NC Football News

09/04/2026

Two games from the North Carolina small-college circuit tonight:

🏈 NC A&T at Georgia State
🏈 Shenandoah at Methodist (Welcome back D3!)

Aggies have many happy memories of Atlanta. Can they pull off an upset? Can they get an RB to 100?

NC A&T takes on an FBS opponent while Methodist opens the Division III season under the Friday night lights

09/02/2026

Two of the hottest quarterbacks in FCS football meet Saturday in Buies Creek.

Western Carolina Football 's Lex Thomas accounted for 389 yards and four touchdowns in the Catamounts' season-opening win. Campbell Football's Kamden Sixkiller answered with 438 yards and four touchdowns in the Camels' opener.

Now the two 1-0 teams meet Saturday, with Western Carolina entering the week ranked No. 24 nationally.

Our WCU-Campbell Game Center has kickoff time, streaming and radio information, stats, team leaders, series history and everything to know before Saturday's game. 🏈

WCU at Campbell | Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

Two in-state teams with standout quarterbacks and early-season momentum collide in Buies Creek

08/29/2026

What a night in Hickory.

Lenoir-Rhyne Football opened the 2026 season with an emphatic statement, routing No. 14 Virginia Union 45-3 at Moretz Stadium.

This wasn't just a lopsided final score. LR outgained the Panthers 505-183, held them to 26 rushing yards and allowed only three first downs in the entire first half.

Wells Bettenhausen threw for 261 yards in his first start, while the Bears' defense piled up 11 tackles for loss.

Full rapid recap, key moments and stars from 828 Day in Hickory:

Bears build a 31-0 halftime lead en route to a convincing triumph at Moretz Stadium

08/13/2026

Who's No. 1 in North Carolina D2 football?

We tackled that subject in our latest Small-College Saturdays, our newsletter (Substack) devoted to the state's non-FBS football scene.

Johnson C. Smith? Fayetteville State? Wingate? Lenoir-Rhyne? UNC Pembroke? Someone else?

Check it out and subscribe to Small-College Saturdays in time for the season ahead!

https://ncfootballnews.substack.com/p/bull-market-johnson-c-smith-starts

08/12/2026

🏈 Campbell Football led in the fourth quarter seven times last season — and finished 2-10.

So Braxton Harris spent this offseason trying to teach the Camels not just how to win, but how to hate losing.

Five things to know, key players and games to watch in our 2026 Campbell football preview 👇

Coach Braxton Harris made everything about learning how to win in the off-season

08/06/2026

Barton hit the ground running when it restarted football in 2020.

Now the Bulldogs are aiming to become regular contenders in their new conference home.

Lots of promising pieces in place heading into 2026. Can the 'Dogs take the next step?

Barton picked third out of seven teams in second year of Conference Carolinas football

08/02/2026

Previewing NCCU Football with the 2026 season just a few weeks away:

🦅QB battle heading into camp. Maybe.
🦅2 new coordinators
🦅5 straight games vs. North Carolina foes
🦅MEAC preseason offensive MVP
🦅"8 wins isn't enough"

NCCU must replace a standout QB and both coordinators, but coach Trei Oliver's program once again expects to compete for a conference championship

07/15/2026

The 2026 The CIAA football race is already giving us plenty to talk about.

Defending champion Johnson C. Smith was picked 2nd behind Virginia Union in the preseason poll released Wednesday during CIAA Football Media Day.

Meanwhile, North Carolina schools dominated the preseason All-CIAA team, with Fayetteville State, Johnson C. Smith and Elizabeth City State combining for 18 selections - including every offensive lineman on the first team.

🏈 Full preseason poll
⭐ All-conference team
📝 Quick takeaways

🔗

Virginia Union tabbed as CIAA favorite; Preseason all-conference team dominated by North Carolina talent

07/06/2026

Can App State get back to being App State?

That may be the defining question of the Mountaineers' 2026 season.

After consecutive losing seasons, head coach Dowell Loggains didn't make small tweaks. He completely reshaped the roster, bringing in 60+ newcomers through recruiting and the transfer portal in an effort to restore the standard expected in Boone.

Our season preview looks at:

🏈 Why App State could surprise
👀 Players who could change Saturdays in Boone
❓ The three biggest questions facing the Mountaineers
📅 Games that could define the season
🔮 Our record prediction and bowl projection

Read the full preview here:

After back-to-back losing seasons, App State hoping major roster overhaul restores football fortunes

07/02/2026

The second of our FBS preseason previews is now live: the North Carolina Tar Heels

UNC appears improved across the board with Bobby Petrino taking over the offense, a deeper roster and what could become one of the ACC's better defensive fronts. But the schedule won't make life easy.

Can UNC improve upon 4-8? Make a bowl? Challenge for an upper-division finish in the ACC?

Bill Belichick's second season begins with a retooled roster, a new OC and one of the ACC's toughest schedules