A visit from third-ranked Notre Dame, a rematch of a 2025 Division II conference championship game and three in-state rivalry showdowns headline Week 5 of the North Carolina college football schedule.
All told, 26 games will be played this Saturday, Oct. 3 featuring North Carolina college programs, stretching from Division I FBS and FCS to the D2, D3 and NJCAA divisions.
The headliner will kick off at noon at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill, with the Fighting Irish bringing an undefeated record to face North Carolina (2-1). The Tar Heels, coming off a bye week following a heartbreaking loss to Clemson, opened as three touchdown underdogs. UNC’s defense has been stout at times, but Notre Dame’s is one of the stingiest in the country.
NC State and Charlotte also will wear the underdog label among our FBS teams. The Wolfpack (2-2) hosts Louisville and has been listed as a 6.5-point underdog by FanDuel, while Charlotte (0-4) sits as a 20.5-point underdog with Memphis coming to town.
Wake Forest, which upset No. 16/19 Louisville on Saturday, is the only favorite among our state’s FBS teams. The Demon Deacons (3-1) opened with a 12-point edge against visiting Stanford.
Duke, East Carolina and Appalachian State have the weekend off.
Opening Lines | FBS Games
Stanford at Wake Forest (-12.5)
Notre Dame at North Carolina (+21.5)
Louisville at NC State (+6.5)
Memphis at Charlotte (+20.5)
Lines courtesy FanDuel sports book and are subject to change.
Small-College Games to Watch
- No. 18/24 Campbell (4-1) puts a Top-25 ranking on the line in an FCS non-conference duel at North Carolina Central (2-3)
- Elon (4-1) will look to stay in the CAA title picture with a road trip to New Hampshire.
- UNC Pembroke (4-1) hosts undefeated North Greenville (4-0) in a battle of Conference Carolinas heavyweights. North Greenville beat the Braves twice last year, including the D2 league’s title game in November.
- Mars Hill, which has jumped out to a surprising 4-0 record, hosts Tusculum
- Salisbury will play host to an intriguing day-night doubleheader with Fayetteville State-Livingstone starting at 1 p.m. and Wingate-Catawba kicking at 6 p.m. just a few miles away.
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🏈 North Carolina College Football Schedule: Week 5 Games
Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026
11:00 a.m. ET — Louisburg at Hudson Valley CC — YouTube
12:00 p.m. ET — LaGrange at NC Wesleyan — FloCollege
12:00 p.m. ET — Notre Dame at UNC — ESPN
12:00 p.m. ET — Stanford at Wake Forest — ACC Network
1:00 p.m. ET — Belhaven at Brevard — FloCollege
1:00 p.m. ET — Elizabeth City State at Virginia Union — CIAA Sports Network
1:00 p.m. ET — Elon at New Hampshire — FloSports
1:00 p.m. ET — Fayetteville State at Livingstone — CIAA Sports Network
1:00 p.m. ET — Huntingdon at Methodist — FloCollege
1:00 p.m. ET — Johnson C. Smith at Bluefield State — CIAA Sports Network
1:00 p.m. ET — North Greenville at UNC Pembroke — Conference Carolinas Digital Network
1:00 p.m. ET — Roanoke at Guilford — FloCollege
1:00 p.m. ET — Shaw at Bowie State — CIAA Sports Network
2:00 p.m. ET — Carson-Newman at Lenoir-Rhyne — FloCollege
2:00 p.m. ET — Ferrum at Barton — Conference Carolinas Digital Network
2:30 p.m. ET — Tusculum at Mars Hill — FloCollege
3:30 p.m. ET — Louisville at NC State — ACC Network
3:30 p.m. ET — Memphis at Charlotte — ESPN+
4:00 p.m. ET — Davidson at San Diego — ESPN+
5:00 p.m. ET — Chowan at West Alabama — FloCollege
6:00 p.m. ET — Campbell at NC Central — MEAC Digital Network
6:00 p.m. ET — Gardner-Webb at Charleston Southern — ESPN+
6:00 p.m. ET — NC A&T at Bryant — FloCollege
6:00 p.m. ET — Southern Virginia at Greensboro — FloCollege
6:00 p.m. ET — Tennessee Tech at Western Carolina — ESPN+/Nexstar
6:00 p.m. ET — Wingate at Catawba — FloCollege
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.
