Shaw's football team has been picked to finished first in the Western Division of the CIAA, and five Bears were chosen for the preseason all-CIAA team. Here are the preseason predicted order of finish and all-CIAA teams:

Eastern Division
Virginia Union
Elizabeth City State
Bowie State
Virginia State
St. Paul's

Western Division
Shaw
Fayetteville State
St. Augustine's
Johnson C. Smith
Livingstone
Chowan

Preseason all-CIAA team — offense
Michael Thornton, TE, St. Paul's
Dawayne Frost, OL, Bowie State
Rashawn Curry, OL, Johnson C. Smith
Oliver Pazdry, OL, Shaw
Kynneth Moses, OL, Virginia Union
Laquentin Blair, OL, Virginia Union
Lenell King, WR, Shaw
Michael Hampton, WR, Virginia Union
Lamar Little, QB, Virginia Union
Isaac Redman, RB, Bowie State
Tarian Donaldson, RB, Virginia Union
Devon Wiggins, KR, Virginia State
Robert Brown, PR, Shaw

Preseason all-CIAA team — defense
Willie McCordy, DL, Bowie State
Marcus Kennedy, DL, St. Augustine's
Louis Ellis, DL, Shaw
Martellus Braxton, DL, Shaw
Terrell Allen, LB, Fayetteville State
Clinton Gee, LB, S.t Paul's
Brandon Smith, LB, Virginia Union
Donte Wise, DB, Fayetteville State
Greg Toler, DB, St. Paul's
Monte Coleman, DB, Shaw
Andre Lipscomb, DB, Virginia State
Daniel Mendez, P, Elizabeth City State