O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium isn’t the biggest venue in North Carolina FCS football, but it may be one of the most rooted.
The official history of North Carolina Central University’s home field traces back to the early 1900s and Cadd G. O’Kelly, whose student work crews helped clear the rocky, brush-covered land that became the school’s first athletic field.
Today, O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium seats about 10,000 and remains the home of NCCU football in the heart of campus.
🏟️ O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium
Location: 1801 Fayetteville Street, Durham, NC
Home of: North Carolina Central Eagles
Capacity: 10,000
Nickname: ‘The Nest’
Surface: Field Turf, installed in 2024
A stadium name with two stories
The “O’Kelly” part of the name reaches back to Cadd G. O’Kelly, an early campus leader who worked alongside NCCU founder Dr. James E. Shepard. O’Kelly served in a role similar to Dean of Men and often assigned male students to campus construction and beautification projects.
According to NCCU’s official history, students cleared rocks, trash and brush from the land that would become the university’s principal athletic field. The students began calling it “O’Kelly’s Field,” and the name stuck.
The “Riddick” part honors Herman H. Riddick, one of the most important coaches in North Carolina Central football history. Riddick, a Gatesville native and former player at North Carolina College (NCCU’s name in the 1930), coached the Eagles from 1945-64 and compiled a 112-57-10 record. His 20-season tenure remains the longest of any head coach in program history.
Together, the name O’Kelly-Riddick connects two pieces of NCCU history: the campus steward whose name became attached to the school’s first athletic field and the coach who helped build the Eagles into a proud football program.
What it feels like on game day
O’Kelly-Riddick is not a sprawling stadium. It feels compact, close and loud when the stands are full.
That tightness is part of the personality of The Nest. When the Sound Machine Marching Band is rolling, the crowd is packed in and the Eagles are playing a meaningful game, the stadium can feel bigger than its listed capacity.
It is an HBCU football setting where the band, the students, the alumni and the game all blend together. The venue is not just a place to watch football. It is part of the NCCU experience in the heart of the Durham campus.
A home for championship football
Since O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium opened in the mid-1970s, NCCU has authored several championship chapters on its home field.
The Eagles have won CIAA championships, MEAC championships and multiple Black college football national championships, including the 2022 HBCU national title under head coach Trei Oliver. The 2023 squad went 5-0 at home on its way to the FCS playoffs for the first time.
That recent success has helped make NCCU one of the most consistent FCS programs in North Carolina during the 2020s.
2026 games at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium
NCCU is scheduled to play six home games at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium in 2026, giving Eagles fans several notable dates at The Nest.
The home schedule includes an early-season visit from former CIAA opponent Elizabeth City State (Sept. 5), plus matchups against North Carolina A&T, Campbell and William & Mary. MEAC opponents Howard and Morgan State also come to Durham late in the season.
The biggest date may be Sept. 12, when the 98th Aggie-Eagle Classic returns to O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium. NCCU will be looking for its fifth consecutive win in the historic rivalry against North Carolina A&T, which included a 66-24 romp the lasts time it was played at The Nest in 2024.
Campbell will serve as NCCU’s Hall of Fame Game opponent on Oct. 3, while William & Mary will make its first trip to NCCU for Homecoming on Oct. 10.
O’Kelly-Riddick’s place in our state
O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium is more than the place where NCCU plays football.
It is a stadium built on memory, labor, coaching legacy and championship moments. From Cadd G. O’Kelly’s original field to Herman Riddick’s coaching legacy to the modern Eagles’ CIAA and MEAC title runs, The Nest remains one of North Carolina college football’s most meaningful venues.
It may not be the largest stadium in the state, but few places carry their history quite as clearly.
👉 Planning a trip to O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium this season? Start with our NCCU football schedule page for dates, opponents, kickoff times and updates.
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