Week 2 brings the busiest HBCU football slate of the young season, with Howard visiting a top-five Indiana team, Prairie View A&M and Southern each testing themselves against Big 12 competition, and three programs facing their first-ever opponent on Saturday. We also have separate previews for the Aggie/Eagle Classic, Legacy Series, and the Southern Heritage Classic.
| Matchup | Kickoff | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Norfolk State at No. 25 Virginia | Fri., 7 p.m. ET | Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, Va. |
| Howard at No. 5 Indiana | Noon ET | Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Ind. |
| Bowie State at Delaware State | 3 p.m. ET | Alumni Stadium, Dover, Del. |
| Mississippi Valley State vs. Lincoln (Pa.) | 3 p.m. ET | Soldier Field, Chicago (Chicago Football Classic) |
| Alabama State at Troy | 3:02 p.m. CT | Veterans Memorial Stadium, Troy, Ala. |
| Stetson at Bethune-Cookman | 4 p.m. ET | Daytona Stadium, Daytona Beach, Fla. |
| Virginia-Lynchburg at Morgan State | 6 p.m. ET | Hughes Stadium, Baltimore |
| Southern at Houston | 6 p.m. CT | TDECU Stadium, Houston |
| Bryant at Hampton | 6:02 p.m. ET | Darling Stadium, Hampton, Va. |
| Texas Southern at UTEP | 7 p.m. MT | Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas |
| Prairie View A&M at Baylor | 7 p.m. CT | McLane Stadium, Waco, Texas |
| Grambling State at TCU | 7 p.m. CT | Amon G. Carter Stadium, Fort Worth, Texas |
Norfolk State Meets Virginia for the First Time, With Michael Vick Coming Home
Norfolk State (1-1) travels to Charlottesville Friday night for the first meeting in either program’s history with No. 25 Virginia (1-0), a 7 p.m. kickoff at Scott Stadium on ACC Network Extra. It is Norfolk State’s second straight game against an FBS opponent after a 31-10 loss at Old Dominion, one that stayed competitive into the third quarter behind Jalyn Daniels’ 84 rushing yards and Deljay Bailey’s 14 of 20 passing for 94 yards and a rushing touchdown. Old Dominion coach Ricky Rahne said afterward it would not shock him if Norfolk State wins its conference.
Virginia opened its season by routing NC State 34-8, with transfer quarterback Beau Pribula making his Cavaliers debut, Xavier Brown scoring twice and Will Bettridge connecting from 47 yards. For Norfolk State coach Michael Vick, Friday is a homecoming of sorts. His last appearance at Scott Stadium came as a Virginia Tech freshman in 1999, when he completed 7 of 9 passes for 222 yards and a touchdown in a Hokies win. “It’s an honor to be able to go up against a UVA team, a team that I had a chance to play against,” Vick said this week. “Go out there, play aggressive, leave it all out on the field and come away healthy.”
Howard and No. 5 Indiana Meet for the First Time, and It’s IU’s First Ever HBCU Matchup
Howard (1-1) heads to Bloomington to face defending national champion and No. 5 Indiana (1-0) at noon on the Big Ten Network, the first meeting ever between the programs and Indiana’s first ever game against an HBCU. The Hoosiers are riding a 28-game winning streak dating to 2024 after a 52-16 win over North Texas State, while Howard is coming off a 28-21 loss to No. 23 Richmond in which the Bison rallied from 20 points down before falling short.
Howard quarterback Ja’Shawn Scroggins has thrown for 424 yards and four touchdowns through two games, spreading the ball to tight end Nathanial Clark and wide receivers Se’Quan Osborne and Antonio Hunter. Indiana counters with quarterback Josh Hoover, who is 13 of 16 passing for 231 yards and four touchdowns, and a defense that includes three Preseason All-Big Ten selections. Howard, in Ted White’s first season as head coach, gets a bye before traveling to Rutgers on Sept. 25.
SWAC Teams Take on Big 12 Competition
Prairie View A&M brings its SWAC title defense to Baylor
Prairie View A&M (1-1, 1-0 SWAC), the defending SWAC champion and preseason pick to repeat, visits Baylor (0-1) at McLane Stadium at 7 p.m. on ESPN+ in the first-ever meeting between the schools. The Panthers reached the HBCU National Championship Game last season, leading 21-0 early before a four-overtime loss, and are led by running back Chase Bingmon, the 2025 SWAC Freshman of the Year. Second-year coach Tremaine Jackson was named SWAC Coach of the Year in 2025 after previously winning a national title at Division II Valdosta State.
Baylor enters off a heartbreaking 17-16 loss to Auburn in Atlanta, when a game-winning two-point conversion attempt was stopped inches short with nine seconds left. Seventh-year coach Dave Aranda leads the Bears, with new defensive coordinator Joe Klanderman, who built top-30 defenses at Kansas State. Florida transfer quarterback DJ Lagway, whose father played running back at Baylor in the 1990s, headlines the newcomers.
Southern faces a ranked Houston team fresh off a 10-win season
Southern (1-1, 0-0 SWAC), in Marshall Faulk’s first season as head coach, travels to Houston (1-0) for a 6 p.m. kickoff on ESPN+ at TDECU Stadium. Houston, ranked in the Top 25, leads the all-time series 2-0 and last met Southern in 2013, when Houston won 62-13. The Cougars opened this season with a 33-20 win over Oregon State behind quarterback Conner Weigman and wide receiver Amare Thomas, who caught a touchdown pass and finished with 133 receiving yards.
Alabama State takes its SWAC leading defense to Troy
Alabama State (2-0, 1-0 SWAC) travels down Highway 231 to face Troy (1-0) at 3:02 p.m. CT, the first meeting between the two since 2017. Troy leads the all-time series 14-2. The Hornets enter having pitched their first shutout since 2019, and their defense currently leads the SWAC in total defense, scoring defense, red zone defense, and pass efficiency defense. Quarterback Andrew Body is closing in on Alabama State’s top 10 career total offense chart, and kicker Andrew Abu-Akel is 5 for 5 on field goals this season. Troy is coming off a 24-21 win over Sam Houston in which the Trojans held their opponent to 38 rushing yards, the fewest by a Troy opener opponent since 2004.
Grambling State takes its explosive offense to TCU
Grambling State (2-0) makes its first road trip of the season to face TCU (0-1) at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN+, the second-ever meeting between the programs after TCU won 56-0 in 2012. The Tigers have outscored their first two opponents 97-33 behind quarterback Reginald Johnson and a rushing attack that has produced touchdowns from six different players, led by Tony Phillips Jr. TCU is coming off a 15-10 loss to North Carolina in Dublin, Ireland, and counters with Harvard transfer quarterback Jaden Craig and running back Jeremy Payne, who ran for 142 yards in his Horned Frogs debut.
First Time Meetings and Classic Games
Stetson and Bethune-Cookman play for the first time on Volusia County Day
Stetson (1-1) travels the short distance to Daytona Beach to face Bethune-Cookman (0-1) at 4 p.m. on SWAC TV, the first-ever meeting between the two Volusia County programs and the first time a Pioneer Football League team has faced a SWAC opponent. Stetson enters off a 45-10 win over Webber International behind quarterback Thomas von Grote’s 318 passing yards and three touchdowns. Bethune-Cookman, coming off a 73-6 loss at UCF in which the Wildcats used three different quarterbacks, went 6-6 last season under fourth-year coach Raymond Woodie Jr. and won the Florida Classic.
Mississippi Valley State and Lincoln meet at the Chicago Football Classic
Mississippi Valley State (0-2) and Lincoln, Pa. (0-1) meet at Soldier Field for the 2026 Chicago Football Classic, an event that has promoted HBCUs and funded scholarships in the Chicago area since 1997. Kickoff is 3 p.m. ET. Mississippi Valley State, under second year coach Terrell Buckley, is looking for its first win after road losses to Sacramento State and TCU’s Big 12 neighbor programs, while Lincoln enters off a 21-13 setback against West Chester in its own season opener.
Around the Rest of the Slate
Bryant and Hampton open CAA play in a first-ever meeting
Bryant (1-1) visits Hampton (1-1) at Darling Stadium at 6:02 p.m., the first meeting between the two since Bryant joined the CAA in 2025. Hampton, in Van Malone’s first season as head coach, snapped a six-game losing streak with a 45-0 win over Virginia-Lynchburg before falling 62-0 in its first-ever Power Four matchup at Maryland, and carries a 12-game CAA losing streak into Saturday. Bryant opened with a 24-6 win over Stonehill before a 59-3 loss at Army.
Bowie State looks for its first win at Delaware State
Bowie State (0-1), under first-year coach Dawson Odums, travels to Delaware State (1-1) at 3 p.m., the fourth meeting between the schools since 2021. Delaware State leads the series 2-1 and won last year’s matchup, 36-14. Bowie State opened its season with a 42-13 loss at Virginia State, while Delaware State split its first two games, an opening 41-34 win over Stony Brook followed by a 22-15 loss at William & Mary in which the Hornets recorded seven sacks.
Morgan State opens at home against Virginia-Lynchburg
Morgan State (1-1) plays its home opener against Virginia-Lynchburg (0-2) at Hughes Stadium at 6 p.m., a Bear Family and Youth Day game. Morgan State leads the all-time series 5-0 and enters after road games against North Carolina A&T and FBS opponent Arizona State to open the year. Virginia-Lynchburg, a member of the National Christian College Athletic Association, is on a two-game losing streak after falling to Hampton, 45-0, and Roanoke, 37-7.
Tennessee State’s trip to Alabama A&M for the second installment of the Legacy Series, also Saturday at 6 p.m. CT, was previewed separately. Track every kickoff, score, and statistical breakdown for the rest of the season on our 2026 football season dashboard.
