News

Johnson C. Smith University completed a championship journey fifty-five years in the making on Saturday afternoon, defeating two-time defending champion Virginia Union 45–21 inside Durham County Memorial Stadium to capture the 2025 CIAA Football Championship. The victory marks the Golden Bulls’ first CIAA football title since 1969, restoring a legacy long held in memory and returning the program to the summit of Black College football.

The JCSU CIAA Football Championship win was cinematic: competitive play on the field against a kaleidoscopic sky. The Golden Bulls took down the Virginia Union Panthers, 45-21, in a display of athletic dominance, taking home the trophy!  Head Coach Maurice Flowers led the charge. 
 

Time stood still. The sun pierced the clouds over the Eddie McGirt Field at Johnson C. Smith University on November 8, 2025. In a thrilling turn of events, the Golden Bulls took down their 130 year old rival, Livingstone College, in a 26-21 photo finish. The Commemorative Classic victory sends the Golden Bulls straight to the CIAA Championships in Durham: JCSU vs. Virginia Union, November 15, 2025.

The stage is set for an historic finish to the 2025 CIAA Football season as No. 1 seed Virginia Union University and No. 2 seed Johnson C. Smith University prepare to meet in the 55th CIAA Football Championship on Saturday, November 15 at Durham County Memorial Stadium, marking the first CIAA Football title game played in Durham since 2015. 

Africa has one of the highest rates of international research collaboration, especially with major scientific power houses like the United States. In October, Dr. Alphonso Ogbuehi, Dean of the Johnson C. Smith University College of Business invited Dr. Eugene Okyere-Kwakye, Dean of the School of Business at Koforidua Technical University in Ghana, to the Charlotte-based campus of JCSU. The conversation on campus was an extension of conversations that began in Ghana during a JCSU delegation trip led by President Kinloch July 2025. The conversation that emerged in October at JCSU continues to shed light on international collaborations that may occur in the future. 

Medicine, music, and hands-on STEM education came together at Johnson C. Smith University’s 2025 Homecoming. Beyond the football field and parade route, doctors, medical professionals, and even a live DJ gathered on campus to showcase careers, new technology, and real-world opportunities in healthcare. At the center of it all were two Golden Bull alumni—now practicing podiatrists—who returned to give back and inspire the next generation.

Johnson C. Smith University, a proud member of UNCF (United Negro College Fund) announced this week that it will benefit from a landmark $70 million gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott to UNCF. The gift will be invested in the UNCF Members Pooled Endowment Fund, a groundbreaking initiative designed to strengthen the long-term financial health of all 37 private UNCF-member historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Johnson C. Smith University President Valerie Kinloch set a powerful tone for the State of Black Health Conference, held during September 2025 at the Charlotte Westin Uptown. In her opening address, President Kinloch called on attendees to see education, health, and equity as deeply interconnected struggles that demand courage, love, and collective action, particularly in the Black community.

The Johnson C. Smith University community congratulates Dr. Valerie Kinloch, 15th President of JCSU.  The Aspen Institute announced today that President Kinloch has been named a 2025 Aspen Ascend Fellow, a prestigious fellowship and honor.

On September 11, 2025, the Johnson C. Smith University Office of Institutional Advancement and University Communications and Marketing brought together Charleston-born leaders Councilman Malcolm Graham ‘85, President Valerie Kinloch, Ph.D. ‘96, and the Honorable Harvey Gantt in a powerful dialogue on faith, race, and resilience.