Black Athletes in the Spotlight: HBCU Sports & Local Highlights
- Season opens Friday, August 28 at Lenoir-Rhyne, rematch of November 2024 44-12 playoff win.
- Home and conference opener the following Saturday against Livingstone Blue Bears.
- Sept 12 road game at former CIAA foe Chowan, first meeting since 2022 loss that hurt championship hopes.
- After a 9-3 2025, Virginia Union lost the CIAA title to Johnson C. Smith; star RB Curtis Allen departs after winning the Harlon Hill.
The Virginia Union Panthers begin their road back to the top of the CIAA with the announcement of their schedule for the 2026 football season.
Their journey begins on the road in a matchup against perennial Division II contender Lenoir-Rhyne on Friday, August 28. The last time these teams played each other was in November 2024 when the Panthers claimed a dominant 44-12 win to advance to the Regional Finals of the Division II Playoffs.
They will then open their conference schedule the following Saturday against the Livingstone Blue Bears in what will also be their home opener.
Virginia Union to face old CIAA foe
On Saturday, September 12, the Panthers will take a trip down memory lane when they go on the road to face former CIAA foe Chowan. This will be their first time facing Chowan since they left the conference in 2022, a game that Virginia Union lost, virtually eliminating them from CIAA championship contention.
The rest of the season will see Virginia Union deep in conference competition, with notable games including a clash on the road against Fayetteville State on September 26, a homecoming date against Shaw on October 24, and ending the season like it does every year against Virginia State on November 7.
The Virginia Union Panthers finished the 2025 season with a 9-3 overall record, having fallen short of a third straight CIAA championship after losing 45-21 against Johnson C. Smith in the title game.
Despite this, VUU made it into the Division II playoffs for the fourth straight year, becoming one of five teams to do so in that time span.
The program will be moving on from star running back Curtis Allen, following a historic season in which he became the first HBCU player to win the Harlon Hill trophy (Division II equivalent of the Heisman trophy).
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