HBCU sports is built on legacy, and few stories encapsulate that legacy more than Tiffani-Dawn Sykes’ return to Virginia State University as the Assistant Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics. On her 45th birthday, in the heart of the CIAA Tournament in Baltimore—close to where she has been working at the University of Maryland—Sykes’ appointment was announced. It is a fitting homecoming, as she takes over for the late, great Peggy Davis at her alma mater.
From student-athlete to the head of Trojan athletics, Sykes’ journey has been a whirlwind of experience, preparation, and destiny. A proud graduate of Virginia State, she got her first taste of the administrative side of sports while watching trailblazing Black women like Alfreeda Goff and Peggy Davis lead the program. That experience lit a fire in her, one that took her across the HBCU landscape—from St. Paul’s to Virginia Union, from the CIAA headquarters back to Grambling State, and from Florida A&M to Maryland.
But as fate would have it, the road always led back to Ettrick, Virginia.
“It feels amazing,” Sykes said in a sit-down interview with HBCU Gameday at the CIAA Tournament. “My passion for college athletics was really ignited at Virginia State when Alfreeda Goff was the athletic director my freshman year. It was a Black woman. And of course, succeeding Peggy Davis, another strong Black woman in that role… It just means so, so much to me.”
Davis’ legacy at Virginia State is undeniable. She won a CIAA women’s basketball championship before taking over as athletic director and transforming VSU into a model of success. Under her watch, Trojan athletics expanded, thrived, and set a standard that Sykes now has the opportunity—and the responsibility—to uphold.
There’s no question that following a giant like Davis comes with pressure, but Sykes isn’t backing down from the challenge.
“It’s quite a bit of pressure,” she admitted. “She was a really great administrator, enjoyed a lot of success, and was really progressive. As recently as a few years ago, she added lacrosse and soccer, both men’s and women’s, to the plate of opportunities at Virginia State.”
Sykes spent her Friday afternoon sitting courtside with her new boss — President Makola Abdullah — and cheering on her alma mater as both the men’s and women’s teams competed for spots in the CIAA title game. Both teams won their respective games and will play for titles on Saturday.
Clearly Tiffani-Dawn Sykes is stepping into the role at a pivotal time. Virginia State’s athletic programs have remained competitive, with football making a CIAA title game appearance last fall. Looking ahead, her focus is on taking the Trojans to prominence on a national level—CIAA championships, regional dominance, and a national presence.
“I want Virginia State to be in these conversations. When people are looking back and talking about the history and the tradition and the legacy of the CIAA and they’re mentioning Virginia State University as a national championship team.”
It all came together on her birthday, at the CIAA Tournament, in the same city where she had recently worked. It was more than an announcement—it was a moment of poetic symmetry for Sykes, who was born during the CIAA Tournament as was the first woman PA announcer in the conference tournament’s storied history. Her story testament to the power of HBCUs in shaping lives and finding the right fit.
For Tiffani-Dawn Sykes, the assignment is clear. Virginia State’s motto is “Greater Happens Here.” Now, she has the chance to leave her stamp on the university once more.