MEAC Football Season Kicks Off Thursday with Delaware State Hosting Stony Brook

Football | 8/26/2026 6:03:43 PM

NORFOLK, Va. – The 2026 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) football season kicks off Thursday, Aug. 27, when Delaware State hosts Stony Brook at 6 p.m. on the MEAC Network.

The Hornets’ season opener begins a Week 0 slate featuring all six MEAC football teams in action, with the remaining five teams taking the field Saturday.  
Week 0 Schedule
Thursday, Aug. 27
Stony Brook at Delaware State – 6:00 PM – MEAC Network
 
Saturday, Aug. 29
Savannah State at South Carolina State – 6:00 PM – ESPN+
Morgan State at North Carolina A&T State – 6:00 PM – FloSports
Winston-Salem State at Norfolk State – 6:00 PM – MEAC Network
North Carolina Central at Texas Southern – 7:00 PM – HBCU Go
Howard vs. Alabama A&M (MEAC/SWAC Challenge) – 7:30 PM – ABC
 
MEAC Football Notes
 
MEAC Overview
The 2026 MEAC football season will see the league’s six football playing member institutions: Delaware State, Howard, Morgan State, Norfolk State, North Carolina Central and South Carolina State, vying for the regular-season crown and the berth to the 2026 Cricket Celebration Bowl on December 12 in Atlanta, Ga.
 
Around the League
  • Back-To-Back
    • South Carolina State enters the 2026 season as the conference’s standard-bearer under head coach Chennis Berry. The Bulldogs return after capturing back-to-back MEAC championships and capping last season with a thrilling 40-38 victory over Prairie View A&M in the Celebration Bowl, further cementing their place atop HBCU football.
  • Year Two at Delaware State
    • One of the most intriguing storylines this season belongs to Delaware State, where head coach DeSean Jackson enters his second season leading the Hornets.
    • After posting a 4-1 conference record in his first year at the helm, Jackson and Delaware State enter 2026 with growing momentum and heightened expectations.
  • Rebuild in Durham
    • North Carolina Central enters the season with a new-look roster following the departure of 2025 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year Walker Harris.
    • While the Eagles may look different this season on the field, the championship standard established by head coach Trei Oliver remains firmly in place as NCCU aims to remain among the conference’s top programs.
  • Ted White Returns to Howard
    • At Howard, a new era begins as Bison great Ted White returns to lead the program. White will look to guide Howard back to the top of the MEAC, where the Bison last claimed a conference championship in 2023.
  • Wilson Prepped for Year Five
    • Head coach Damon Wilson enters year five as Morgan State also looks to reenter the championship conversation in 2026. The Bears are seeking to end a conference title drought that dates back to their last MEAC championship in 2014.
  • Spartans Looking to Rebound
    • Entering his second season at the helm, head coach Michael Vick will look to build upon the foundation established during his first year and throughout spring practice as the Spartans enter 2026 with a revamped roster and renewed aspirations of returning to MEAC championship contention.
 
Nationally Ranked Bulldogs
South Carolina State is nationally ranked in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 (24) and the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll (25).
 
MEAC Predicted Order of Finish
South Carolina State was selected to win the 2026 MEAC football championship, as the Bulldogs topped the league’s annual preseason poll.
 
The Bulldogs earned 49 points and five first-place votes in the poll conducted by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.
 
North Carolina Central was projected to finish second with 42 points and one first-place vote, followed closely by Delaware State, which received 40 points and two first-place votes. Morgan State was picked fourth, followed by Norfolk State, which garnered one first-place vote, and Howard.
 
Predicted Order of Finish (first-place votes in parentheses):
 
1.         South Carolina State 49 (5)
2.         North Carolina Central 42 (1)
3.         Delaware State 40 (2)
4.         Morgan State 25
5.         Norfolk State 18 (1)
6.         Howard 15
 
Preseason All-MEAC Honors
North Carolina Central wide receiver Chance Peterson was voted the 2026 MEAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while South Carolina State linebacker Jordan Franklin earned 2026 MEAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors.
 
Peterson, a product of Wake Forest, N.C., ranked fourth in the MEAC in receiving yards (720) and fifth in receptions (48) and yards per game (60.0) last season en route to garnering Second Team All-MEAC honors.
 
Franklin, a native of Waynesboro, Ga., paced the Bulldogs with 62 total tackles, including 42 solo stops and 20 assisted tackles a season ago. He also led the team with 12.0 tackles for loss totaling 52 yards while adding 2.0 sacks for 26 yards. The 2025 First Team All-MEAC selection tied for the team lead with two interceptions, recorded four pass breakups, forced one fumble and recovered one fumble a season ago.
 
South Carolina State led all programs with nine student-athletes named to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team across offense and defense. North Carolina Central and Howard followed with four first-team selections each, while Morgan State earned three selections. Norfolk State and Delaware State rounded out the list with two first-team honorees apiece.
 
MEAC Earns Three Spots in Inaugural Black College Football Poll; South Carolina State Claims No. 1 Ranking
Headlined by top-ranked South Carolina State, three MEAC football programs were recognized in the inaugural 2026 Preseason Black College Football Poll. North Carolina Central (No. 5) and Delaware State (No. 6) joined the Bulldogs in the rankings, while Howard also received votes in the first-ever poll.
 
The historic preseason rankings mark the debut of the first officially endorsed national poll dedicated exclusively to HBCU football programs competing at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and NCAA Division II levels.
 
The Black College Football Poll is jointly sanctioned by the MEAC, Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) and Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association (SIAC), providing a unified national ranking of HBCU football programs across both divisions.
 
Coming off a historic 2025 season, South Carolina State claimed the No. 1 spot in the poll after capturing its second consecutive MEAC championship and winning the Celebration Bowl. The Bulldogs received 185 points, including 36 first-place votes.
 
North Carolina Central was ranked No. 5 after finishing 8-4 overall in 2025, including a 3-2 mark in MEAC play. The Eagles totaled 107 points in the preseason poll.
 
About the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) enters its 56th year of intercollegiate competition with the 2026–27 academic year. Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, the MEAC is comprised of eight distinguished Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) along the Atlantic seaboard: Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Howard University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Morgan State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina Central University, and South Carolina State University. Since its founding in 1970, the MEAC has been dedicated to promoting academic excellence, sportsmanship, and the personal growth of student athletes. For more information, visit www.MEACSports.com.