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Miami Herald
6 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
HBCU football 2025: WSSU looking to take next step in CIAA
At Winston-Salem State, the expectations are clear: win games, compete for titles, and carry on the legacy of one of the most respected names in HBCU football. Starting quarterback Daylin Lee is ready for it all. "If it's a target on our back, I invite it. We're just going to do what we do every Saturday," Lee said during CIAA Media Day. After going 7–3 last season, the Rams know what it feels like to be counted out-and what it takes to bounce back. Now, they're embracing the role of frontrunner with confidence, maturity, and hunger. Lee isn't just under center-he's at the center of Winston-Salem State's climb back to the top. Head coach Robert Massey didn't hold back his praise."I think he's probably the best quarterback in all of Black college football," Massey said. He added, "You're not the face of the program-you're the face of the university." That statement speaks volumes. Lee has grown into a leader on and off the field. From a lanky freshman to a strong, 6'4″, 220-pound field general, his evolution has mirrored the Rams' own growth as a contender in CIAA and HBCU football. Winston-Salem State University has always had a defensive edge, and that won't change in 2025. Defensive lineman Kairon Martin says the returning unit is deeper, stronger, and more connected. "Our motto is: Stop the run, force the pass, break on the short, or break on the deep," Martin said. WSSU also stands out in a different way: almost none of their top players entered the transfer portal."We have a great coaching staff who really cares about us, a great environment on campus. Guys bought in," Martin added. In an era of constant roster turnover, Winston-Salem State is staying home-and staying focused. Massey knows what's on the line. With the CIAA now operating as one full league without divisions-and with an automatic NCAA playoff bid up for grabs-the Rams are treating every Saturday like it's championship week. "This format makes us a better conference," Massey said. "Now we're playing everybody, and when we get to the playoffs, we're battle-tested." That battle starts early. WSSU opens the season in Alabama for a Week Zero showdown against Tuskegee. Lee says the Rams are already grinding."We're working out in the heat now. By the time August 31st comes, we'll be ready to go." Last season's two losses to Johnson C. Smith and Virginia Union still sting. Lee remembers them clearly-not as losses, but as missed opportunities."They didn't beat us. We beat ourselves," he said. "It was our missed assignments."With a full offseason to regroup and return, the Rams know they have the pieces to finish the job."We left a lot of points on the board," Lee said. "We just have to finish." Massey put it best:"We're going to protect the legacy-of being a winner on and off the field." At Winston-Salem State, it's never just about the scoreboard. It's about pride, history, and continuing the tradition of excellence in HBCU football. The post HBCU football 2025: WSSU looking to take next step in CIAA appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Miami Herald
28-07-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Hands-On Leadership Rewriting the HBCU Athletics Playbook
For Tiffani-Dawn Sykes, returning to Virginia State University isn't just a new chapter - it's a full-circle moment that began as an HBCU student-athlete walking the same campus halls. "It's amazing to be home. It's really a full circle moment for me," she said at CIAA Media Day. As a freshman, Sykes saw something powerful: a Black woman leading athletics - Alfreeda Goff - showing her that this career was possible. "I knew I could work in college athletics because… Alfreeda Goff was a Black woman who was the athletics director there." Now, Sykes holds the same seat of power, building on the foundation laid by Goff and her predecessor, longtime AD Peggy Davis. "Being in her footsteps - and following Peggy Davis, my predecessor - is really special." The Trojans came heartbreakingly close to a CIAA title last season. There's no dancing around the goal this year - it's championship or bust. Sykes put two players on the spot at an alumni event ahead of CIAA Media Day. "I asked Donovan, 'What can Trojan fans look forward to?' He said, 'A championship, Bruno said [he's] most looking forward to the championship game." Their clarity fuels hers. "My expectations are their expectations - we're back in Durham to end our season in the championship game and then go on to the NCAA playoffs." The message is loud and clear: this program isn't just competing - it's coming to win. Sykes doesn't just lead Athletics at Virginia State University - she lives it. Whether taking photos with championship teams or pulling up to away games, she's everywhere her student-athletes are. "I can't be an armchair AD. I need to be involved," she said. For her, presence isn't performance - it's strategy. She knows being hands-on helps uncover gaps, support staff, and elevate the student-athlete experience. "There are things even a coach has blind spots on… Being present lets me say, 'Hey, we can do this differently.'" And that presence builds something just as important as strategy: trust. "Student-athletes and coaches earn trust when they see that you are around the program." Tiffani-Dawn Sykes isn't the only one fully invested. University President Dr. Makola Abdullah is equally immersed - and it's making a difference. "It's awesome to work for a leader like President Abdul - transformational, progressive, and sincerely interested in athletics," Sykes said. His support goes beyond suits and speeches. He asks coaches about their schemes, learns rosters, and shows up. "At one event, he came upstairs and did a chalk talk with some of our coaches. He wants to know, 'What kind of offense do you run? Is defense your thing?" He's all in, and not just for show. "Not just good-looking facilities - he wants the right people leading our young people… and he wants to see what it looks like on film." Trojan alumni have been discussing a move to Division I. Sykes respects the ambition, but she's focused on the program's current state. "There's not a hint from me on moving to Division I… though there is interest from our alumni." With 20 NCAA sports and a growing profile, Virginia State looks like a D1 school in many ways. But that's not the playbook - not yet. "People see our sports profile and think that's a step toward D1. But really, we want to win a national championship in Division II." And to do that, she knows what it takes: strategy, structure, and strong financial backing. "It's my job to bring in more resources and allocate them properly… I want us to have a nationally recognized athletics program. Once we do that, I'll entertain the conversation. But right now, I don't think we're ready." From her legacy-driven return to her sideline presence, Tiffani-Dawn Sykes is building something bigger than a season - she's building a model. If Virginia State lives up to its expectations - and if Sykes gets the buy-in she's working for - this could be the year Trojan athletics doesn't just win, it arrives. The post Hands-On Leadership Rewriting the HBCU Athletics Playbook appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
