North Carolina A&T will start the 2022 season against its biggest in-state rival and then take on the best team in the FCS over the last decade.
The Aggies football program released its fall schedule that features an 11-game slate, including four matchups against HBCU opponents.
North Carolina A&T will begin the regular season on Sept. 3 playing host to longtime rival North Carolina Central, a game that had been played as a conference finale when the schools tangled in the MEAC before the Aggies moved to the Big South.
The following week will be the program’s biggest test in years when North Carolina A&T travels to Fargo, North Dakota to play the four-time defending FCS national champion North Dakota State on Sept. 10.
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“I think to be the best, you have to beat the best, and we are certainly playing the best in North Dakota State,” said head coach Sam Washington. “We are looking forward to seeing where we measure up when playing the best.”
The Aggies, which will transition to the CAA in 2023, will compete against three other HBCUs during the regular season. Those opponents include HBCU national champion South Carolina State (Sept. 24), Edward Waters (Oct. 15), and Norfolk State (Nov. 5).
Washington said about the matchup against South Carolina State: “It is very important to our community, our program, university, and fans to keep these traditional HBCU games on our schedule. It is a part of our heritage, and this one will be something because we are going up against a legendary coach in Buddy Pough, and don’t forget now, they are the defending HBCU champions. So we’ll have our hands full.”
The program’s homecoming game is scheduled to be played on Oct. 29 versus Campbell.
North Carolina A&T went 5-6 overall and 3-4 in the Big South in 2021.
