Campbell University will inject a little college football into March Madness this weekend. The Camels will hold their annual Orange & Black spring football game on Saturday, March 22 at noon at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek.
Campbell is the first team in our state to play a spring game this year. The intrasquad contest will showcase coach Braxton Harris’ second Camels squad and will conclude the program’s 15-session spring practice schedule, which started Feb. 11.
Campbell is coming off a 3-9 record in 2024, 1-7 in the school’s second season in the CAA.
The Camels have many holes to fill but are set to return their top three tacklers from 2024, per the team’s 2025 spring roster posted at GoCamels.com.
Graduate linebacker Jalen Brooks ranked among the CAA leaders with 118 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss. Redshirt senior safety Jojo Pace finished second on the team in tackles (87) and picked off two passes. Redshirt senior linebacker Logan Livermon was third with 63 stops and two more INTs.
One of the offensive position battles to watch will come at quarterback. Graduate Mike Chandler II, who played in all 12 games a year ago, returns. But the Camels added transfers Kamden Sixkiller (McNeese State) and Jalen Ferguson (Lenoir-Rhyne) in the off-season, which should spice up the competition.
Chandler led the Camels in rushing with 505 yards and three rushing scores a year ago. He also passed for 1,118 yards and 12 touchdowns.
While running backs Mark Biggins (406 yards, 3 TDs) and JJ Cowan (365 yards, 1 TD) also remain on the roster, Campbell replace playmakers in the wide receiver corps.
All-conference wideout Sincere Brown announced this week he was entering the transfer portal. Brown caught 12 touchdown passes a year ago and finished with more than 1,000 receiving yards, among the best in the CAA. All-purpose threat VJ Wilkins (510 yards, 6 TDs) transferred to Boston College earlier in the winter.
Spring football for the next month
Traditional spring football games seem to be falling out of favor with major FBS programs. But most of the D1 schools in our state have opted to play them this year. Only NC State from our state’s FBS contingent has announced that all of its spring drills will be held away from the public eye.
North Carolina and new coach Bill Belichick will hold a “Practice Like a Pro” event in lieu of the traditional Blue-White game at Kenan Stadium on Saturday, April 12.
Here is the rest of the North Carolina D1 spring game schedule:
Spring Games | FBS
Appalachian State: Saturday, April 12 | 1 p.m.
Charlotte: Saturday, April 19 | 4 p.m.
Duke: Saturday, April 19 | 12 p.m.
East Carolina: Saturday, April 26 | TBA
NC State: No spring game
North Carolina: ‘Practice Like A Pro’ event | Saturday, April 12 | 6:30 p.m.
Wake Forest: Saturday, April 19 | 3 p.m.
Spring Games | FCS
Campbell: Saturday, March 22 | Noon
Davidson: Saturday, April 12 | TBA
Elon: No spring game; scrimmages on April 5, 12
Gardner-Webb: Saturday, April 12 | 12 p.m.
North Carolina A&T: Saturday, April 12 | 1 p.m.
North Carolina Central: Saturday, April 12 | 2 p.m.
Western Carolina: Saturday, April 5 | 12 p.m.
Check out the complete North Carolina spring football schedule here.
Explore Campbell’s 2025 football schedule, which starts with a Friday night game at Rhode Island.
