Nine Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference schools are on the schedule; however, contests against both Florida A&M and Norfolk State are designated non-conference games and will not count toward the league championship. Also, among the Bulldogs’ non-conference opponents are two Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams.
SC State opens the campaign Sept. 1 at Statesboro, GA against Georgia Southern, one of two FBS teams Coach Buddy Pough’s squad will meet. That contest will be followed by a Sept. 8 matchup at Orlando, FL against University of Central Florida, the only undefeated Bowl Championship team in 2017, who finished in the top 6 in most season-ending polls.
The Bulldogs begin MEAC play with back-to-back home games — North Carolina Central Sept. 15 (Hall of Fame Game/Former Student-Athlete Appreciation Day) and Norfolk State Sept. 22 (Greek Day) at 6 p.m.
Pough’s team then hits the road to take on defending MEAC Champion and Celebration Bowl winner N.C. A&T State in Greensboro Sept. 29, before traveling to Baltimore, MD for a showdown with Morgan State Oct. 6.
SC State hosts Bethune-Cookman (Youth/ROTC/Military Appreciation Day) Oct.13, followed by Delaware State in its Homecoming game Oct. 20. A trip to the nation’s capital for a battle with the Bison of Howard Oct. 27 will be followed by a bye week Nov. 3.
The Bulldogs will return to the Sunshine State Nov. 10 for a contest with the Rattlers of Florida A&M at Tallahassee, before closing out the regular season at home versus Savannah State (Senior Day/High School Band Day) Nov. 17.
Pough is entering his 17th season at the helm of the Bulldog Football program and needs just nine more wins to become the all-time winningest football coach in school history.
Courtesy: SCSU Athletics
2018 South Carolina State Football Scheule
| Date | Conf | Opponent | Location | Time |
| 4/14/18 | SPRING GAME | ORANGEBURG, SC | 1 p.m. | |
| 9/1/18 | Georgia Southern University | Statesboro, GA | TBA | |
| 9/8/18 | University of Central Florida | Orlando, FL | TBA | |
| 9/15/18 | * | North Carolina Central University# | ORANGEBURG, SC | 6 p.m. |
| 9/22/18 | Norfolk State University@ | ORANGEBURG,SC | 6 p.m. | |
| 9/29/18 | * | North Carolina A&T State University | Greensboro, NC | TBA |
| 10/6/18 | * | Morgan State University | Baltimore, MD | TBA |
| 10/13/18 | * | Bethune-Cookman University& | ORANGEBURG, SC | 2 p.m. |
| 10/20/18 | * | Delaware State University$ | ORANGEBURG, SC | 1:30 p.m. |
| 10/27/18 | * | Howard University | Washington, DC | TBA |
| 11/10/18 | Florida A&M University | Tallahassee, FL | TBA | |
| 11/17/18 | * | Savannah State University% | ORANGEBURG, SC | 1:30 p.m. |
