CHARLOTTE, NC (November 8, 2025) – For 112 years, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) has been defined by student-athletes who rise, excel, and carry a history much larger than their own careers. This season, three CIAA football student-athletes are not just among the best in the country; they are leading it. A senior, a junior, and a sophomore. Three different stages of a journey. One conference standard. Their success is not a surprise. It is a continuation.
Curtis Allen – Virginia Union
Senior running back, national leader in six statistical categories
For three seasons, Curtis Allen played behind one of the most dynamic players in CIAA history, two-time CIAA Player of the Year Jada Byers, a back whose name is etched into the record books of not only Virginia Union and the CIAA, but also the NCAA. Allen studied. He learned. He prepared. He waited for his moment with patience, discipline, and belief.
Now, in his senior year, that moment has arrived, and he is owning it. Allen leads the nation in rushing yards, rushing yards per game, rushing touchdowns, all-purpose yards, total points scored, and scoring average. No other player in Division II leads more than one category. Allen leads six. What was once potential has become production. What once was a backup story has become a season that will be remembered long after the standings reset.
The understudy has become the standard.
Kenyon Garner – Livingstone
Sophomore defensive end, national leader in sacks
On the other side of the ball, sophomore defensive end Kenyon Garner is proving that dominance does not require age, only impact. Leading the nation with 14 sacks, Garner has turned disruption into routine. Quarterbacks feel him before they see him. Offensive schemes bend in his direction before the snap. He has not waited for experience; he is forcing it to catch up to him.
If Allen represents what years of development can produce, Garner represents what the future already looks like; young, relentless, and fearless.
Zyaire Tart – Virginia Union
Junior return specialist, national leader in punt return average
In special teams, junior Zyaire Tart leads the nation in punt return average at 21.9 yards per return. Where most see a transition play, Tart sees opportunity. His returns do more than flip fields; they flip momentum. In a conference built on impact, his value is measured not just in yards gained, but in the confidence that a game can change the moment the ball touches his hands.
He is proof that the CIAA produces playmakers in every phase of the game.
A Legacy That Does Not Fade
“These young men are not just having breakout seasons, they are continuing a legacy that started long before any of us arrived,” said CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams Parker. “They represent what it looks like when talent is developed, patience is rewarded, and opportunity is met with preparation. The CIAA has always been a conference of excellence, and this season is another reminder of that truth.”
From Willard Bailey to Richard Huntley, from Ben Coates to Jethro Pugh, from Jada Byers to Curtis Allen, the story repeats, evolves, and expands, but never disappears. The CIAA does not chase recognition. The CIAA builds legacy. The CIAA develops greatness. And this season, greatness is leading the nation, again.
Media Contact
Anna M. Butzlaff
Associate Commissioner, Strategic Communications
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA)
abutzlaff@theciaa.com
About the CIAA
Founded in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is the first and longest running African American athletic conference in the U.S. and one of the most recognized conferences in Division II. The CIAA conducts 14 championships attended by more than 150,000 fans from around the country. The Basketball Tournament has been honored as a 2019 Champion of Economic Impact in Sports Tourism by Sports Destination Management, the leading publication with the largest circulation of sports event planners and tournament directors in the sports tourism market, for both 2018 and 2019.
Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the CIAA is governed by the Presidents and Chancellors of its 12 member institutions: Bowie State University, Bluefield State University, Claflin University, Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania, Livingstone College, Shaw University, Virginia State University, Virginia Union University, and Winston-Salem State University. For more information on the CIAA, visit theciaa.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.