The 2026 HBCU football season is kicking off with a bang.
Week 0 will feature a packed slate of games involving HBCU programs from the MEAC, SWAC, CIAA, SIAC and other conferences, giving fans plenty to watch before the rest of college football gets underway.
From conference matchups and regional rivalries to nationally televised showdowns, Thursday through Sunday will provide an early look at some of the teams expected to make noise this season.
Thursday: Delaware State, MVSU Open the Week 0 Action
Week 0 gets started Thursday, Aug. 27, with several HBCU programs taking the field.
At 6 p.m. ET, Delaware State will host Stony Brook in a MEAC Network matchup. The Hornets will get an early opportunity to make a statement against an FCS opponent.
At the same time, Bluefield State will face Tusculum, while Virginia State takes on Barton.
Mississippi Valley State will headline the 7 p.m. window when the Delta Devils travel to face Nicholls on ESPN+. Arkansas Baptist will also take on Pikeville at 8 p.m.
Friday: Virginia Union Gets the Spotlight
Friday’s lone HBCU game comes at 6 p.m. when Virginia Union faces Lenoir-Rhyne.
The Panthers will get an early test against one of Division II’s established programs as the CIAA season begins to take shape.
Saturday: HBCU Football Overload
Saturday is where Week 0 really takes off.
The action starts at noon with West Virginia State facing Chowan before Fort Valley State meets Elizabeth City State at 1 p.m.
At 3 p.m., one of the day’s biggest games arrives at Legion Field in Birmingham.
Southern will face Alabama State in a SWAC showdown that will be televised nationally on ESPNU that is the coaching debut of Pro Football Hall of Fame player Marshall Faulk.
The evening slate is loaded.
Kentucky State and Central State will meet in an SIAC matchup, while Johnson C. Smith faces Benedict. Virginia-Lynchburg will travel to Hampton, and Morgan State will take on North Carolina A&T.
Winston-Salem State will face Norfolk State, while Savannah State takes on South Carolina State.
Shaw and Fayetteville State will meet in a CIAA matchup, Allen will face Livingstone, and Florida Memorial will battle Edward Waters.
Then the marquee matchups begin rolling in.
At 7 p.m., North Carolina Central will face Texas Southern, while Morehouse takes on Arkansas-Pine Bluff at War Memorial Stadium in Arkansas.
Albany State will face Florida A&M in Quinn Gray’s debut as Rattlers coach, and Clark Atlanta will battle Grambling State.
Miles will take on Alcorn State, while Lincoln (Missouri) faces Central Methodist.
Howard-Alabama A&M headlines the night
One of the most intriguing games of the night will take place at Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta.
Alabama A&M and Howard will square off at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge
The matchup will give fans an early look at two programs with high expectations entering the 2026 season.
Alabama A&M will be looking to build on the foundation established under head coach Sam Shade, while Howard enters the season with plenty of attention surrounding its quarterback situation under first-year coach Ted White.
View this post on Instagram
The game also provides another major showcase for HBCU football on a national television stage.
Jackson State-Tennessee State brings the night to a close
At 8:30 p.m., Jackson State will face Tennessee State in another highly anticipated matchup.
The game will be available on ESPN+ and could provide an early measuring stick for both programs.
Jackson State enters the season among the teams expected to compete for another SWAC championship, while Tennessee State will look to make an early statement.
And the night doesn’t stop there.
At 9 p.m., Prairie View A&M will take on Tarleton State on ESPN2.
The Panthers– winners of the SWAC a year ago — will have one of the more difficult Week 0 assignments against a Tarleton program that has become a force at the FCS level.
Sunday: Tuskegee Closes Out Week 0
Week 0 concludes Sunday night when Tuskegee travels to face West Alabama at 8 p.m. ET.
The Golden Tigers will get the final opportunity of the opening weekend to put an HBCU program in the spotlight on Sunday.
A Massive Opening Weekend
With games spread across four days, Week 0 will offer HBCU football fans an early dose of nearly everything.
There are nationally televised games, conference matchups, rivalry-style contests and opportunities for HBCU programs to knock off established opponents.
And with so many teams taking the field before the traditional opening weekend, Week 0 could provide the first major clues about which HBCU programs are ready to make a run in 2026.
For fans, the message is simple: the wait is over.
HBCU football is back.
