On Saturday afternoon, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Football Championship makes a triumphant return to Durham and our Durham County Memorial Stadium.

In a highly anticipated Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) matchup, two-time defending champion and No. 1 seeded Virginia Union University will take on No. 2 seed Johnson C. Smith University to earn the CIAA crown! There is nothing quite like an HBCU title game, and I hope you can come and take part in the tradition, the culture, and the fierce competition. The tailgating – which starts at 9:30 a.m. is always fantastic and the halftime show will be epic!

And the game – the 55th CIAA Football Championship – will feature two of the best teams in all of HBCU with the Panthers coming in with a 9-1 record (7-0 in CIAA contests). Learn more about VUU’s football team here. The Golden Bulls are also 9-1 (6-1 in the CIAA). The two teams met on Sept. 20 in Richmond, with VUU winning 28-10. Learn more about JCS’s football squad here.

Virginia Union is on a seven-game winning streak and looks to capture its third straight title. Johnson C. Smith is making its first appearance in the title game since 1972. The hype around the game is calling it legacy vs. rebirth.

“This championship represents more than a title; it represents history, community, and the excellence of our student-athletes on and off the field,” said CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams Parker. “To see Virginia Union competing for a third straight championship and Johnson C. Smith returning to this stage after more than 50 years is a powerful reminder of what makes CIAA football so special. The energy in Durham will reflect the pride of our institutions, our alumni, and our HBCU legacy.”

Tickets are available online or at the gate. They are $26 in advance up until Friday night at 11:55 p.m. After that they are $36. Student and youth (under 10) tickets are $15 and children under 2 are free. Remember parking is an additional $10, a clear bag policy is in effect, and no cash will be accepted for tickets or parking on site.

Durham is no stranger to hosting this historic football game. We have hosted it 12 times previously, with the championship being held at DCMS from 2008-2012 and 2014-2015, pulling in crowds of over 10,000 fans! Durham also hosted in 2000 and from 2003-2006 at North Carolina Central University’s O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium – featuring back-to-back Eagles’ titles in 2005 and 2006.

Salem, Virginia, was the host of this exciting, action-packed HBCU showcase from 2016 through 2024 when the Durham Sports Commission’s bid topped that of Salem and Charlotte to host from 2025 to 2027.

It is the amazing work done by the DSC that has helped bring so many sporting events not only to our stadium, but to Durham as a whole.

“Durham has great history with this event, and we are immensely proud to once again be hosting the CIAA Football Championship in Durham,” said Marcus Manning, Executive Director of the Durham Sports Commission. “We are dedicated to showcasing our vibrant community here in Durham, while also celebrating diversity and creating an unforgettable experience for fans, spectators, and student-athletes.”

DCo Stadium is becoming a hub of great sports action in Durham.

The past three years, the NAIA hold its National Championship Football Game at Willie Bradshaw Field, bringing teams and 1,000s of fans from the South and Midwest to our community.

The Shaw Bears of the CIAA call Durham County Memorial Stadium home once again, playing all of their home football and men’s and women’s soccer games in Durham.

The CIAA and the Durham Sports Commission have also brought the CIAA’s outstanding Outdoor Track & Field Championship to our state-of-the-art venue from 2023 through 2025.

But that’s not all that’s going on at 750 Stadium Drive inside the stadium, which was originally built in 1958.

Most recently, Conference Carolinas announced it would bring its annual Women’s Flag Football Championship to our stadium from April 17-19, 2026. This is the first NCAA Division I or II conference to sponsor women’s flag football at the varsity level, making this a historic occasion!

“Flag football is experiencing exponential growth at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels and Durham welcomes the chance to play an important role,” Manning said. “Many thanks to Commissioner Chris Colvin and the Conference Carolinas leadership for this unique opportunity.”

The North Carolina high school women’s flag football championships will be hosted here as well!

High School football teams from Durham, Wake and Orange counties use Bradshaw Field for regular season home contests. Also, boys and girls state lacrosse title games and soccer games from the North Carolina High School Athletic Association tournaments are held in Durham.

The Carolina Flyers of the Ultimate Frisbee Association (UFA) have put on quite a show for three seasons – including a league championship game in 2021 when the league was called the AUDL and a runner up finish in 2024 when they lost by a 17-16 score to Minnesota.

It is certainly a different experience watching ultimate frisbee athletes – and those games in the summer months are great for the entire family!

The Tobacco Road FC soccer team of the USL-2 called DCo Stadium home, as do such marquee events like the North Carolina Senior Games Track and Field and the Russell E. Blunt East Coast Invitational. Plus, you may have seen fairs with rides and vendors in the parking lot, school supply giveaways from the Durham County Sheriff’s Office, events with Durham Public Schools, and Durham County Government activities taking place.

It's a wonderfully diverse multi-use facility that we will continue to use as a source of community pride, economic activity, and so much more! I hope you have the chance to check it out!

Until next week,

Claudia Hager | County Manager