Raleigh, NC – As anticipation builds for the 2025 college football season, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) released its annual preseason predicted order of finish Wednesday morning at the league's Football Media Day, held at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Raleigh-Durham Airport at Research Triangle Park. The Shaw University Bears were projected to finish eighth overall among the conference's 11 teams.

The poll, voted on by CIAA head coaches and sports information directors, places Shaw in the middle tier of a competitive league that continues to feature some of the top HBCU football programs in NCAA Division II.

Shaw returns a core of experienced players, including All-CIAA linebacker Quewon Hilliard, who led the Bears in tackles last season and was a vocal leader on and off the field. Hilliard, along with redshirt-freshman quarterback Justin Wheeler, represented the program at CIAA Media Day, signaling a new era of balanced leadership on both sides of the ball.