While the Southern Heritage Classic is most likely to have the attention of HBCU football fans in Week 2, there are a number of games that deserve to be mentioned alongside it.
Here are five games to watch this weekend:
North Carolina A&T at North Dakota State
The North Carolina A&T Aggies have a huge opportunity heading into the second week of the season when they go on the road to face the defending FCS national champion North Dakota State.
This is the first time an HBCU football team has faced the defending FCS national champion since 2017 when Norfolk State faced 2016 James Madison.
North Carolina A&T is looking to bounce back from their season-opening loss against North Carolina Central which snapped a four-game win streak in the rivalry.
This is a chance for the Aggies to make a statement with a big performance against an FCS powerhouse..
South Carolina State at Bethune-Cookman
South Carolina State looks for its first victory of the season when they travel to Daytona Beach, Florida to face Bethune-Cookman.
Last season, these two teams met for the first time since Bethune-Cookman left the SWAC, with South Carolina State taking a 42-35 win.
The Wildcats nearly completed a major comeback scoring four fourth-quarter touchdowns after trailing 42-7 at one point.
Bethune-Cookman will be looking for their first win against South Carolina State since 2018.
Winston-Salem State at North Carolina Central
In one of the more underrated games going down this weekend, the Winston-Salem State Rams travel to Durham to face the North Carolina Central Eagles.
Last season, these two teams faced off for the first time since Winston-Salem State left the MEAC in 2010. The Eagles ended up escaping with a 20-13 win thanks to a go-ahead rushing touchdown by Latrell Collier in the final minutes.
Each of their last four matchups has been decided by one possession, with the last two being decided by fourth-quarter touchdowns in the final minutes.
If history is any indication, this will be yet another entertaining game in the rivalry.
Bluefield State at Virginia State
Shifting all the way to the Division II ranks, the Big Blue of Bluefield State faces the Virginia State Trojans.
This will be Bluefield State’s fourth game against a CIAA school since returning to the football field after a 40-year hiatus. They have won all three meetings, including a 35-34 win in their season opener against Johnson C. Smith.
Virginia State will be the biggest test Bluefield State has faced since. Although Virginia State is coming off a 2021 season in which they finished with a losing record, they will be the only team Bluefield State has played thus far that has won a conference championship in the past five seasons.
This game will be a litmus test to see whether Bluefield State is good enough to hang with a mid-level Division II.
Meanwhile, Virginia State is looking to secure its first win under new head coach Henry Frazier III.
Kentucky State vs Fort Valley State
For the first time since the 2016 SIAC championship game, the Kentucky State Thorobreds will face off against the Fort Valley State Wildcats in a neutral site game.
If this matchup is anything like that title game, we could possibly have a game of the year contender on our hands.
In that matchup, which went into two overtimes, Fort Valley State came away victorious beating Kentucky State 33-30.
This season, both teams feature very strong run games, combining for 563 rushing yards in their respective openers. This included a remarkable 262-yard performance by Fort Valley State running back Emanuel Wilson.
If these two teams are able to replicate their performance on the ground in this game, this will be an entertaining track meet.
Full Week 2 HBCU football schedule
| DATE | HOME | VISITOR | LOCATION | KICKOFF | EVENT | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
9/10/22
|
 Central State |
vs.
|
 Lincoln (PA) |
@
|
Wilberforce, OH
McPherson Stadium |
1:00pm ET
|
|
 Chowan |
vs.
|
 Tusculum |
@
|
Murfeesboro, NC
Garrison Stadium |
1:00pm ET
|
Brave Hawks Day
|
|
 Frostburg State |
vs.
|
 West Virginia State |
@
|
Frostburg, MD
|
1:00pm ET
|
||
 Presbyterian |
vs.
|
 VA-Lynchburg |
@
|
Clinton, SC
|
1:00pm ET
|
 – ESPN+ – Fox Sports Spartanburg (98.3 FM, 1400 AM) 97.1 WCPX (Fri.-Sun.) |
|
 Saginaw Valley State |
vs.
|
 Bowie State |
@
|
University Center, MI
|
1:00pm ET
|
||
 Saint Augustine’s |
vs.
|
 Limestone |
@
|
Raleigh, NC
George Williams Athletic Complex |
1:00pm ET
|
Prostate Awareness Day | First Responders Day | 20th Anniversary SAU Football Return
|
|
 Lane |
vs.
|
 Benedict |
@
|
Jackson, TN
Lane Field |
2:00pm CT
|
||
 Lincoln (MO) |
vs.
|
 Northwest Missouri State |
@
|
Jefferson City, MO
Dwight T. Reed Stadium |
2:00pm CT
|
First Responders Appreciation Day | Navy Night
|
|
 UCLA |
vs.
|
 Alabama State |
@
|
Pasadena, CA
Rose Bowl |
2:00pm PT
|
 – PAC-12 Network |
|
 North Dakota State |
vs.
|
 NC A&T |
@
|
Fargo, ND
|
2:30pm CT
|
– ESPN+ – Bison Radio Network – ABC ND |
|
 Austin Peay |
vs.
|
 Miss Valley State |
@
|
Clarksville, TN
|
3:00pm CT
|
– ESPN+ – Govs Sports Net |
|
 Bethune-Cookman |
vs.
|
 SC State |
@
|
Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Stadium |
4:00pm ET
|
Military and First Responders Appreciation Day
– ESPN+ |
|
 Clark Atlanta |
vs.
|
 Erskine |
@
|
Atlanta, GA
CAU Panther Stadium |
4:00pm ET
|
||
 Elizabeth City State |
vs.
|
 Livingstone |
@
|
Rocky Mount, NC
Rocky Mount Athletic Complex |
4:00pm ET
|
Down East Viking Classic
|
|
 James Madison |
vs.
|
 Norfolk State |
@
|
Harrisonburg, VA
|
4:00pm ET
|
– ESPN3 |
|
 Valdosta State |
vs.
|
 Virginia Union |
@
|
Valdosta, GA
|
5:00pm ET
|
– FloSports |
|
 Arkansas-Pine Bluff |
vs.
|
 North American |
@
|
Pine Bluff, AR
Simmons Bank Field |
6:00pm CT
|
– UAPB Sports Network / 99.3 FM The Beat |
|
 Grambling State |
vs.
|
 Northwestern State |
@
|
Shreveport, LA
Independence Stadium |
6:00pm CT
|
– The Peach – KPCH 99.3 FM |
|
 Jackson State |
vs.
|
 Tennessee State |
@
|
Memphis, TN
|
6:00pm CT
|
Southern Heritage Classic | White Out
– JSU Sports Network |
|
 Miles |
vs.
|
 West Alabama |
@
|
Fairfield, AL
Sloan-Alumni Stadium |
6:00pm CT
|
||
 Troy |
vs.
|
 Alabama A&M |
@
|
Troy, AL
|
6:00pm CT
|
– ESPN3 |
|
 Tulane |
vs.
|
 Alcorn State |
@
|
New Orleans, LA
Yulman Stadium |
6:00pm CT
|
– ESPN+ – WPRL 91.7 FM |
|
 Allen |
vs.
|
 Johnson C. Smith |
@
|
Blythewood, SC
Westwood High School |
6:00pm ET
|
||
 Delaware |
vs.
|
 Delaware State |
@
|
Newark, DE
|
6:00pm ET
|
– FloSports |
|
 Edward Waters |
vs.
|
 Savannah State |
@
|
Jacksonville, FL
Nathaniel Glover Community Field & Stadium |
6:00pm ET
|
Faculty & Staff Appreciation | Game Color: Purple
– ESPN+ |
|
 Florida A&M |
vs.
|
 Albany State |
@
|
Tallahassee, FL
Bragg Memorial Stadium |
6:00pm ET
|
– HBCU GO – Rattler Sports Network |
|
 Hampton |
vs.
|
 Tuskegee |
@
|
Hampton, VA
Armstrong Stadium |
6:00pm ET
|
Alumni Day
– FloSports |
|
 Morehouse |
vs.
|
 West Georgia |
@
|
Atlanta, GA
B.T.Harvey Stadium |
6:00pm ET
|
||
 NC Central |
vs.
|
 Winston-Salem State |
@
|
Durham, NC
O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium |
6:00pm ET
|
– ESPN+ |
|
 Towson |
vs.
|
 Morgan State |
@
|
Towson, MD
|
6:00pm ET
|
– MPT – WEAA 88.9 FM |
|
 Virginia State |
vs.
|
 Bluefield State |
@
|
Ettrick, VA
Rogers Stadium |
6:00pm ET
|
Military Appreciation
|
|
 Wayne State |
vs.
|
 Shaw |
@
|
Detroit, MI
|
6:00pm ET
|
||
 Louisiana State |
vs.
|
 Southern |
@
|
Baton Rouge, LA
LSU Tiger Stadium |
6:30pm CT
|
Geaux Game
– SEC Network |
|
 North Texas |
vs.
|
 Texas Southern |
@
|
Denton, TX
|
6:30pm CT
|
– ESPN3 – KTSU 90.9 FM |
|
 Abilene Christian |
vs.
|
 Prairie View A&M |
@
|
Abilene, TX
|
7:00pm CT
|
||
 Texas College |
vs.
|
 Langston |
@
|
Tyler, TX
Tyler Rose Stadium |
7:00pm CT
|
||
 Fayetteville State |
vs.
|
 Wingate |
@
|
Fayetteville, NC
Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium |
7:00pm ET
|
||
 South Florida |
vs.
|
 Howard |
@
|
Tampa, FL
Raymond James Stadium |
7:00pm ET
|
– ESPN+ |
|
 Southeastern |
vs.
|
 Florida Memorial |
@
|
Lakeland, FL
|
7:00pm ET
|
||
|
9/11/22
|
 Fort Valley State |
vs.
|
 Kentucky State |
@
|
Chattanooga, TN
Finley Stadium |
3:00pm CT
|
Chattanooga Scenic City HBCU Football Classic
|
Schedule Source: Onnidan
