One of the biggest HBCU football games of the 2025 season will now be played under the Friday night lights. The South Carolina State Bulldogs will face the North Carolina Central Eagles on Friday, Nov. 14 at 5:00 p.m. ET, one day earlier than originally scheduled per FBSchedules.com. ESPN will televise the game live from O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, N.C.
This annual clash has become a high-stakes fixture in the HBCU football landscape. The winner has gone on to represent the MEAC in the Celebration Bowl three of the last four seasons, underscoring its importance not only in the conference race but in the national spotlight for HBCU athletics.
The rivalry dates back nearly a century, with the first meeting taking place in 1927 in Orangeburg, S.C. South Carolina State claimed last year’s matchup 24-21 on its home turf, but North Carolina Central still maintains a slim 15-14 edge in the all-time series.
Moving the game to Friday gives it a stand-alone national platform before one of ESPN’s marquee college football broadcasts. Immediately following the HBCU showdown, the network will air an ACC matchup between Louisville and Clemson at 8:00 p.m. ET. For both fan bases, it’s an opportunity to showcase their programs, their bands, and their traditions to a wide audience.
North Carolina Central, a perennial HBCU football contender, will open its 2025 season against the Southern Jaguars in the Cricket MEAC/SWAC Challenge on Aug. 23 in Atlanta. That game will be nationally televised on ABC at 7:30 p.m. ET, further cementing the program’s place in the national conversation. South Carolina State, meanwhile, will look to rebound from a season in which it missed the Celebration Bowl after winning it in 2021.
With conference title hopes and a potential trip to Atlanta on the line, the Friday night stage will bring even more intensity to one of the most important rivalries in HBCU football.