Johnson C. Smith V North Carolina - Link 2 -

The university is currently experiencing a massive athletic resurgence:

: The JCSU football team recently won the 2025 CIAA Championship , their first title since 1969. Johnson C. Smith v North Carolina - Link 2

While "North Carolina" often refers to the UNC Tar Heels, JCSU maintains fierce, long-standing rivalries with other state-based institutions: The university is currently experiencing a massive athletic

: JCSU's primary historical rival is Livingstone College . This rivalry is famous for the first-ever Black college football game played on December 27, 1892. JCSU's Recent Success (2025) JCSU's Recent Success (2025) : These games serve

: These games serve as a platform for JCSU, a Division II HBCU, to compete on a national stage against elite Power 5 talent while celebrating North Carolina's deep basketball culture. Historical Context & Other Rivalries

: Formerly fierce CIAA rivals before NCCU's move to Division I, these two "state-line" programs have a deep history in both basketball and football. NCCU led their most recent basketball matchup (July 2022) with a 69-56 win.