The South Carolina State Bulldogs have added the Virginia State Trojans to their 2026 football schedule, it was reported Monday.
South Carolina State will host Virginia State at Oliver C. Dawson Stadium in Orangeburg, S.C., on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. The contest will be the first between the two schools.
The Virginia State Trojans compete in the Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). Virginia State finished the 2025 campaign 6-4 (4-3 CIAA), logging a fourth-place finish.
With the addition of Virginia State, South Carolina State has four non-MEAC opponents booked for the 2026 slate. The Bulldogs host The Citadel on Saturday, Oct. 3, with a to-be-announced home date with SWAC foe Alabama State. South Carolina State will also travel across the Palmetto State to Paladin Stadium in Greenville to face Furman. That date has not yet been set.
South Carolina State finished the 2025 season 10-3 (5-0 MEAC). The Bulldogs won the HBCU national championship at the Celebration Bowl earlier in December, taking down SWAC foe Prairie View A&M, 40-38, in four overtimes. The win was the 19th for South Carolina State coach Chennis Berry in 25 games in Orangeburg over two seasons.
