It’s a full Saturday of football across the Carolinas. Fayetteville State and Johnson C. Smith are both celebrating homecoming, NC A&T hosts a brand-new program in Greensboro, and the Victory Bell is on the line in Durham. Here’s your game day guide, with every kickoff in Eastern time.
The HBCU Slate
Elizabeth City State at Fayetteville State | 1:30 p.m. | CIAA Sports Network
It’s homecoming on Murchison Road. The Broncos host CIAA rival Elizabeth City State in front of the homecoming crowd in Fayetteville, with kickoff at 1:30 p.m. FSU plays its home games at Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium. If you’re heading out, get there early: homecoming is the biggest Saturday of the year on Murchison Road.
Lincoln (Pa.) at Johnson C. Smith | 2 p.m. | CIAA Sports Network
JCSU’s homecoming theme this year is “Follow the Golden Road,” and Charlotte’s Golden Bulls host Lincoln (Pa.) with a 2 p.m. kickoff. The homecoming parade comes first. Campus parking is limited, so JCSU is asking fans to ride the CATS #7 bus, carpool or use rideshare. Heads up: the CityLynx Gold Line won’t run on homecoming day, though CATS buses will still cover the route.
Chicago State at NC A&T | Noon | FloCollege
The Aggies host Chicago State at Truist Stadium in Greensboro. This one has a story behind it: Norfolk State was originally on the schedule, then opted to play another opponent, so A&T signed a two-year deal with Chicago State. The Cougars are fielding their first football team this season, playing as an independent before joining the Northeast Conference in 2027. Their head coach, Bobby Rome II, is a former UNC player. This is A&T’s last game before an off week and its Centennial Homecoming against Elon on Oct. 31.
Bluefield State at Winston-Salem State | 1 p.m. | CIAA Sports Network
The Rams are still looking for their first win of the season and get a home shot at it against Bluefield State.
Virginia State at Shaw | 1 p.m. | CIAA Sports Network
Shaw hosts Virginia State in Raleigh in a CIAA matchup.
Not playing today: NC Central and Livingstone
NC Central has no game on its schedule this week. The Eagles already celebrated homecoming against William & Mary on Oct. 10 and head to Delaware State on Oct. 24. Livingstone isn’t on today’s slate either.
The Big One: UNC at Duke | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2
The 113th meeting between UNC and Duke kicks off at 3:30 p.m. at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, with the Victory Bell on the line.
- Records: UNC is 3-2 (1-1 ACC). Duke is 4-1 (1-1 ACC).
- Bill Belichick’s breakthrough: UNC is coming off a 21-17 win over No. 25 Pitt. It was the program’s first win over a ranked opponent since 2023 and Belichick’s first ranked win in Chapel Hill.
- Duke owns the Bell right now: The Blue Devils won the last two meetings, 21-20 in 2024 and 32-25 last year at Kenan Stadium, which was set up by a fake field goal. A win today would be Duke’s first three-game streak in the series since 2016-18.
- Duke’s first loss still stings: The Blue Devils started 4-0 before falling 28-25 to Georgia Tech.
- Players to watch: Duke running back Nate Sheppard has 743 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns but is listed as questionable. For UNC, Xavier Lewis leads the pass rush with 6.5 sacks, and linebacker Derek McDonald leads the ACC in tackles per game.
The Rest of the Carolina Board
- Charlotte at Temple | 1 p.m. | ESPN+: The 49ers are still winless and go on the road in Philadelphia.
- Towson at Campbell | 3:30 p.m. | FloCollege, WITN, WRAL: Campbell is 5-1 and 2-0 in the CAA, and hosts a winless Towson team.
- Elon at Stanford | 7:30 p.m. | ACC Network Extra: Elon makes the cross-country trip to Palo Alto.
- Wake Forest at California | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN2: The late-night ACC game for the night owls.
Already Played This Week
- App State played Friday night and rallied past Coastal Carolina 35-32, with four touchdowns from Jaquari Lewis.
- East Carolina played Thursday and lost 30-17 to UAB in overtime after giving up a late lead.
- NC State has no game listed for today. The Wolfpack’s next game is Oct. 23 at Stanford.
Going to a homecoming today? Tag us @iahhm with your tailgate pics. And for the rest of the weekend in NC, check out our NC Weekend Guide.
Sources
- NC Football News: NC College Football Games Today (Oct. 17)
- NC Football News: 2026 Master Schedule
- NC Football News: UNC at Duke Game Preview
- GoHeels: Football Travels to Duke in Battle for the Victory Bell
- Fayetteville State Athletics: 2026 Football Schedule
- Johnson C. Smith University: Homecoming 2026
- NC A&T Athletics: Aggies Get New October 17 Opponent
- NCCU Athletics: 2026 Football Schedule
- 2026 NC State Wolfpack football team
- ClutchPoints: 2026 Fall HBCU Homecoming Schedule
