Win the games you should, survive road tests, and get a little bit of luck along the way.
Some schools during a given year have a tougher road than others, either by choice or because it’s the way their slate was constructed in offseasons past.
This year — Southern, coming off a two-win season in 2025 — has among the toughest schedules in all of Black College Football.
Good luck, Marshall Faulk.
Two other HBCU football schedules ranked among the toughest in the country — Mississippi Valley State and Florida A&M under new head coach Quinn Gray.
On the other end of the spectrum, Hampton faces the easiest schedule among HBCU programs.
South Carolina State — the defending HBCU national champions — plays opponents with a combined winning percentage of .443. Prairie View — the Celebration Bowl runner-up has the seventh-toughest slate among HBCU teams.
Below is a look at the schedule strength of all HBCU Division I teams based on the combined winning percentage of their opponents from the previous season:
