Division II: It's Another CIAA Season!

Kris Ferguson - D2Football.com

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina -- Welcome to another year of CIAA football. I am humbled to be here for yet another year as your guide. The 2018 season is shaping up to be a real arms race in both divisions. Here’s what you need to know to start the season:

The CIAA has three new Head Coaches among its schools, and all three schools reside in the North Division. The South Division features two new Offensive Coordinators and a plethora of new quarterbacks. The arms race I mentioned? John Dell of the Winston-Salem Journal put out a nice article that uncovered what CIAA schools are spending in scholarships in 2018. Surprisingly, Shaw took the top spot with 28. The reminder: Fayetteville State with 26, Winston-Salem State, Livingstone, and Virginia Union with 25, Johnson C Smith, Chowan, and Virginia State with 24, Saint Augustine’s with 17, and Lincoln and Bowie State with 12. Elizabeth City State didn’t release a number, though last I remembered in 2015 that number was 17. Despite the scholarship dollars that tilt in the South’s favor, the CIAA North remains the football power center. Last year was the 2nd time in 3 years that the CIAA had two playoff representatives, and both times those playoff teams came from the North Division.

At media day, the coaches voted the following predicted order of finish: 12 Lincoln; 11 Livingstone; 10 Johnson C Smith; 9 Shaw; 8 Elizabeth City State; 7 Chowan; 6 Saint Augustine's ; 5 Virginia Union; 4 Winston-Salem State; 3 Virginia State; Predicted Runner-Up Fayetteville State; Predicted Champion Bowie State

I will say that I do think the top three teams in each division have little margin of effort. Last year’s championship game participants were decided on the divisions’ last regular season game. If that isn’t nerve wracking, I don’t know what is. Fasten your seatbelts, for I think this year will be just as thrilling.

Without further ado, here is my predicted order of finish:

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