The first season for new WSSU head football coach Tory Woodbury will kick off against Michael Vick and Norfolk State.
WSSU announced its 2026 football schedule on Friday and it starts August 29th with a matchup against NSU. Woodbury spent last season on the staff, serving as special teams coordinator and assistant head coach to Michael Vick.
“I’m super excited about finding out where we stand as a team early in the season,” Woodbury said. “Our schedule allows us to compete against good competition right away as we establish our identity. Then of course the CIAA competition itself is always top notch! I can’t wait!”
CIAA schedule
WSSU’s home opener will take place against Mars Hill University on Sept. 5. Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) play will begin with defending champion Johnson C. Smith University coming to town on Sept. 12.
WSSU will then travel to Salisbury, North Carolina to take on Livingstone College on Sept. 19. That game will be followed by a trip to Ettrick, Virginia to take on Virginia State University on Sept. 26.
The Rams kickoff October by hosting Bowie State University on Oct. 10 and Bluefield State University on the 17. WSSU will close out the month on the road at Lincoln University (Pa) on Oct. 24 and then head to Elizabeth City State University on the 31 for a Halloween matchup.
WSSU will host Fayetteville State University for its Forever Red Homecoming match-up on Nov. 7.
The CIAA Championship will take place on Nov. 14 at Durham County Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
WSSU and Norfolk State have long history
While the first game will have a tie because of the head coach, there is also a historical tie between the two HBCU programs. WSSU and Norfolk State started out together in the Eastern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (EIAC) in the early 1940s. The first meeting between Winston-Salem Teachers College and the Norfolk Division of Virginia State University took place in 1941. The two were later members of the CIAA for over 30 years together and briefly reunited during WSSU’s stint in the MEAC.
Norfolk State currently leads the series 8-11-1.