smith University defeated two-time defending champion Virginia Union University 45-21 at the 2025 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Football Championship on Nov. 15, 2025—the Golden Bulls’ first CIAA football title since 1969.

Johnson C. Smith University defeated two-time defending champion Virginia Union University 45-21 at the 2025 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Football Championship on Nov. 15, 2025—the Golden Bulls’ first CIAA football title since 1969, according to a press release on the university’s website. Both universities are UNCF-member institutions.

The victory returns Johnson C. Smith University’s football program to the summit of Black college football for the first time in more than half a century.

Johnson C. Smith University defeated two-time defending champion Virginia Union University 45-21 at the 2025 Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Football Championship on Nov. 15, 2025—the Golden Bulls’ first CIAA football title since 1969.

“This championship was more than a game; it was a powerful reminder of what tradition, resilience and belief can build,” said CIAA Commissioner Jacqueline “Jacqie” McWilliams Parker in the press release. “Johnson C. Smith played with heart, purpose and an understanding of the history they were stepping into. Today they did not just win a title, they restored a legacy that means so much to their campus, their alumni and to the CIAA. We celebrate them, and we celebrate the competitive spirit both programs brought to this championship stage.”

“I’m proud of these players,” said Head Coach Maurice Flowers, named the 2025 CIAA Coach of the Year, in another university press release. “I’m proud of this coaching staff. And I’m proud of what this means for JCSU.”

JCSU received funding from the Mayors Racial Equity Initiative to renovate its football field, build a weight training facility and recruit top athletes—$970,000 was allocated toward scholarships.

“1969. 1972. It’s been that long since we’ve been on this stage—since we’ve played for a championship,” Flowers shared. “And today, this group, this team, brought us back.”