The North Carolina Central Eagles released their 2026 football schedule on Wednesday, laying out a slate that opens with two road trips in the first three weeks and closes with a familiar gauntlet of MEAC matchups.
The Eagles kick off the season on August 29 with a trip to Texas Southern, marking the program’s first visit to Houston since joining Division I. NCCU returns to Durham on September 5 for its home opener against Division II Elizabeth City State before hosting rival North Carolina A&T on September 12, renewing one of the region’s most storied HBCU rivalries.
Contests against Texas Southern and Elizabeth City State were previously unannounced.
A challenging two‑game road swing follows, beginning with Gardner‑Webb on September 19 and continuing with an in‑state FBS matchup at East Carolina on September 26, a test that has historically drawn strong regional interest.
After closing September with a home date against Campbell on October 3, the Eagles shift into the heart of their schedule. NCCU hosts William & Mary on October 10 for Homecoming, then takes its lone open week on October 17 before diving into MEAC play.
The conference slate begins with a road trip to Delaware State on October 24, followed by a home matchup against Howard on October 31. November begins with two road games, starting with Norfolk State on November 7 and continuing at South Carolina State on November 14.
The regular season concludes on November 21 with a home game against Morgan State, marking the 48th meeting on the gridiron between the two teams.
Below is North Carolina Central’s complete schedule for the 2026 season, plus a link to their schedule page which will be updated with kickoff times and TV as they are announced:
2026 NC Central Football Schedule
08/29 – at Texas Southern
09/05 – Elizabeth City State
09/12 – North Carolina A&T
09/19 – at Gardner-Webb
09/26 – at East Carolina
09/03 – Campbell
10/10 – William & Mary
10/17 – OFF
10/24 – at Delaware State*
10/31 – Howard*
11/07 – at Norfolk State*
11/14 – at SC State*
11/21 – Morgan State*
* MEAC contest.
North Carolina Central finished the 2025 season 8-4 overall and 3-2 in MEAC play. The Eagles are entering their eighth season with Trei Oliver at the helm.
