Thirteen weeks. Six programs. And a schedule that sends MEAC teams everywhere from Indiana’s Big Ten campus to a Sunday game in Miami Gardens. The MEAC Football Schedule 2026 mixes conference play with an unusually ambitious non-conference slate before wildcard weekends close out November.
MEAC Football Schedule 2026 — Week by Week
Week 0 — Thursday, Aug. 27 & Saturday, Aug. 29
- Stony Brook at Delaware State — 6:00 PM, ESPN+
- Morgan State at North Carolina A&T — 6:00 PM, FloSports
- Savannah State at SC State — 6:00 PM, ESPN+
- Winston-Salem State at Norfolk State — 6:00 PM, ESPN+
- NC Central at Texas Southern — 7:00 PM, HBCU GO
- Alabama A&M vs. Howard (Atlanta, GA) — 7:30 PM, ABC
Week 1 — Saturday, Sep. 5 & Sunday, Sep. 6
- Elizabeth City State at NC Central — 6:00 PM, ESPN+
- Delaware State at William & Mary — 6:00 PM, ESPN+
- Norfolk State at Old Dominion — 6:00 PM, ESPN+
- Richmond at Howard — 6:00 PM, ESPN+
- Morgan State at Arizona State — 10:00 PM, ESPN+
- SC State vs. Florida A&M (Miami Gardens, FL) — 3:00 PM, ESPN
Week 2 — Friday, Sep. 11 & Saturday, Sep. 12
- Norfolk State at Virginia — 7:00 PM, ACCNX
- Howard at No. 6 Indiana — 12:00 PM, BTN
- Bowie State at Delaware State — 3:00 PM, ESPN+
- North Carolina A&T at NC Central — 6:00 PM, ESPN+
- Virginia State at SC State — 6:00 PM, ESPN+
- Virginia-Lynchburg at Morgan State — 6:00 PM, ESPN+
Week 3 — Saturday, Sep. 19
- Hampton at Norfolk State — 4:00 PM, ESPN+
- Morgan State at Towson — 6:00 PM, FloSports
- NC Central at Gardner-Webb — 6:00 PM, ESPN+
- Delaware State at USF — 7:00 PM, ESPN+
- SC State at Furman — 7:00 PM, ESPN+
Week 4 — Friday, Sep. 25 & Saturday, Sep. 26
- Howard at Rutgers — 7:00 PM, BTN
- NC Central at East Carolina — 4:00 PM, ESPN+
- Towson at Delaware State — 6:00 PM, ESPN+
- SC State at Bethune-Cookman — 7:00 PM, HBCU GO
- Norfolk State at Chicago State — 7:00 PM, TV TBA
Week 5 — Saturday, Oct. 3
- Morgan State at Villanova — 1:00 PM, ESPN+
- Norfolk State at Robert Morris — 2:00 PM, NEC Front Row
- The Citadel at SC State — 2:00 PM, ESPN+
- Howard vs. Hampton (Washington, DC) — 3:00 PM, HBCU GO
- Delaware State at UAlbany — 3:30 PM, FloSports
- Campbell at NC Central — 6:00 PM, ESPN+
Week 6 — Saturday, Oct. 10
- Robert Morris at Morgan State — 12:00 PM, ESPN+
- William & Mary at NC Central — 1:00 PM, ESPN+
- Franklin Pierce at Delaware State — 1:00 PM, ESPN+
- Virginia-Lynchburg at Norfolk State — 2:00 PM, ESPN+
- SC State at Charleston So. — 6:00 PM, ESPN+
- Howard at Penn — Time TBA, ESPN+
Week 7 — Saturday, Oct. 17
- Morehouse at Howard — 3:30 PM, ESPN+
- Morgan State at Tennessee State — 6:30 PM, ESPN+
Week 8 — Friday, Oct. 23 & Saturday, Oct. 24
- NC Central at Delaware State — 5:00 PM, ESPN2
- Norfolk State at SC State — 1:30 PM, ESPN+
- Howard at Morgan State — 3:00 PM, ESPN+
Week 9 — Thursday, Oct. 29 & Saturday, Oct. 31
- SC State at Morgan State — 7:00 PM, ESPNU
- Howard at NC Central — 2:00 PM, ESPN+
- Delaware State at Norfolk State — 2:00 PM, ESPN+
Week 10 — Thursday, Nov. 5 & Saturday, Nov. 7
- SC State at Howard — 5:00 PM, ESPNU
- NC Central at Norfolk State — 12:00 PM, ESPN+
- Morgan State at Delaware State — 1:00 PM, ESPN+
Week 11 — Saturday, Nov. 14 (Wildcard)
- Norfolk State at Morgan State — 12:00 PM, ESPN+
- Delaware State at Howard — 1:00 PM, ESPN+
- NC Central at SC State — 1:30 PM, ESPN+
Week 12 — Saturday, Nov. 21 (Wildcard)
- Howard at Norfolk State — 12:00 PM, ESPN+
- Delaware State at SC State — 1:30 PM, ESPN+
- Morgan State at NC Central — 2:00 PM, ESPN+
The MEAC/SWAC Challenge Opens the Season
Alabama A&M and Howard MEAC/SWAC Challenge 2026 kicks off the year in Atlanta on August 29, nationally televised on ABC — the same network carrying the Cricket Celebration Bowl in December. It’s the conference’s marquee non-conference showcase before the regular MEAC slate begins in earnest the following week.
Conference Play Builds Toward Two Wildcard Weekends
Once true conference play settles in around Week 8, the MEAC Football Schedule 2026 becomes a tightly compressed round-robin — Delaware State, Howard, Morgan State, NC Central, Norfolk State, and SC State play each other repeatedly across the season’s back half, with the two Thursday night ESPNU showcases (SC State at Morgan State, then SC State at Howard) sandwiched in between. The season’s final two weekends, November 14 and 21, feature every remaining matchup needed to settle the conference race before the Celebration Bowl.
The Bottom Line
Between the Indiana and Rutgers road trips, the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, and a genuinely demanding late-season stretch, this is a schedule that tests every program’s depth well before conference standings get decided. The MEAC football home games in 2026 give each team a fair share of Saturdays at home, but how Howard and Morgan State in particular handle their Power Four road trips early will shape the conference race all season.
FAQ
Q: When does the 2026 MEAC football season open?
A: The MEAC Football Schedule 2026 opens Thursday, August 27, with Stony Brook at Delaware State, followed by a full Week 0 slate on Saturday, August 29.
Q: When is the MEAC/SWAC Challenge in 2026?
A: The MEAC/SWAC Challenge 2026 between Howard and Alabama A&M is set for Saturday, August 29, in Atlanta, kickoff at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC.
Q: Does Howard football play any Power Four opponents in 2026?
A: Yes — the Howard football schedule 2026 includes road trips to No. 6 Indiana on September 12 and Rutgers on September 25, both Big Ten programs.
Q: When are the MEAC’s wildcard weekends in 2026?
A: The two wildcard weekends fall on Saturday, November 14, and Saturday, November 21, each featuring three matchups among Delaware State, Howard, Morgan State, NC Central, Norfolk State, and SC State.
