By james art WINSTON-SALEM, NC — Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) is gearing up for a big HBCU contest against Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) at Bowman Gray Stadium, with the winner controlling their own destiny in the CIAA championship race. This pivotal game will feature two contenders as WSSU enters with a 6-2 overall record and 4-1 in CIAA play, while JCSU remains undefeated at 7-0 overall and 4-0 in conference play. The stakes are high and the winner will be the leader of the CIAA Championship, making this one of the most anticipated HBCU games of the season at the Division II level.
WSSU Athletic Director Etienne Thomas emphasized the importance of this game for the Rams, both competitively and from a performance standpoint.
“This is more than just another game — it’s about controlling our destiny in the race for the CIAA championship.” She added, “We’ve got to protect the legacy and our fans can see the progress we’ve made this season.”
Thomas also emphasized how crucial this game is to showcasing HBCU football on a national platform.
“The TV angle is on the away side, so that’s so important. When they put the camera on, we know the Rams are going to pack the stands, where we like to sit on our side next to the band, next to the student section, making sure we’re behind our team,” Thomas continued. “We also want to make sure we fill that whole bowl, so it’s great if we see some splashes of blue here and there, but we need to see red and white all over this horseshoe.”
WSSU is pushing for a crowd at Bowman Gray Stadium, which has a capacity of 17,000. The goal is to surpass the 7,458 fans who attended the 2023 season opener as the Rams look to showcase their home field advantage in one of the most important HBCU games of the season.
“We need at least 10,000 people in the stands,” said April Reed, associate athletics director for operations and facilities.
For perspective, the last time WSSU recorded five figures in attendance at the historic stadium was the homecoming game against Shaw University on Nov. 2, 2019.
WSSU head coach Robert Massey knows the importance of the game.
“There is pressure, but that pressure is what makes us compete and win,” Massey said. “We expect to see more red than gold and blue and this support will make all the difference.”
WSSU has dominated the series for the past half century, losing just three games to Johnson C. Smith since Bill Hayes took over the program in 1976. JCSU hasn’t beaten WSSU at Bowman Gray Stadium since 1975. Offensive lineman Keith Quick wasn’t around then , but he’s aware of the success and is determined to write the next chapter between the two HBCUs, separated by just over an hour on I-85.
“Historically, we’ve been a great team, especially against this team. So we want to continue to build that legacy and keep history on our side,” Quick said. “So it’s not really a big deal. Like every game is somebody else’s Super Bowl against us. So we just want to keep going and keep winning.”