It’s Spring Game Week in North Carolina: Full Schedule + Burning Questions for Every Team

Spring college football games kick off across North Carolina this weekend, with FCS and Division II programs taking the field to close out spring practice.

Here’s the full schedule for April 11-12, plus the biggest questions facing each team.

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NC College Spring Games | Saturday, April 11

Fayetteville State | 11 a.m. | Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium

2025 Record: 6-4, 6-1 CIAA

• Can the Broncos climb back into CIAA title-game contention after missing out the past two seasons (and barely missing out in 2025)?
• What will the offense look like with a new offensive coordinator (Kevin McGouirk moved to Clarion University in February)? 
• Who will be the new leaders of the defense with players like linebacker Matthew Leach (leading tackler in 2025) and defensive lineman Shawn Robinson (fierce pass rusher) out of eligibility?

Lenoir-Rhyne | 11 a.m. | Moretz Stadium

2025 Record: 6-5, 5-4 SAC

• Can the Bears get back to the playoffs after missing the post-season in 2025?
• Who will take the reins at quarterback with last year’s starter Khamoni Robinson (2,391 passing yards, 20 passing TDs, 9 rushing TDs) now at Toledo?

North Carolina A&T | 11 a.m. | Truist Stadium, Greensboro

2025 Record: 2-10, 2-6 CAA

• After emphasizing more size and strength in the portal, can the Aggies close the gap on CAA rivals?
• Can NC A&T turn the tide against North Carolina Central after losing four in a row to the Eagles (and dropping the last two games by lopsided margins)?
• Can the Aggies find stability at quarterback after playing seven at the position a year ago?

Elizabeth City State | 12 p.m. | Roebuck Stadium

2025 Record: 4-6, 4-3 CIAA

• Can the Vikings take another step forward in Adrian Jones’ second season as head coach?
• Can the offense reproduce the explosive output it showed in CIAA games against Livingstone (39 points), Lincoln (62) and Bluefield State (70)?

Western Carolina | 12 p.m. | Whitmire Stadium

2025 Record: 7-5, 6-2 SoCon

• Who will replace Taron Dickens at the helm of what is expected to be another high-octane offense?
• Can the defense become an asset instead of a liability?
• The age old questions: Can the Catamounts finally win a Southern Conference title (never happened before) and/or make it back to the playoffs (hasn’t happened since 1983).

We explored these questions in-depth in a story last week: WCU QB Battle Taking Shape, Defensive Rebuild Progressing

Livingstone | 1 p.m. | Alumni Memorial Stadium

2025 Record: 5-5, 3-4 CIAA

• Who will be the next wave of defensive stalwarts after players like Kenyon Garner (FAU), Dallas Johnson (North Alabama), David Jones (Mississippi Valley State) and Jordan-Lebron Downey (New Mexico State) made the jump to D1?
• Can the Blue Bears, who have been competitive in the middle of the CIAA the past few seasons, make the next jump into the upper division? 

Winston-Salem State | 1 p.m. | Glenn High School

2025 Record: 4-6, 2-5 CIAA

• How competitive will the Rams be in the debut season of new coach Tory Woodbury, a Hall of Famer as a player at WSSU?
• Who will run the offense with prolific quarterback Daylin Lee now at Tennessee State?

CIAA FOOTBALL IS BACK…… KIND OF pic.twitter.com/1Bw4wOULQl

— Clarence Junior (@BSUbulldog4Life) April 5, 2026

North Carolina Central | 2 p.m. | O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium

2025 Record: 8-4, 3-2 MEAC

• Who will command the offense after two years of standout play from quarterback Walker Harris?
• Can the Eagles dethrone two-time reigning champion South Carolina State and ascend back to the top of the MEAC?
• Can NCCU reload after losing significant players to the FBS transfer portal?

Gardner-Webb | 2 p.m. | Spangler Stadium

2025 Record: 7-5, 5-3 OVC/Big South

• Can the new coaching staff led by Kris McCullough ignite the Bulldogs offense the way they did at UT Permian Basin (D2) the past few seasons?
• Who will the new playmakers be after the departure of several 2025 stars?
• Can GWU compete with the upper echelon teams in the OVC/Big South after an overachieving season a year ago?

Barton | 7 p.m. | Truist Stadium, Wilson

2025 Record: 3-8, 3-3 Conference Carolinas

• Who will replace All-Super Region 2 standouts linebacker Keno Jones (conference co-defensive player of the year), running back Jackson Parrish (1,095 yards, 10 TDs) and defensive back Savionne Rogers (96 tackles, 4 PBUs)? All three transferred in the off-season – Jones to Troy, Parrish to conference rival North Greenville and Rogers to The Citadel.
• Can the Bulldogs get off to a better start after losing the first five games of 2025?

NC College Spring Games | Sunday, April 12

Shaw | 12 p.m. | Durham County Memorial Stadium

2025 Record: 2-8, 2-6 CIAA

• Can the Bears improve upon a two-win season in coach Lamar Manigo’s second year at the helm?
• Will a three-game homestand in September help the Bears get off to a winning start in CIAA play?

Check out the complete North Carolina college football spring game calendar: 2026 Spring Games

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👀 What to Watch This Weekend

• Quarterback battles (Western Carolina, NCCU, Lenoir-Rhyne)
• Coaching debuts (WSSU, Gardner-Webb)
• Portal impact (NC A&T, Livingstone and Barton)
• CIAA contenders taking shape (Fayetteville State, Livingstone, Shaw, Elizabeth City State)