The North Carolina college football season heads into Week 11 with D2 conference title games, high-stakes ACC contests, FCS games with league championship implications and multiple in-state rivalries highlighting the schedule.
Twenty-two games involving North Carolina college football programs are on tap Thursday through Saturday, Nov. 12-14, with several of the biggest contests coming in our small-college divisions.
Johnson C. Smith and Virginia Union will meet in Durham for the CIAA championship on Saturday, while Fayetteville State and Virginia State square off in the conference’s third-place game Friday night.
The CIAA could be poised to get three teams into the D2 playoffs this year, so both games will be pivotal.
UNC Pembroke travels to North Greenville for the Conference Carolinas Bowl, with the league championship at stake following a three-way tie atop the standings.
The FCS slate features several intriguing matchups, including Campbell at Elon (CAA) and North Carolina Central at South Carolina State (MEAC) which will affect the top of both conferences’ standings.
At the FBS level, Duke faces Miami in a nationally televised noon showdown on ABC, East Carolina visits Charlotte in an in-state American Conference matchup and 8-1 Wake Forest heads to SMU with a chance to prove they are truly worthy of College Football Playoff consideration.
Oh yeah, and NC State hosts Syracuse safe in the knowledge they found the next coach (Philip Rivers is coming home!) to lead their program.
Here’s a look at the complete Week 11 schedule, including kickoff times, television and streaming information and some of the biggest storylines to follow.
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🏈 North Carolina College Football Schedule: Week 11 Games
Thursday, Nov. 12
Barton at Erskine – 6 p.m., Conference Carolinas Digital Network
Friday, Nov. 13, 2026
CIAA Friday Night Blitz: Fayetteville State vs. Virginia State in Durham, NC – 6 p.m., CIAA Sports Network
Saturday, Nov. 14, 2026
FBS Games
Duke at Miami – 12 p.m., ABC
Syracuse at NC State – 12 p.m., ACC Network
Wake Forest at SMU – 12 p.m., ESPN
East Carolina at Charlotte – 1 p.m., ESPN+
Appalachian State at Marshall – 6 p.m., ESPN+
Louisville at North Carolina – 7 p.m., ESPN2
FCS Games
Davidson at Dayton – 12 p.m., YouTube
North Carolina A&T at Hampton – 1 p.m., FloCollege
North Carolina Central at South Carolina State – 1:30 p.m., ESPN+
Campbell at Elon – 2 p.m., FloCollege
Gardner-Webb at Western Illinois – 2 p.m., ESPN+
Western Carolina at Samford – 3:30 p.m., ESPN+
D2 Games
Conference Carolinas Bowl: UNC Pembroke at North Greenville – 1 p.m., Conference Carolinas Digital Network
Edward Waters at Chowan – 1 p.m., Conference Carolinas Digital Network
Wingate at Mars Hill – 1 p.m., FloCollege
CIAA Championship: Johnson C. Smith vs. Virginia Union in Durham, NC – 3 p.m., CIAA Sports Network
Lenoir-Rhyne at Catawba – 6 p.m., FloCollege
D3 Games
Guilford at Shenandoah – 1 p.m., FloCollege
Brevard at North Carolina Wesleyan – 6 p.m., FloCollege
Greensboro at Methodist – 6 p.m., FloCollege
What to Watch in Week 11
ACC Championship Race Takes Center Stage
No. 11 Wake Forest at SMU (Saturday, noon, ESPN)
One of the biggest games of the weekend features two teams battling for position behind Miami in the ACC championship race. Wake Forest enters Week 11 ranked 11th in the Associated Press poll and in sole possession of second place in the league (5-1). SMU and three other teams have two ACC losses.
Duke at Miami (Saturday, noon, ABC)
The Blue Devils have been surging of late and will face a Miami team looking to rebound from its first loss of the season. The Hurricanes will be without standout playmaker Malachi Toney. Adding another wrinkle to an already intriguing matchup: Duke coach Manny Diaz returning to face the program he led from 2019-21.
Louisville at North Carolina (Saturday, 7 p.m., ESPN2)
Two teams battling in the ACC’s second tier meet in Chapel Hill with an opportunity to improve their conference standing and build momentum heading into the final weeks of the regular season. UNC needs one more win to reach bowl eligibility.
Division II Championships on the Line
Johnson C. Smith vs. Virginia Union (Saturday, 3 p.m., CIAA Sports Network)
The Golden Bulls and Panthers meet in Durham for the CIAA championship in a rematch of last year’s title game. Johnson C. Smith won that one to claim their first CIAA gridiron title since 1969. VUU won the 2026 regular season race.
UNC Pembroke at North Greenville (Saturday, 1 p.m., Conference Carolinas Digital Network)
The Braves travel to Tigerville, SC, to face the Trailblazers in the Conference Carolinas Bowl. Both teams finished in a three-way tie with Chowan atop the league standings, but UNC Pembroke and North Greenville earned the championship game berths through the conference’s postseason selection process.
Fayetteville State vs. Virginia State (Friday, 6 p.m., CIAA Sports Network)
The Broncos and Trojans square off in the CIAA’s new Friday Night Blitz, a third-place game designed to enhance resumes for possible playoff positioning.
FCS Rivalries and Conference Races
Campbell at Elon (Saturday, 2 p.m., FloSports)
A Campbell comeback win over Stony Brook and an Albany loss to Bryant have the Camels (8-2, 5-1) alone in second place in the CAA. Campbell has never beaten Elon in football, but a first win over the Phoenix on Saturday keeps alive conference title hopes.
North Carolina Central at South Carolina State (Saturday, 1:30 p.m., ESPN+)
In case you wrote off NCCU after its 2-5 start, check again. The Eagles have won three straight and share the MEAC lead (3-0) with this week’s opponent, the defending champion Bulldogs.
Western Carolina at Samford (Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ESPN+)
The Catamounts have won two straight to improve to 5-5 and can assure themselves of at least a .500 season with a road victory this week.
D3 In-State In-Fighting
Brevard at North Carolina Wesleyan (Saturday, 6 p.m., FloCollege)
Greensboro at Methodist (Saturday, 6 p.m., FloCollege)
The four teams represent North Carolina in the Division III USA South Athletic Conference, and statewide bragging rights will be on the line in the final leg of their round robin. Current records: Brevard 2-0, Greensboro 1-1, North Carolina Wesleyan 1-1, Methodist 0-2.
How to Follow The Action This Weekend
Check scores: North Carolina College Football Scoreboard
Explore standings: North Carolina Statewide & Conference Standings Hub
