Championship weekend is in the Bull City. Johnson C. Smith and Virginia Union meet for the CIAA title in Durham this afternoon, a night after Fayetteville State pulled off one of the wildest comebacks of the season in the same stadium. Down in Orangeburg, North Carolina Central has the MEAC lead on the line, and Duke and UNC both get chances to make noise in the ACC.
Here is your Saturday, Nov. 14 game day guide. All times Eastern.
CIAA Championship: Johnson C. Smith vs. Virginia Union
3 p.m. | Durham County Memorial Stadium, Durham | CIAA Sports Network
It’s a rematch of last year’s title game. Johnson C. Smith (8-2, 7-1 CIAA) is chasing back-to-back crowns against regular-season champ Virginia Union (9-1, 8-0), and the two programs did not see each other during the 2026 regular season, per NC Football News.
Last November in this same building, the Golden Bulls beat VUU 45-21 to win their first CIAA championship since 1969. The Panthers were picked to win the league in the preseason poll, with JCSU second, according to HBCU Gameday. Today’s winner takes the CIAA’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II playoffs.
This is also the first year of the CIAA’s expanded championship weekend format, with the title game following Friday’s new Friday Night Blitz, per the CIAA. If you’re in the Triangle, tickets and tailgate info are on the Durham Sports Commission site.
Fayetteville State Already Made Noise
Fayetteville State opened the weekend Friday night by erasing a 21-0 hole to beat Virginia State 31-29 in the inaugural Friday Night Blitz. John Hernandez-Vargas hit the go-ahead 30-yard field goal with 1:47 left, and Virginia State missed a kick on the final play, per FSU Athletics. The Broncos are now 8-3 and waiting on the Division II playoff selections.
NCCU at South Carolina State: MEAC Lead on the Line
1:30 p.m. | Oliver C. Dawson Stadium, Orangeburg, S.C. | ESPN+
Both teams are 3-0 in MEAC play, and the league’s Celebration Bowl berth in Atlanta is the prize, per NC Football News. The Eagles edged Norfolk State 29-28 last week. SC State won last year’s meeting 34-27. NCCU closes the regular season at home against Morgan State next Saturday.
NC A&T at Hampton
1 p.m. | Armstrong Stadium, Hampton, Va. | FloCollege
The Aggies head to Hampton for the Pirates’ final home game of the season, per Hampton Athletics. It’s the CAA’s HBCU matchup, and A&T is looking to bounce back after a 21-17 loss to Monmouth last week. A&T wraps up at home against UAlbany next Saturday.
WSSU, Shaw and Livingstone
Winston-Salem State, Shaw and Livingstone are not on today’s schedule. Their seasons wrapped before CIAA Championship Weekend, so if you’re rocking with any of those three, Durham is the place to be today.
The ACC and FBS Slate
Duke at No. 7 Miami | Noon | ABC
Big spot for the Blue Devils (7-2). Head coach Manny Diaz returns to Miami, and Hurricanes QB Darian Mensah and WR Cooper Barkate face the Duke program they left this offseason, per CBS Sports. Duke is coming off a 41-3 win at NC State.
Syracuse at NC State | Noon | ACC Network
It’s Senior Day in Raleigh, and the Wolfpack just made it official that Philip Rivers is coming home to lead the program starting in 2027.
Wake Forest at SMU | Noon | ESPN
Wake sits alone in second place in the ACC and needs this one to stay on track for the conference title game in Charlotte.
East Carolina at Charlotte | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
ECU (5-4) is one win from bowl eligibility for the third straight year. Charlotte (1-8) hosts its annual Gold Rush game and has won two of the three all-time meetings, though ECU rolled 48-22 last fall, per NC Football News.
App State at Marshall | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Louisville at UNC | 7 p.m. | ESPN2
Prime time in Chapel Hill. Louisville (6-3) visits Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels (5-4), per ESPN via ABC11. Extra storyline: UNC offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino used to run the show in Louisville.
How to Watch: Quick List
- Noon: Duke at Miami (ABC), Syracuse at NC State (ACCN), Wake Forest at SMU (ESPN)
- 1 p.m.: NC A&T at Hampton (FloCollege), ECU at Charlotte (ESPN+)
- 1:30 p.m.: NCCU at South Carolina State (ESPN+)
- 3 p.m.: CIAA Championship, JCSU vs. Virginia Union (CIAA Sports Network)
- 6 p.m.: App State at Marshall (ESPN+)
- 7 p.m.: Louisville at UNC (ESPN2)
Kickoff times and channels via the NC Football News 2026 master schedule. Check your local listings before kickoff in case anything shifts.
Sources
- NC Football News: NC College Football Games Today, Nov. 14
- NC Football News: 2026 Master Schedule
- CIAA: Championship Weekend Field
- Fayetteville State Athletics: Broncos Rally Past Virginia State
- JCSU: First CIAA Title Since 1969
- HBCU Gameday: CIAA Preseason Poll
- NC Football News: NCCU Schedule
- Hampton Athletics: 2026 Home Schedule
- CBS Sports: Duke at Miami
- NC Football News: ECU at Charlotte Preview
- ABC11/ESPN: North Carolina Hosts Louisville
