Thirteen games involving HBCU football programs are on the schedule for Saturday, September 19, and the marquee matchup is right in the middle of it: Norfolk State hosts Hampton for the 61st playing of the Battle of the Bay, a series that has been contested since 1963 and now sits within one game of being tied at 30 wins apiece.

A few miles down the coast, South Carolina State takes its unbeaten record to Furman. Jackson State and Tuskegee renew the W.C. Gorden Classic, Mississippi Valley State and Delta State play for the Delta Classic trophy, and Tennessee State goes on the road looking to end a six-game losing streak against Florida A&M. Below is a look at every game on the board this week, from the perspective of each Division I HBCU involved, with equal coverage for the two games that pit two Division I HBCUs against each other.

The 61st Battle of the Bay

Norfolk State and Hampton meet for the 61st time on Saturday at Dick Price Stadium, and the series has something on the line beyond the rivalry itself. Norfolk State holds a slim edge in the all-time series, but both sides agree on this much: Hampton has won the last two meetings, including a 41-34 decision a year ago, and a third straight Pirates win would square the all-time series for the first time since the early 2000s. It is also Greek Night at Dick Price Stadium, with kickoff at 4 p.m.

About the Spartans

Norfolk State (1-2) comes home after two of the toughest tests on its schedule, a 59-3 loss at No. 25 Virginia in which the Spartans were held to 55 rushing yards, and a 31-10 loss at Old Dominion the week before. The season opener remains the clearest picture of what this team can be: a 56-0 win over Winston-Salem State that delivered the program’s first shutout since 2019, its first 50-point game since 2021, and its first 300-yard rushing performance since 2023. Quarterback Deljay Bailey has thrown for 418 yards of total offense, running back Jalyn Daniels leads the ground game at 70.0 yards per game, and safety Josiah Davis has two interceptions, leading a defense that ranks 10th nationally in passing yards allowed. Head coach Michael Vick, in his second season and a Newport News native who grew up attending games at both schools, has not shied away from what last year’s loss means going in. “I’ll be honest, being a former player, if they beat you the year before, it’s always a reason to feel like you’ve got to get it back,” Vick said this week. “We’re not going to make excuses about what happened last year. We know why we lost that game.” Vick also pushed back on the idea that a rough two-game FBS stretch levels the field for Hampton. “We don’t bow down to anybody,” he said. “The playing field is level, and we expect to dominate that playing field.”

Fifth-year offensive lineman Tyler Leinberger, who played for Hampton before transferring to Norfolk State, has now played the Battle of the Bay from both sides of the field. “I played in the Battle of the Bay each of the last two years, my junior year at Hampton, and last year for Norfolk State,” Leinberger said. “I know some of the guys over there, and that helps with the competitiveness. But I want to stay level and not play emotional.” Wide receiver Brevin Caldwell, who caught a touchdown in the season opener, called the atmosphere a known quantity from his time at Johnson C. Smith. “It’s a historic rivalry, so there’s always an emotional charge that comes with it,” Caldwell said. “We’re going to get their best.”

About the Pirates

Hampton (1-2) is in the first season of the Van Malone era. Malone was hired in December after seven seasons at Kansas State, where he served as assistant head coach, pass game coordinator, and defensive backs coach on staffs that went 53-34 and reached five bowl games. The Pirates opened his tenure with a 45-0 shutout of Virginia University of Lynchburg, then walked into the two hardest weeks on their schedule: a 62-0 loss at Maryland, the program’s first-ever meeting with a Power Four opponent, and a 31-3 loss to Bryant in the CAA opener, a stretch in which Hampton has been outscored 93-3. Quarterback duties have been split between Jalen Woods, who has thrown for 290 yards and three touchdowns, and Tre’Von Taylor, who has added 175 passing yards and 48 rushing yards. Safety Cam Sturdifen, who piled up 14 tackles against Bryant, is averaging 9.0 tackles per game, fifth in the CAA. Hampton was picked to finish last in the 13-team CAA preseason poll, but three Pirates earned preseason All-CAA recognition: offensive lineman Omari Allen, defensive lineman Korede Sogbesan and kicker Brett Starling, a Hampton native out of Kecoughtan High School. Several of Leinberger’s former Hampton linemates, including Allen, Damaurius Stewart and center Emery D’Urso, remain in that room, and a dozen Pirates overall come from the Hampton Roads area, which both programs recruit.

The W.C. Gorden Classic

Jackson State (2-0) is off a bye following a 66-14 win over Edward Waters in the Hope Labor Day Classic and hosts Tuskegee (2-1) at Veterans Memorial Stadium for the annual W.C. Gorden Classic, with SWAC TV carrying the 6 p.m. kickoff. Jackson State leads the series 3-1 and has not lost a non-conference home game under head coach TC Taylor since he took over the program, going 14-3 at home since 2023. Last year’s meeting was a rout, with the Tigers holding Tuskegee to 109 total yards, including just 24 rushing yards on 20 carries and seven first downs. The win extended a program stretch that includes three SWAC titles, three Celebration Bowl appearances and the 2024 HBCU national championship under Taylor.

Ranked and on the Road

South Carolina State takes an unbeaten record into Greenville to face Furman on Saturday, a first meeting between the two programs since 2015, when Furman won 17-3. South Carolina State is unbeaten and ranked nationally, having outscored opponents 184-13 without allowing a rushing or passing touchdown all season, while averaging 545 yards of total offense a game. Running back Mason Pickett-Hicks has rushed for 425 yards and three touchdowns on 37 carries; quarterback Keely Watson has thrown for 456 yards and six touchdowns; and kicker Jett Jackson is 3 for 3 on field goals with a long of 52 yards. Furman enters at No. 24, 2-1 and 1-0 in the SoCon after a 20-13 win at then-14th-ranked Mercer, and leads the all-time series with South Carolina State 12-5. Kickoff at Paladin Stadium is 7 p.m., streaming on ESPN+.

Prairie View A&M hosts a ranked opponent of its own, welcoming Stephen F. Austin, ranked 8th by the AFCA and 12th by Stats Perform, to Panther Stadium for the first time the series has ever been played on Prairie View’s campus. SFA arrives 3-0, 2-0 in the Southland and riding a 13 game win streak, and leads the all time series 5-1-1. Prairie View A&M (1-2, 1-0 SWAC) opened SWAC play with a 52-14 win over Texas Southern in the Labor Day Classic, behind four touchdown passes from quarterback Tevin Carter and three sacks from Malachii Williams, before non-conference losses to Tarleton State, 49-30, and Baylor, 44-3, a game in which the Panthers briefly led 3-0 and forced three interceptions despite managing only 110 total yards of offense. Kickoff is 7 p.m. CT.

Head coach Tremaine Jackson was matter-of-fact about the Baylor trip on this week’s SWAC coaches call. “We couldn’t get anything going offensively, but defensively we gave them 10 points in the second half after some adjustments were made,” Jackson said. “And now we move to the number eight team in the country, Stephen F. Austin, and get ready for them to come into our second home game. We’re excited about that.” Jackson, who has now scheduled three ranked FCS or Power Four opponents in as many weeks, does not see his roster as overmatched. “People thought we were going to get broken up. We’re not broken,” he said. “We expect a win this week against Stephen F. Austin, and we expect Prairie View A&M football to be a top 10 team this week, which we haven’t done in a long time.” He respected what is coming to Panther Stadium. “They got a really good quarterback. They got two really good receivers that really make all the plays in the vertical game,” Jackson said. “They’ve got a defense that’s young, but they play a sound defense, and they fly around. That’s probably how you get to the top 10 in the country. We got our work cut out for us. But I like where we are.”

The Orange and Green Renew Their Rivalry

Tennessee State travels to Florida A&M on Saturday for the 56th meeting between the two programs, a series Tennessee State leads 31-24 and has won six straight times, dating back to FAMU’s last win in 2019. Kickoff at Bragg Memorial Stadium is 6 p.m. CT, streaming on HBCU GO.

Tennessee State (0-3) is looking for its first win after a 30-3 loss to Alabama A&M, in which the defense recorded three sacks, six tackles for loss, and its first interception of the season while holding Alabama A&M to 126 rushing yards and no rushing touchdowns. Quarterback Daylin Lee has completed 53 of 101 passes for 514 yards and a touchdown; Jayden Guy and Cam Bulluck each have 15 receptions; linebacker Brendan Hale leads the defense with 21 tackles; and punter Truette Tumey is averaging 43.4 yards per kick.

Florida A&M (1-2, 0-0 SWAC) is home after back-to-back road losses to a ranked South Carolina State team and Miami, 77-7, with its only win a 20-7 decision over Albany State. First-year head coach Quinn Gray Sr., a FAMU alum, is 1-1 in his opening season and has used four quarterbacks so far, with Dustin Fletcher completing 14 of 27 passes for 101 yards and Armond Parker adding 37 yards on 3 of 7 passes. Receivers Kieren Jackson and Corey Petty have combined for 14 catches and 171 yards, and the defense has been anchored by Denzel Johnson’s 17 tackles and two interceptions from Justin Bostic, including a pick-six against South Carolina State. A win would snap the six-game skid against Tennessee State, even FAMU’s 2-2 record, and keep the Rattlers unbeaten at home this season.

Tennessee State head coach Reggie Barlow had no shortage of respect for what his team is walking into. “What a great program,” Barlow said. “We know the type of talent that state puts out, and Coach Quinn Gray is looking to do good things there. We’re looking forward to the work, getting prepared for these guys, and going out to compete.” Barlow also defended quarterback Daylin Lee after a two-interception game against Alabama A&M, pointing to route and coverage details rather than the throws themselves. “Daylin is a good quarterback, smart; he gets us in good situations,” Barlow said. “Daylin is in good spirits, man. He’s our guy. We feel good about him.” On preparing for FAMU’s rotation at quarterback, Barlow pointed to the Miami and South Carolina State tape as the best evaluation tools available. “They played the top team in HBCU football in South Carolina State, which is a dominant, physical football team, and then of course they played Miami,” Barlow said. “So we’ll watch all the games.”

SWAC Teams on the Move

UAPB returns home for the first time this season, hosting Central State at Simmons Bank Field with kickoff moved from its original 4 p.m. slot to 5 p.m. CT because of forecasted heat. The Golden Lions (1-2) opened the season with three straight road games, most recently a 53-51 double overtime thriller against Alcorn State in the Southern Heritage Classic at Memphis, and Saturday’s home opener doubles as PineBluffProud Community Day, with SWAC TV carrying the broadcast. Central State opened its season with a 48-26 loss to Grambling State.

Alcorn State (2-1) is on the road at North Alabama (1-2) for the first-ever meeting between the two programs, with kickoff at 6 p.m. CT and the game streaming on ESPN+. Quarterback Jaylon Tolbert was named SWAC Offensive Player of the Week after throwing for 869 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season, both fourth nationally, and running back Ernest Temple earned the conference’s Newcomer of the Week honor. Third-year head coach Cedric Thomas is 13-14 at Alcorn State.

CAA Play Opens for NC A&T

North Carolina Central (2-1) hits the road for a CAA opener at Gardner-Webb (0-3), a series the two programs have split evenly at 3-3, with Gardner-Webb winning the last meeting in 2019, 21-12. Interim Gardner-Webb head coach Pete Bennett previously coached at NC Central from 2022 to 2023. The Eagles come in off a 30-22 win over NC A&T, powered by 210 rushing yards and three touchdowns from Plez Lawrence on 22 carries, a fourth touchdown pass in three games from quarterback Nelson Layne, a perfect 6-for-6 day on field goals from Riley Daniels, and two interceptions of NC A&T quarterback Kevin White. Head coach Trei Oliver, who is three wins shy of 50 for his career, is 18-17 on the road at NC Central. Kickoff at Spangler Stadium is 6 p.m., streaming on ESPN+.

NC A&T (0-3, 0-0 CAA) looks to snap a three-game losing streak after a 30-22 loss to NC Central, as it opens CAA play at Campbell (2-1), which is receiving votes in the FCS top 25. The game is Campbell’s “910 Night” at Barker-Lane Stadium, with third-year head coach Braxton Harris leading the host Camels. Kickoff is 6 p.m.

NC A&T head coach Shawn Gibbs put the NC Central loss on turnovers, not effort. His team gave the ball away four times and did not force a single takeaway. “We can’t beat ourselves,” Gibbs said this week. “We’ve got to take North Carolina A&T off the schedule. Campbell is good enough by themselves. We can’t beat Campbell and A&T, but we can beat Campbell. We play our game.” He was direct about the challenge Campbell presents. “I’m excited about the matchup against Campbell on Saturday,” Gibbs said. “They have a good football team. Coach Harris and his staff do a great job coaching. Their quarterback, Sixkiller, is playing at a high level right now, and they have the number one total offense in the conference, number one passing offense in the CAA. On defense, they’re athletic; they play physical. They’re two and one, and we’re searching for our first victory. It’s an in-state conference game, so it means a lot, not only in the standings but also in recruiting.”

Gibbs also confirmed a season-ending injury to Braxton Thomas, who tore his ACL against Georgia State. “He has a complete tear of his ACL. So unfortunately for Brax, his season is over,” Gibbs said. “Our prayers and thoughts are out to him. We know that he’s going to come back better than ever; he’s been through this before. But I really hate it for him, because he worked so hard to come back and then to suffer another season-ending injury. It’s tragic.”

An Early Homecoming and the Delta Classic

Bethune-Cookman hosts Virginia Lynchburg, which competes at the NCCAA level, for Homecoming at Daytona Stadium, with kickoff at 4 p.m. ET. The Wildcats enter off a 43-18 win over Stetson in which Rashon Brown scored three rushing touchdowns, Tre Rigby set up a score with a 73-yard kickoff return, and Myron Shafer III sealed the win with a fourth-quarter interception. Virginia Lynchburg (0-3) is led by quarterback Max Zavala, who has thrown for a team-high 209 yards on the season; Christian Banks accounted for the team’s lone touchdown pass; Israel Rhodes rushed for 112 yards on 31 carries; and Najahti Clark led the defense with 16 tackles.

Mississippi Valley State hosts Delta State, a Division II Gulf South Conference program, for the eighth playing of the Delta Classic at Rice-Totten Stadium, with kickoff at 6 p.m. CT. Delta State leads the all-time series 6-1 and has won four straight since 2003, including a 35-7 decision the last time the two met in 2023. Mississippi Valley State (1-2, 0-0 SWAC) picked up its first win of the season, 31-20 over Lincoln University of Pennsylvania at the Chicago Football Classic, behind an offensive MVP performance from Josh Brown, who completed 14 of 21 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns, and Dayvian Bluitt, who piled up 259 all-purpose yards, including a 143-yard, one-touchdown receiving day. Second-year head coach Terrell Buckley, a College Football Hall of Famer and former Super Bowl champion cornerback who still holds Florida State’s career interception record with 21, leads the Delta Devils.

Also on Tap: Alabama A&M hosting Bowie State + The Battle of Greater Baltimore

Alabama A&M (2-1) hosts Bowie State for the first-ever meeting between the two programs as part of the Bulldogs’ Hall of Fame Game, with kickoff at 6 p.m. ET at Louis Crews Stadium. Alabama A&M is off a 30-3 win over Tennessee State in which quarterback Cornelious Brown IV threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns on 24 of 38 passing, with Jarel Williams catching eight passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. First year head coach Dawson Odums and quarterback Jaylin Solomon lead the visitors.

Morgan State (2-1) is on the road at Towson (0-3) for the Battle of Greater Baltimore, with kickoff at 6 p.m. at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Towson leads the all-time series 24-6 and has won the last eight meetings. Fifth-year head coach Damon Wilson, a former Bowie State assistant, has quarterback Cameron Edge coming off a 17-of-19 passing day for 282 yards and four touchdowns in Morgan State’s most recent outing. “Cam’s getting better each week,” Wilson said. “He hadn’t played a lot of college ball before this. Each week, I anticipate him to get better, and he’s been really efficient with the ball.” Wilson is still chasing his first win in the series since taking over the program, and he is not treating Towson’s record as a sign of an easy week. “It’s a team that’s zero and three, but they played two FBS opponents and lost one of them right at the end,” Wilson said. “It’s a very tough team going to their home, and we’re excited to play.”