The East Carolina Pirates have made a couple of adjustments to their future football schedules and have added games against three Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponents, per their official athletics website.
East Carolina was previously scheduled to visit the South Carolina Gamecocks on Sept. 4, 2027, but the contest has been pushed back three seasons. The Pirates will now travel to take on the Gamecocks on Sept. 7, 2030 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, S.C.
The contest at South Carolina is part of a multiple-game agreement that has been amended several times, most recently in August 2020. Per that addendum, South Carolina agreed to pay East Carolina $300,000 for the contest in 2027.
East Carolina has also moved another game that was scheduled for the 2027 season, this one involving the Old Dominion Monarchs. Previously slated for Sept. 18, 2027, East Carolina will now travel to face Old Dominion one season earlier on Sept. 26, 2026 at S.B. Ballard Stadium in Norfolk, Va.
The Pirates and Monarchs originally scheduled a six-game, home-and-home series back in February 2020. The two schools are next scheduled to square off in Norfolk on Sept. 7, 2024.
In addition to those two changes, East Carolina has also added three future football games against FCS opponents. The Pirates will host the North Carolina Central Eagles on Sept. 5, 2026, the Charleston Southern Buccaneers on Sept. 16, 2028, and the Norfolk State Spartans on Aug. 31, 2030.
North Carolina Central and Norfolk State are both members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), while Charleston Southern competes in the Big South-OVC Football Association.
With the above mentioned changes and additions, East Carolina’s future non-conference slate is now set through the 2026 season. The Pirates open the 2024 season at home against Norfolk State on Saturday, Aug. 31.
Notable for South Carolina is that the Gamecocks are now down to three non-conference opponents in 2027, and they also have three lined up in 2025 and 2026. That could be further evidence that the SEC is moving to a nine-game conference schedule.