On July 29, preseason camp opened for the North Carolina A&T football team.

It’s a clean slate. It’s a fresh start for a team that has struggled mightily since joining the Coastal Athletic Association for the 2023 season. It’s a chance for head coach Shawn Gibbs to truly make the program his own after a full year in charge.

The Aggies will begin their 2026 campaign at home against Morgan State on Aug. 29.

For those who can’t make it to Truist Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina, to watch the showdown in person, it’ll be broadcast live on FloCollege and the FloSports app, along with the rest of the team’s home and conference games.

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Since debuting in the CAA in 2023, North Carolina A&T is 4-31 overall and 2-22 in conference games, but things have been trending upward since Gibbs returned to town in December 2024.

He may have inherited a team that was 1-10 in 2023 and 1-11 in 2024, while going a combined 0-16 against CAA opponents, but he has been around the program enough to know what the Aggies can accomplish.

The team has been in action for over a century, won more than 525 games and collected 16 titles across two conferences – Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (11) and Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (five) – and claimed seven Black college national championships, including three in a row from 2017-2019.

Gibbs said his team will have a new mentality in 2026. 

Instead of trying to prove they belong in the loaded CAA, the Aggies are simply going to act and play like the champions they know they are and hope that confidence and mindset translate to success on the field.

North Carolina A&T will see three weeks of action in September before starting a run of four consecutive CAA games, the second of which will be a visit from two-time defending CAA champion Rhode Island.

Is that enough time for a team with almost 40 new players to gel and gain momentum? 

Only time will tell, of course, but Gibbs is a motivated leader who already has invested more than a decade of his life to North Carolina A&T and has proven himself as a head coach. 

Prior to returning to N.C. A&T, he posted a 22-9 record over three seasons at the helm of NCAA Division II Fort Valley State in Georgia.

As we prepare for Gibbs’ sophomore season at N.C. A&T, here are some things to know about Aggies football, the CAA and the FCS:

North Carolina A&T Football’s Biggest Rival Is North Carolina Central

The football rivalry between North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central spans more than a century, and the schools are about as similar as you can get.

They’re less than 60 miles apart, they’re the two largest HBCU’s in North Carolina and they’re both tied to A&T’s head coach.

Prior to his 20 years in the coaching realm, Gibbs was a standout running back at NCCU (1993-1997). He averaged more than 5 yards per carry and rolled up almost 1,700 yards in his collegiate career. He led the Eagles in rushing in 1996 and 1997 finished his time there with 121 points scored.

Gibbs then returned to his alma mater as the running backs coach from 2003-2006 and helped NCCU to a pair of CIAA titles in 2005 and 2006.

Two stops later, Gibbs kicked off an 11-year stint as part of the North Carolina A&T coaching staff, serving in a variety of roles from 2011-2021. He was in Greensboro for the program’s last five MEAC titles, and he’s ready to bring that same energy and success to the CAA.

In his first meeting with NCCU as the head coach at A&T, Gibbs and the Aggies were stunned by the Eagles, 62-20.

It was the 97th clash between the two squads, the second consecutive time the Eagles were able to put up 60 points against their rivals and tied the largest margin of victory for NCCU in the series, which N.C. A&T leads 54-38-5.

The two schools will face each other this year on Sept. 12, and the showdown will take place at NCCU’s O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium in Durham, North Carolina. 

The Eagles will be looking to win for the fifth straight year, a feat the Aggies were not able to accomplish after winning four in a row from 2017-2021.

Unforgettable Season For Aggies Kicker In 2025

Kickers don’t always get the credit they deserve, but graduate placekicker Andrew Brown stole the spotlight on more than one occasion in 2025, and his continued success even landed him an invite to the NFL Combine.

Brown’s opportunity to attend the NFL Combine Specialist Showcase made him the first kicker from A&T and only HBCU athlete to attend the event.

Picking a top performance from Brown during the 2025 season is pretty tough.

On Nov. 15, against Monmouth, he connected on three field goals of more than 50 yards (55, 53, 53) to become the first Aggie in history to accomplish the feat. He also was the first CAA player to make three field goals of 53 or more yards. Finally, he tied the NCAA record for field goals in a game over 50 yards.

A month earlier, he kicked a 55-yard field goal in a home loss to South Carolina State. It was the longest field goal in program history, but the record that lasted only a few weeks. He booted a 56-yarder in a loss to Towson on Nov. 1. That’s a top-3 kick in the FCS record book.

For the season, Brown went 5 for 5 on field goals of 50 yards or more, and he left A&T as the all-time leader in field goals made (51) and attempted (71). 

His recognition started with CAA Special Teams Player of the Week honors three times during the season and ended with the invite to the NFL Combine in February.

In between, Brown was named the Co-HBCU Special Teams Player of the Year (with kick returner Javon Ross from Bethune-Cookman) and earned a spot on the HBCU All-America team. 

Brown also got a nod as one of 10 finalists for the Fred Mitchell Award, given to the best non-FBS kicker in the country and was named to the All-CAA second team. 

Aggies Have Experienced Many Firsts Since Joining CAA

Being part of the CAA has allowed the Aggies to see new places and share all the things N.C. A&T represents, including the storied history of the largest historically black college and/or university in the nation. 

Having already been to North Dakota, Rhode Island and Pennsylvania during the early part of their time in the CAA, the Aggies’ 2025 campaign included the team’s first trip to Maine and 15th first-time opponent since 2021. 

In 2026, North Carolina A&T will have another noteworthy first-time opponent, Chicago State, which will be fielding a football team for the first time in its 159-year history. That brings the Aggies’ growing list of new opponents to 17.

The contest will replace A&T’s planned meeting with Norfolk State, and the teams signed a two-year agreement. They will play again in 2027, with that game taking place in Illinois. 

Chicago State is the oldest public university in the Chicago metro area.

How Did The North Carolina A&T Aggies Perform Overall In 2025?

By most standards, the 2025 season was not a great one for North Carolina A&T football, but based on the team’s recent record, it was a huge step in the right direction.

Former do-it-all assistant coach Shawn Gibbs was brought back as the head coach, and he has the Aggies quickly moving forward.

After back-to-back one-win seasons in the CAA, he helped the squad win two games for the first time since moving over from the Big South Conference. 

The first victory came against Hampton on Sept. 13 and marked the first CAA win in program history (33-30). The second win of the season also was an in-conference triumph, a 28-24 nailbiter against Campbell on Oct. 25.

The season ended with consecutive CAA losses to Towson, Stony Brook, Monmouth and Elon, but the Aggies did enough to emerge from the conference cellar for the first time.

As mentioned above, placekicker Andrew Brown racked up the accolades in 2025, including a second-team All-CAA selection, but he wasn’t the only N.C. A&T player to be recognized.

Six Aggies saw their names in the CAA news release announcing the conference’s postseason awards:

2025 CAA Award Winners From North Carolina A&T

• *Elijah Kennedy, PR, Jr. – First-Team Offense
• Andrew Brown, PK, Gr. – Second-Team Offense
• Marquis Hood, DL, Jr. – Second-Team Defense
• Korion Sharpe, OL, Sr. – Third-Team Offense
• *Elijah Kennedy, KR, Jr. – Third-Team Offense
• Aaron Harris, CB, Gr. – Third-Team Defense
• Tim Alderman, DL, Gr. – Honorable Mention

Kennedy also picked up second-team All-America honors from Stats Perform, and he should be a big part of the new-look team in 2026.

During the 2025 season, he became the first player in team history to return a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in the same game.

*On 2026 roster

2025 North Carolina A&T Football Results

• Aug. 30 (Sat): Tennessee State 24, North Carolina A&T 21 (L)
• Sept. 6 (Sat): UCF 68, North Carolina A&T 7 (L)
• Sept. 13 (Sat): North Carolina A&T 33, Hampton 30 (W)
• Sept. 20 (Sat): North Carolina Central 62, North Carolina A&T 20 (L)
• Sept. 27 (Sat): Maine 37, North Carolina A&T 30 (L)
• Oct. 4 (Sat): William & Mary 38, North Carolina A&T 34 (L)
• Oct. 11 (Sat): South Carolina State 22, North Carolina A&T 16 (L)
• Oct. 25 (Sat): North Carolina A&T 28, Campbell 24 (W)
• Nov. 1 (Sat): Towson 62, North Carolina A&T 9 (L)
• Nov. 8 (Sat): Stony Brook 38, North Carolina A&T 12 (L)
• Nov. 15 (Sat): Monmouth 63, North Carolina A&T 19 (L)
• Nov. 22 (Sat): Elon 55, North Carolina A&T 17 (L)

A Look At The CAA And North Carolina A&T Football In 2026

As the second-year head coach, Gibbs is slowly making the North Carolina A&T football program his own.

After losing all but one of his all-conference performers, Gibbs went out and secured a massive haul of talent.

On National Signing Day in February, A&T announced the signing of 38 new players – 21 from high school and 17 from the transfer portal. The list included 24 athletes from the Carolinas and seven from Georgia.

The struggling Aggies defense will get a boost from more than 20 additions and now can boast three athletes who are 6-foot-5 and two who are 6-foot-4.

Many of the recruits proved to be eager to get to work, as 22 were enrolled for the spring semester. 

Gibbs also was busy strengthening his coaching staff and added three new faces to the sidelines.

First, he brought in Donovan Jackson to lead the offensive line. A week later, he added Alvance Robinson to handle the wide receivers and Charles Cheek to coach the outside linebackers.  

Despite all the hard work behind the scenes, Gibbs and his new crew still will have to show some things on the field, as North Carolina A&T was picked by the CAA coaches to finish 12th among the 13 teams this year. 

There’s no hiding Kennedy, however. He was named to the 2026 CAA Football Preseason All-Conference team as a punt returner and received an honorable mention for what he’s expected to do on kickoffs.

Senior offensive lineman Andrew Dorsey also received an honorable mention.  

North Carolina A&T Football Schedule For 2026

All Times Eastern

• Aug. 29 (Sat): 6 p.m. vs. Morgan State
• Sept. 4 (Fri): 7 p.m. at Georgia State
• Sept. 12 (Sat): 6 p.m. at North Carolina Central
• Sept. 19 (Sat): 6 p.m. at Campbell
• Sept. 26 (Sat): 4 p.m. vs. Rhode Island
• Oct. 3 (Sat): 6 p.m. at Bryant
• Oct. 10 (Sat): Noon vs. New Hampshire
• Oct. 17 (Sat): Noon vs. Chicago State
• Oct. 31 (Sat): 1 p.m. vs. Elon
• Nov. 7 (Sat): Noon at Monmouth
• Nov. 14 (Sat): 1 p.m. at Hampton
• Nov. 21 (Sat): Noon vs. Albany

*CAA games

Predicted Order Of Finish For CAA Teams In 2026

1. Rhode Island (12 first-place votes), 144
2. Monmouth, 119
3. Elon, 115
4. New Hampshire, 106
5. Stony Brook (1 first-place vote), 105
6. Towson, 93
7. Maine, 88
8. Campbell, 56
9. Bryant, 50
10. Sacred Heart, 49
11. UAlbany, 35
12. North Carolina A&T, 28
13. Hampton, 26

*Villanova and William & Mary left the CAA for the Patriot League, and Sacred Heart joins the CAA for the 2026 season. 

Order Of Finish For CAA Teams In 2025

CAA (Overall)

• Rhode Island: 8-0 (11-3)
• Villanova: 7-1 (12-3)
• New Hampshire: 6-2 (8-5)
• Monmouth: 6-2 (9-3)
• William & Mary: 6-2 (7-5)
• Maine: 5-3 (6-6)
• Elon: 4-4 (6-6)
• Stony Brook: 4-4 (6-6)
• Towson: 4-4 (6-6)
• Campbell: 2-6 (2-10)
• North Carolina A&T: 2-6 (2-10)
• Bryant: 1-7 (3-9)
• UAlbany: 1-7 (2-10)
• Hampton: 0-8 (2-10)

Final AFCA Division I FCS Coaches Poll For 2025 Season

1. Montana St. (14-2)
2. Illinois St. (12-5)
3. Montana (13-2)
4. Villanova (12-3)
5. North Dakota St. (12-1)
6. Tarleton St. (12-2)
7. Stephen F. Austin (11-3)
8. UC Davis (9-4)
9. Lehigh (12-1)
10. Rhode Island (11-3)
11. South Dakota (10-5)
12. ACU (9-5)
13. Yale (9-3)
14. South Dakota St. (9-5)
15. Tennessee Tech (11-2)
16. North Dakota (8-6)
17. Youngstown St. (8-5)
18. Mercer (9-3)
19. Southeastern Louisiana (9-4)
20. Monmouth (N.J.) (9-3)
21. Lamar (8-5)
22. Jackson St. (9-3)
23. Harvard (9-2)
24. West Georgia (8-3)
25. South Carolina St. (10-3)

Dropped Out: Southern Illinois (25)

Others Receiving Votes: New Hampshire, 35; Lafayette, 30; Southern Illinois, 29; Drake, 20; UT Rio Grande Valley, 20; Prairie View A&M, 16; Central Connecticut St., 15; Richmond, 15; Alabama St., 10; Presbyterian, 10; Southern Utah, 5; Austin Peay, 2.

Some Things To Know About FCS Football

The FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) is the second tier of NCAA Division I football, with the top tier being the FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision). 

While the FBS determines its national champion through a 12-team, committee-selected College Football Playoff, the FCS Championship includes 24 teams.

The FCS conference champions automatically qualify for the playoffs, and the remaining spots are filled via at-large selection. 

This season, there will be 128 programs across 13 conferences. The regular season will begin in late August, and the playoffs will get underway at the end of November. 

Who Won The Each Football National Championship For The 2025-2026 Season?

• Division I FBS – Indiana def. Miami, 27-21
• Division I FCS – Montana State def. Illinois State 35-34 (OT)
• Division II – Ferris State def. Harding, 42-21
• Division III – University of Wisconsin-River Falls def. North Central (Ill.), 24-14

When Do The 2026 NCAA Division I FCS Playoffs Start?

The first round of the 2026 NCAA FCS Playoffs will be Nov. 28.

The format includes 24 teams and five rounds of play – first round, second round, quarterfinals, semifinals and the championship game. Everything through the semifinals will be played at the site of the participating schools.

Round 2 is set for Dec. 5, the quarterfinals will be held Dec. 11 (one game) and Dec. 12 (three games) and the semifinals will take place Dec. 19.

The 2026 FCS national championship will be determined Jan. 11, 2027, at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Music City first hosted the title tilt in 2025 after 15 consecutive visits to Frisco, Texas.

Every game will be broadcast live on the ESPN family of networks. 

How Do The FCS Playoffs Work?

The 24 FCS teams that advance to the playoffs are situated into a single-elimination bracket.

The top 16 teams are seeded, with the first eight earning byes into the second round. Seeds 9-16 must play in the opening round of action, but they get to play host, as do the higher seeds in each game through the semifinals.

The two semifinal winners then make the trip to Nashville to play for the national championship.

In 2025, Montana State defeated Illinois State 35-34 in overtime to claim the trophy. 

Since 2011, North Dakota State had been dominating the FCS landscape, winning 10 national titles, but the Bison have now moved to a bigger pasture – the FBS level as part of the Mountain West Conference.

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