The Virginia Union University Panthers football team is gearing up for the 2024 season, aiming to defend their NCAA Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletics Association championship.

  

Coach Alvin Parker emphasized player development and creating a positive environment for student-athletes. 

 Coach Parker
 

“Pressure is a privilege,” Parker said Saturday, when the team held its media day. “Stay focused and don’t get complacent.”

Key returners include junior running back Jada Byers, a 5-foot-7, 185-pound social work major from Bridgeton, N.J., and defensive lineman Isaac Anderson, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound psychology major from Gifford, Fla.

The Panthers open their season Aug. 31 at Kentucky State University. Their first home game at Hovey Stadium is Sept. 28 against Shaw University, marking the start of CIAA conference play.

VUU has added 12 high school recruits and seven mid-year signees for the 2024 season. Twenty starters from last year’s championship team are returning.

Byers, entering his final year, embraces his leadership role. “Gelling with freshmen is just like a big-brother small-brother type of role,” he said.

The Panthers’ schedule includes two nationally televised games and three on the HBCU GO channel. The CIAA championship game is set for Nov. 16 in Salem, Va., with NCAA playoff rounds following through Dec. 16. The NCAA championship game is scheduled for Dec. 23.