Courtesy of NCCU Athletics
DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University (NCCU) head football coach Trei Oliver announced the Eagles’ 2025 HBCU football schedule on Wednesday evening during a National Signing Day event, a slate that includes five home games.
The Eagles will open the season in the national spotlight when they face Southern University in a marquee tilt in the 2025 Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff on Saturday, Aug. 30. This will be NCCU’s third appearance in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, having played in the game in 2018 and 2021.
In all, the Eagles will play at O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium five times, to go along with two road games against MEAC opponents and two road games against former MEAC foes in North Carolina A&T and Florida A&M.
NCCU’s full 2025 HBCU football schedule is included below.
2025 North Carolina Central Football Schedule:
(Home games BOLDED; all games on Saturdays unless otherwise noted)
- Aug. 23: vs. Southern (Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge Kickoff)
- Aug. 30: vs. NEW HAMPSHIRE
- Sept. 6: at Old Dominion
- Sept. 13: vs. FAYETTEVILLE STATE
- Sept. 20: at North Carolina A&T (Aggie-Eagle Classic)
- Sept. 27: at East Texas A&M
- Oct. 4: Open Date
- Oct. 11: at Florida A&M
- Oct. 18: Open Date
- Oct. 25: vs. DELAWARE STATE (Homecoming)
- Nov. 1: at Howard
- Nov. 8: vs. NORFOLK STATE
- Nov. 15: vs. SOUTH CAROLINA STATE
- Nov. 22: at Morgan State
SCHEDULE NOTES AND ODDITIES
- The Eagles will play a 12-game schedule for the 11th time in program history as they look to win eight games or more for the fourth consecutive year.
- N.C. Central will face nine new coaches for the first time with the slate of 2025 schedule, including an alum and two new head coaches in the MEAC, Micheal Vick (Norfolk State) and DeSean Jackson (Delaware State).
- Keeping with the theme since taking over as head coach, Oliver has played schools from the state of North Carolina, and there are two on the schedule this year. At least two teams from the state have been on the schedule each year since he has taken over the program.
- The Eagles have won a combined 143 games against opponents on the 2025 schedule. N.C. Central’s 2025 opponents won a combined 60 games in 2024, with one team making it to the postseason (New Hampshire) and another playing in an HBCU conference championship game (Southern).
- NCCU enters the season having won its most recent meeting with eight of the 12 teams on its schedule. The Eagles have an active winning streak against Southern (one), New Hampshire (one), Fayetteville State (one), North Carolina A&T (3), Delaware State (5), Howard (one), Norfolk State (4) and Morgan State (7).