While college football playoff expansion continues to be a divisive topic at the FBS level, the decision to enlarge the NCAA Division II playoff bracket last year was well-received by most.
And North Carolina D2 teams were right in the thick of things as the field grew to 28 teams.
Johnson C. Smith and Wingate made the D2 tournament, and UNC Pembroke played for the chance to earn Conference Carolinas automatic berth. Fayetteville State and Catawba also stayed in the conversation until the final weeks before Selection Sunday.
The bottom line: North Carolina is a legitimate player in high-level D2 football, with schools like Lenoir-Rhyne and Wingate enjoying deep runs into the postseason in recent years. Winston-Salem State made the D2 title game in 2012.
With that backdrop in mind, here are 10 Division II non-conference games for the 2026 season we already have circled on our calendars. The first few weeks of schedule, in particular, is absolutely loaded with playoff worthy matchups:
- Wingate at UNC Pembroke (Aug. 27) – The “I-74 Rivalry” will kick off our 2026 college season under the lights on a Thursday night. Wingate won close meetings in 2024 and 2025.
- Virginia Union at Lenoir-Rhyne (Aug. 28) – Our lone Friday night Week 0 game will be a rematch of the second round of the 2024 playoffs, won by VUU.
- Johnson C. Smith at Benedict (Aug. 29) – The “Battle of the Border” will pit the CIAA champs against a 10-3 Tigers team that knocked Wingate out of the playoffs in dramatic fashion last November (sorry for bringing that up again, Wingate fans).
- UNC Pembroke at Fayetteville State (Sept. 5) – UNCP has a decided edge in the overall series (10-2) but recent meetings have come down to the wire (like last year’s 31-24 Braves triumph).
- North Greenville at Catawba (Sept. 5) – An early measuring stick game for the Indians against the defending champs of Conference Carolinas.
- Wingate at Delta State (Sept. 5) – The longest road trip for a North Carolina D2 team will cover nearly 700 miles. A solid opponent (Delta State was 7-3 in 2025) awaits on the other end.
- Shaw at Barton (Sept. 5) – Two youthful programs looking to take steps forward in their respective conferences collide in Wilson over Labor Day weekend.
- Mars Hill at Winston-Salem State (Sept. 5) – An always feisty Lions team will be new WSSU coach Tory Woodbury’s first home opponent.
- Johnson C. Smith vs. Albany State (Sept. 6) – A Sunday matchup in the Black College Hall of Fame Classic in Dayton, Ohio. Albany State went 12-2 and won the SIAC last season. JCSU earned 10 wins and captured its first CIAA crown since 1969. Fireworks incoming.
- Valdosta State at UNC Pembroke (Sept. 18) – The Braves pulled off a stunning 31-0 upset last season against the perennial D2 contenders. Can they do it again?
Schedules for nearly every North Carolina D2 school are locked in. Ready more about the full 2026 slate for our state’s 13 Division II teams:
- 👉 CIAA Football Schedule Details: Shaw, Winston-Salem State, Elizabeth City State, Johnson C. Smith, Livingstone and Fayetteville State
- 👉 Conference Carolinas Schedule Details: Barton, Chowan and UNC Pembroke
- 👉 South Atlantic Conference Schedule Details: Catawba, Lenoir-Rhyne, Wingate and Mars Hill
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