Road to the Championship | Johnson C. Smith University

2025 CIAA Championship Football Team!

The NCAA DII has crunched the numbers and released the brackets. The Golden Bulls have been seeded #2. Our team will be taking on Frostburg St. (9-2) in the first round of the tournament on November 22, 2025.

Interactive bracket→

Buy Tickets

NCAA Division II Football Championship Bracket First Round

Johnson C. Smith Claims First CIAA Title Since 1969

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.

Read full story

Golden Bulls Football Team after the Team Dinner Friday

The Golden Era Returns: JCSU Takes The Trophy In The 2025 CIAA Football Championship

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.

Read full story

Football Team at the Community Service event before the CIAA Championship Game

Golden Bulls Give Back In Durham Ahead of CIAA Championship Game

Before taking the field for the CIAA Football Championship, the Johnson C. Smith University Golden Bulls made an impact off the field with a meaningful community service project at the Durham Rescue Mission, an organization that supports more than 550 men, women, and children every day.

Read full story