Atlanta has been good to North Carolina Central football in recent years.
The Eagles toppled Jackson State to win the 2022 Cricket Celebration Bowl in Atlanta, and the year before beat Alcorn State 24-14 in the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge to open the 2021 season.
It’s fitting that Atlanta again serves as the stage to launch NCCU’s 2025 campaign — a season filled with promise, a veteran roster and hopes of returning to the top of the HBCU football ranks.
North Carolina Central will kick off the 2025 college football season for all North Carolina programs when they face Southern University in the 2025 edition of the MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Saturday. Let’s examine the first match-up of the new season:
Game Essentials
- Who: NCCU vs Southern (MEAC/SWAC Challenge)
- When: Saturday, Aug. 23, 7:30 p.m.
- Where: Center Parc Stadium, Atlanta
- TV: ABC
- Scoring Updates: Follow live scores on the North Carolina College Football Scoreboard
- View Schedule: See the full 2025 North Carolina Central football schedule
NCCU vs. Southern | 5 Things to Know
1. The History
This is just the second-ever meeting between the programs. NCCU won the first matchup 27-20 in 2006. The Eagles were a Division II school at the time and forced five interceptions.
2. The Setting
This will be NCCU’s third MEAC/SWAC Challenge appearance. The Eagles are 1-1 in the game, while Southern is making its fourth trip. North Carolina Central’s other appearance came in 2018, a 40-24 loss to Prairie View A&M.
3. The Stakes
The Challenge doubles as a season opener and a showcase for HBCU football. Last year’s game drew more than 1.3 million TV viewers.
The MEAC/SWAC Challenge dates back to 2005. The MEAC leads the overall series 11-7, though SWAC teams have won the last three games.
4. NCCU Strong In Openers, Showcase Games
North Carolina Central plays well when the lights shine brightest. NCCU has won four straight season openers under head coach Trei Oliver, including last season’s 31-24 victory over Alabama State in the Orange Blossom Classic in Miami Gardens.
The Eagles also thrive in neutral-field settings, winning the 2023 and 2024 Circle City Classic games in Indianapolis. NCCU beat rival North Carolina A&T in the 2022 Duke’s Mayo Classic in Charlotte, 28-13.
5. Coaching Connections
Oliver previously coached at Southern, adding a little extra intrigue to the matchup. He was the safeties coach and defensive coordinator from 2016-18. Offensive coordinator Matt Leone also was on Southern’s 2018 coaching roster, and the Jaguars won the SWAC’s Western Division and made the league title game.
NCCU vs. Southern | 5 Players to Know
QB Walker Harris (NCCU): Has been one of the faces of the Eagles in the preseason … threw for 1,882 yards and 18 TDs in 2024. Says his focus this year is “consistency…being elite from the first quarter to the fourth.”
DB Malcolm Reed (NCCU): Preseason All-American and one of three Eagles on the HBCU Player of the Year Watchlist.
OL Trevon Humphrey (NCCU): First-team All-MEAC pick anchoring a line that returns all five starters.
WR Quentin McCall (NCCU): The 6-4 target is back from injury. Oliver expects him to “play the role Joaquin Davis did last year.”
LB Ckelby Givens (Southern): Preseason SWAC Defensive Player of the Year leads a Jaguars defense with four preseason All-SWAC picks. Givens led the FCS with 27.5 tackles-for-loss, recorded 12 sacks and forced three fumbles.
Going Deeper
Match-up to Watch: NCCU offensive line vs. Southern ‘D’
NCCU likes to play power football and returns all five starters up front, led by first-team All-MEAC picks Trevon Humphrey and Noah McKinney.
“Our offensive line, they are locked in,” QB Harris said during MEAC’s media day back in July. “It’s going to get physical up front this year.”
Southern brings a defensive unit that features three first-team all-SWAC picks. In addition to Givens, the Jags feature standout linebacker Vincent Paige Jr. (84 tackles, 10.5 TFLs) and defensive back Horacio Johnson (74 tackles, 2 INTs, 6 PBUs, 2 forced fumbles).
Leadership Carryover
Harris waited three years behind Davius Richard before taking over as starting quarterback in 2024. He now has Richard as his QB coach. That connection could be a big part of Harris’ development into an elite-level passer.
Harris has been named to a number of preseason awards teams, including the Stats Perform HBCU Player of the Year watch list.
The Verdict
The MEAC/SWAC Challenge has positioned itself well as a fixture during the Week 0 college football landscape. It’s one of the most anticipated games of opening weekend along with the annual Ireland game.
Trei Oliver knows how to prepare his teams for season openers and showcase events like this.
In what actually could be a preview of the December Cricket Celebration Bowl, give us North Carolina Central to grind out a season’s opening victory, cementing Atlanta as a home-away-from home for the maroon and gray.
🏈 Prediction: NCCU 27, Southern 23
