The opening weekend of the 2026 North Carolina college football season gave us three days of game action. The upcoming Labor Day weekend will give us four.
Wake Forest kicks off Week 1 this Thursday, Sept. 3 by hosting Akron. Two North Carolina teams play on Friday night, with NC A&T traveling to Georgia State and Methodist kicking off the D3 season at home against Shenandoah.
Saturday brings a packed 18-game slate, including seven games matching North Carolina teams against each other. Among the highlights:
- East Carolina opening its season at No. 13 Alabama
- Defending ACC champion Duke starting its new season at home against Tulane
- App State hosting Maine at The Rock
- Western Carolina and Campbell, coming off big Week 0 victories, facing each other in Buies Creek
- Regional rivals UNC Pembroke and Fayetteville State clashing in the Two Rivers Classic
- The annual Soup Bowl between D3 neighbors Greensboro and Guilford taking place under the lights on the Pride’s campus.
Sunday brings one final game – the Black College Hall of Fame Classic between Johnson C. Smith and Albany State in Canton, Ohio. Both teams won conference championships in 2025.
Below is the full North Carolina college football schedule for Week 1, including kickoff times and TV/streaming information for games played Sept. 3-6.
North Carolina College Football Schedule: Week 1 Games
Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026
Akron at Wake Forest – 7 p.m., ACC Network
Friday, Sept. 4, 2026
Shenandoah at Methodist – 6 p.m., FloCollege
North Carolina A&T at Georgia State – 7 p.m., ESPN+
Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026
East Carolina at Alabama – 12 p.m., ABC
Gardner-Webb at Wofford – 1:30 p.m., ESPN+
West Alabama at Lenoir-Rhyne – 3 p.m., FloCollege
Maine at Appalachian State – 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
The Citadel at Charlotte – 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
Tulane at Duke – 3:30 p.m., ACC Network
Western Carolina at Campbell – 3:30 p.m., FloCollege
Chowan at UVA Wise – 6 p.m., FloCollege
Elizabeth City State at North Carolina Central – 6 p.m., MEAC Network
Elon at Davidson – 6 p.m., ESPN+
Guilford at Greensboro – 6 p.m., FloCollege
Livingstone at Virginia Union – 6 p.m., CIAA Sports Network
North Carolina Wesleyan at Averett – 6 p.m., FloCollege
North Greenville at Catawba – 6 p.m., FloCollege
UNC Pembroke at Fayetteville State – 6 p.m., CIAA Sports Network
Shaw at Barton – 7 p.m., Conference Carolinas Digital Network
Wingate at Delta State – 7 p.m., FloCollege
Mars Hill at Winston-Salem State – 8 p.m., CIAA Sports Network
Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026
Johnson C. Smith vs. Albany State (Canton, Ohio) – 4 p.m., NFL Network
📺 How to Watch This Week’s Games
ESPN+ – Subscription streaming service available through the ESPN app.
FloCollege – Subscription streaming service available through FloSports used by North Carolina teams in the CAA, SAC, USA South and ODAC conferences.
CIAA Sports Network – Free streaming home for CIAA athletics.
Conference Carolinas Digital Network – Free streaming home for Conference Carolinas athletics.
MEAC Network – Streaming home for MEAC athletics.
More North Carolina College Football Coverage
- Game Day Central: Your dashboard for following college football action from around the state.
- College Football Scores: Follow final scores and results from every North Carolina team throughout the weekend.
- Teams by Division: Find schedules and coverage for all North Carolina FBS, FCS, Division II and Division III programs.
- 2026 Statewide Standings: Follow every North Carolina team’s record throughout the season.
