Saturday brings the first full college football Saturday of the 2026 season in North Carolina, with 15 teams from across the state in action.
UNC opens against TCU in Dublin and NC State visits Virginia in FBS action. Among our small-college teams, Western Carolina and North Carolina A&T host games under the lights, while Campbell and NCCU leave the state. Shaw at Fayetteville State headlines a seven-game D2 slate.
Below is the complete Saturday schedule with kickoff times and TV/streaming information. Check back throughout the day as NC Football News adds final scores and rapid recaps as games conclude.
🏈 Saturday’s Schedule & Scores
FBS Games
UNC vs TCU (Dublin, Ireland) – 12 p.m., ESPN
NC State at Virginia – 3:30 p.m., ESPN
FCS Games
Campbell at East Tennessee State – 5:30 p.m., ESPN+
Morgan State at North Carolina A&T – 6 p.m., FloSports
Eastern Kentucky at Western Carolina – 7 p.m., ESPN+
North Carolina Central at Texas Southern – 7 p.m., HBCU GO
D2 Games
Chowan at West Virginia State – 12 p.m., MEC-TV
Fort Valley State at Elizabeth City State – 1 p.m., CIAA Sports Network
Johnson C. Smith at Benedict – 5 p.m., SIAC-TV
Allen at Livingstone – 6 p.m., CIAA Sports Network
Catawba at Ferrum – 6 p.m., Conference Carolinas Digital Network
Shaw at Fayetteville State – 6 p.m., CIAA Sports Network
Winston-Salem State at Norfolk State – 6 p.m., ESPN+
NJCAA Game (Junior College)
Georgia Knights at Louisburg College – 11 a.m., YouTube
👀 What We’re Watching
1. What is UNC, really?
All the offseason noise surrounding the Tar Heels finally gives way to an actual football game. We finally get to see if 2026 UNC is going to continue to be a circus or if there is a decent football team hiding in there somewhere. New OC Bobby Petrino should elevate the offense, and Billy Edwards Jr. provides a veteran behind center.
2. Can we really start talking about NC State as a contender?
CJ Bailey and Duke Scott give the Wolfpack two major pieces to build around, but plenty of offensive production walked out the door through the transfer portal or to the NFL. Does NC State still have enough around those returning stars to warrant some of the preseason hype mentioning them as an ACC darkhorse?
3. Lex Thomas gets the keys at Western Carolina
Cole Gonzales. Taron Dickens. Now Lex Thomas. Coach Kerwin Bell has gotten high-level quarterback play at Western Carolina, and Thomas becomes the next man charged with running an offense that produced 5,920 yards and a school-record 463 points last season. Can the NCSU transfer be the next “Hall of Fame point guard in Bell’s system”
4. Are Campbell and NC A&T ready to take a step?
Campbell coach Braxton Harris talked about making everything in the off-season about learning to win and hating to lose. A&T coach Shawn Gibbs retooled his roster to make it bigger, faster, stronger. Both teams need a solid showing in their openers to validate that these programs are ready to climb the CAA ladder.
5. Johnson C. Smith gets an immediate measuring stick
JCSU just watched fellow conference contender Virginia Union get punched in the mouth Friday night at Lenoir-Rhyne (45-3 loss). Now the Golden Bulls go to Columbia, SC to face a stellar opponent of their own: Benedict, a playoff team from the SIAC. Johnson C. Smith seems on a mission to build on 2025’s CIAA championship, and this is the first step in a gauntlet of a schedule.
📝 Final Scores & Rapid Recaps
Check back throughout Saturday as games go final. NC Football News will add scores and quick takeaways from the day’s biggest games here.
