NCCU Announces 2018 Football Schedule & Spring Football Game

Durham, NC – North Carolina Central University’s 2018 football schedule includes six games in Durham, North Carolina, plus visits to Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware and Florida.

The Eagles will play five home games inside O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium, including against rival North Carolina A&T, and will make the three-mile drive to Duke University for the Bull City Gridiron Classic.

NCCU kicks off the 2018 season on Sunday, Sept. 2 against Prairie View A&M inside Georgia State Stadium in Atlanta as part of the annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge. The game, owned and operated by ESPN Events, will be televised live on ESPN2.

The Eagles’ first home game is on Sept. 8 versus Saint Augustine’s, a former Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) opponent. NCCU holds a 29-2-1 overall advantage in the series, including five straight wins.

NCCU begins conference play on Sept. 15 at South Carolina State. After a 33-28 victory last season, the Eagles narrowed the series deficit to the Bulldogs to 12-11 since the first match-up in 1927.

NCCU returns to Durham on Sept. 22, taking a short trip to Wallace Wade Stadium to play Duke. The Blue Devils have won all six contests in the series with the Eagles that started in 2009, including last year’s 60-7 result.

The Eagles then host back-to-back home games on Sept. 29 versus Florida A&M and Oct. 6 against Howard. The Rattlers lead the series 6-4-1, but the Eagles have won the last three outings. NCCU has defeated the Bison in six straight contests to take a 12-9-1 advantage in the series.

After an open week in the schedule (Oct. 13), NCCU returns to MEAC action by visiting Norfolk State on Oct. 20. The Spartans edged the Eagles 28-21 in Durham last season to snap a five-game losing skid versus NCCU. The Eagles lead the series 9-6.

NCCU heads north on Oct. 27 to challenge Delaware State. The Eagles have won nine of the last 10 meetings against the Hornets, including five in-a-row, to improve its series lead over DSU to 18-6.

NCCU will celebrate homecoming on Nov. 3 against Edward Waters College, an NAIA football program out of Jacksonville, Florida. The Eagles have won all four prior meetings with the Tigers between 2001-10. The Eagles also boast a record of 63-19-2 (.762 winning percentage) on homecoming since 1931.

On Nov. 10, the Eagles travel to the Sunshine State to face Bethune-Cookman. The Wildcats ended NCCU’s chance at a MEAC title last year when they completed a Hail Mary pass on the final play of the game in Durham. BCU leads the series 7-2.

NCCU will salute its seniors on Nov. 17 prior to the 90th meeting against rival North Carolina A&T in Durham. The Eagles have won three of the last four match-ups, but the Aggies triumphed by a score of 24-10 last season.

The Eagles look to make a return trip to the Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl on Dec. 15 inside the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta against the champion from the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

NCCU will hold its spring football game on Saturday, April 21 at 4 p.m. inside O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium.

For more information about NCCU football, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.

2018 NCCU Football Schedule