In July, the CIAA announced that it was bringing back the Football Championship Game. On its' eve, several scenarios have come to the fore.
I. The two nationally ranked teams are playing off for the CIAA Title.
When the CIAA's leadership drew up the championship game proposal, it was stated that: "The NCAA Division II football committee does not recognize the declared CIAA champion which has resulted in CIAA Football teams being denied access to post season championship opportunities..." The playoff plan has worked. Both Virginia Union and Winston-Salem State enter Saturday's championship game ranked in the Top 25. Regardless of the outcome, the champion will have nine wins, and defeated another Top 25 team to win the conference championship. If this does not garner the necessary recognition from the Division II football committee, then serious questions must be asked about their playoff format.
II. THE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HAS MADE THE REGULAR SEASON MORE EXCITING
With the conference breaking up its football playing schools into two divisions, eastern and western respectively, more teams had something to fight for over the balance of the season. Case in point, on October 28, two semifinal scenarios were being played out. In the eastern division, Virginia State and Virginia Union were playing for the division crown, and a subsequent berth in the championship. In the western division, Winston-Salem State and Johnson C. Smith were battling for their respective division title as well. These games heightened the interest in CIAA Football, and gave the student athletes extra incentive to consider every game to be a playoff game.
As the championship game nears, the conference football season has been one of the best the CIAA has ever seen. Whether or not it ends with either WSSU or VUU in the Division II playoffs remains to be seen. Nevertheless, Saturday's championship game winner has a very good argument that it should be in November's Big Dance. Hopefully, the NCAA will provide a reasonable answer.