Day two of a four-day North Carolina college football weekend bonanza brings a pair of contests from our small-college circuit.
North Carolina A&T visits Georgia State on Friday, Sept. 4, while Methodist kicks off the NCAA Division III season with a home game against Shenandoah. The A&T contest will be available on ESPN+. Methodist home games can be streamed via the FloCollege platform.
Wake Forest won the only North Carolina college football game on the calendar yesterday (Sept. 3), defeating Akron 38-16 in Winston-Salem. A full slate of games await on Saturday from across the FBS, FCS, D2 and D3 divisions.
🔄 Last Updated: September 4, 2026 10:48 am
🏈 North Carolina College Football Games Today | Friday, Sept. 4
Shenandoah at Methodist – 6 p.m. ET, FloCollege
Records: Shenandoah 0-0 | Methodist 0-0
Location: Fayetteville, NC
North Carolina A&T at Georgia State – 7 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Records: NC A&T 0-1 | Georgia State 0-0
Location: Atlanta, GA
👀 What to Know
Can NC A&T slay an FBS opponent?
The last FCS team from North Carolina to beat an FBS foe? North Carolina A&T, which toppled East Carolina 28-23 in 2018. Georgia State would seem vulnerable coming into tonight’s contest. The Panthers went 1-11 last season and have been picked to finish last in the Sun Belt East in 2026.
It will still be a tall task for the Aggies (0-1 after last week’s loss to Morgan State) as they punch above their divisional weight class.
But the 2026 season has already produced its share of surprises, and North Carolina A&T certainly has some happy memories of Atlanta. The Aggies won their last four trips there, going 4-0 in Celebration Bowls as former members of the MEAC.
Can an A&T running back get to 100?
The Aggies have developed a reputation over the years as Running Back U. But A&T hasn’t had a 100-yard rusher since the 2024 season. J.T. Smith led the Aggies with 51 yards in last week’s loss to Morgan State. Can this be the night that streak ends?
Methodist kicks off the North Carolina D3 season
While our state’s FBS, FCS and D2 divisions started playing games in Week 0, Division III football starts this week. Methodist will be the first of our five D3 teams to see the field, hosting Shenandoah tonight at 6 p.m.
Expectations are modest for the Monarchs, who have been picked eighth in the USA South Conference – behind in-state rivals Brevard, Greensboro and North Carolina Wesleyan.
Shenandoah (8-3 last season) is a familiar season-opening opponent for Methodist. The two teams have squared off in the first week seven out of the past nine seasons. The Hornets finished second in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference a year ago and have been picked fourth heading into this season.
👉 Looking ahead: ECU-Alabama, Duke-Tulane, Maine-App State and Western Carolina-Campbell headline a busy Saturday of games involving North Carolina college teams. Check out the full schedule for Week 1 of the North Carolina college football season.
