2023 Schedules

[LegalRam]

VUU will be playing Morehouse in the 2023 Black College Football HOF Classic on 9/3/23 in Canton, OH.

[4_tattoos]

VUU will be playing Morehouse in the 2023 Black College Football HOF Classic on 9/3/23 in Canton, OH.

I know Morehouse has a nationwide alumni base, so maybe there will be a decent turnout. I think they should keep Central State as a regular participant for this game. An out of conference neutral site D2 game isn't a draw. Central State definitely had more fans on their side of the stadium than Winston last season (at least that's what I saw watching it on TV). If they care about actually getting people in the stadium for the game, Central State may need to be a part of the equation.

[LegalRam]

I know Morehouse has a nationwide alumni base, so maybe there will be a decent turnout. I think they should keep Central State as a regular participant for this game. An out of conference neutral site D2 game isn't a draw. Central State definitely had more fans on their side of the stadium than Winston last season (at least that's what I saw watching it on TV). If they care about actually getting people in the stadium for the game, Central State may need to be a part of the equation.

I didn't attend the game last year, but I think we brought a decent crowd from the pictures I saw.

This game is backed by the NFL and has a built in TV contract with the NFL Network, so unlike a lot of other classics it isn't relying on ticket sales. I actually like that this affords them the opportunity to invite a rotation of schools. They have had FCS matchups and they have had D2 matchups and I believe Morehouse is the only repeat invite so far.

I know that having a packed crowd looks better on TV, but at least some schools are getting national air time that normally wouldn't.

[LegalRam]

VUU Schedule

9/3 vs. Morehouse (SIAC) (neutral site in Canton, Oh)
9/9 @ Shaw (should count as OOC)
9/16 @ Livingstone
9/23 vs. FSU
9/30 @ St Augs
10/7 @ ECSU 10/14 vs. BSU
10/21 vs. Lincoln
10/28 @ Blue State
11/4 vs. VSU

[4_tattoos]

Dang. You would have thought only having to schedule two OOC opponents would have done away with playing OOC games against conference members. Given the part of the D2 football map the CIAA occupies I didn't think this would still be an issue for any team in the conference.

With that said... on paper Shaw, Fayetteville, Bowie and VA State should be tough games for Union.

[LegalRam]

Bluefield State Schedule

9/2 @ Livingstone (counts as OOC)
9/9 vs. Emory & Henry (SAC)
9/16 @ JCSU
9/23 @ WSSU
9/30 vs. FSU
10/7 vs. Lincoln
10/14 @ VSU
10/21 vs. Bowie
10/28 vs. VUU
11/4 @ ECSU

[LegalRam]

Dang. You would have thought only having to schedule two OOC opponents would have done away with playing OOC games against conference members. Given the part of the D2 football map the CIAA occupies I didn't think this would still be an issue for any team in the conference.

With that said... on paper Shaw, Fayetteville, Bowie and VA State should be tough games for Union.

Agree, with only having to schedule two OOC games you would think schools should be able to find two true OOC games and not rely on scheduling conference members.

[gr8ness97]

Agree, with only having to schedule two OOC games you would think schools should be able to find two true OOC games and not rely on scheduling conference members.

When CIAA schools do well, typically other schools do not want to play them because a loss could haunt them in playoff seeding.

[4_tattoos]

When CIAA schools do well, typically other schools do not want to play them because a loss could haunt them in playoff seeding.

How far in advanced are D2 OOC games usually scheduled? Because I want to believe VUU had opponents for 2023 in place before they played a single game last season. Prior to 2022 VUU wasn't really a team in the to be feared category.

[4_tattoos]

Bluefield State Schedule

9/2 @ Livingstone (counts as OOC)
9/9 vs. Emory & Henry (SAC)
9/16 @ JCSU
9/23 @ WSSU
9/30 vs. FSU
10/7 vs. Lincoln
10/14 @ VSU
10/21 vs. Bowie
10/28 vs. VUU
11/4 @ ECSU

Bluefield & Livingstone with in conference OOC games too? A third of the conference has had to do this now smh

[VSUTrojans]

Bluefield & Livingstone with in conference OOC games too? A third of the conference has had to do this now smh

I think most schools have the core of their schedules done 2-3 years out. But, according to an article in the Baltimore Sun a couple weeks ago during the CIAA basketball tournament, the commissioner indicated Bluefield State submitted their application to rejoin the conference 3 years ago and the conference had been working with them ever since to bring them in. With that in mind, I’m sure Bluefield State had to hold out on building schedules during that period while they waited for approval. In addition, there was the “Chowan factor.” Seems like Chowan was never happy as a member of the CIAA (the Good Ole Boys didn’t like being in a conference full of HBCUs) and the conference wasn’t particularly happy with them. When Chowan played in the football championship game last year, it was interesting how the media kept pointing out that they were the only non HBCU to ever play in a CIAA championship.

[gr8ness97]

How far in advanced are D2 OOC games usually scheduled? Because I want to believe VUU had opponents for 2023 in place before they played a single game last season. Prior to 2022 VUU wasn't really a team in the to be feared category.

2-3 years on average

[LegalRam]

Bowie State Schedule

9/2 @ Del State (FCS-MEAC)
9/9 @ Davenport (GLIAC)
9/16 vs. Shaw
9/23 vs. St Augs
9/30 @ Livingstone
10/7 vs. VSU
10/14 @ VUU
10/21 @ Blue State 10/28 vs. ECSU
11/4 @ Lincoln

[Inkblot]

Johnson C. Smith's schedule is also up, with non-conference games against West Virginia Wesleyan and Walsh. https://goldenbullsports.com/sports/.../schedule/2023

[LegalRam]

Johnson C. Smith's schedule is also up, with non-conference games against West Virginia Wesleyan and Walsh. https://goldenbullsports.com/sports/.../schedule/2023

Wow, I give them some credit for finding those games to schedule. Those seem to have come out of left field, but at least they got 2 true D2 OOC games.