North Carolina Central Eagles
MEACDurham, NCO’Kelly-Riddick Stadium
2026: 2–5. Last: lost to William & Mary 17–14 at home. Next: at Delaware State, Friday, Oct 23, 5 p.m. ET.
- L 30–42at Texas Southern
- W 27–6Elizabeth City State
- W 30–22North Carolina A&T
- L 20–44at Gardner-Webb
- L 9–42at East Carolina
- L 31–38Campbell
- L 14–17William & Mary
- Oct 23at Delaware State
- Oct 31Howard
- Nov 7at Norfolk State
- Nov 14at South Carolina State
- Nov 21Morgan State
North Carolina Central has played football since 1922 and is officially 497–411–27; 213 of its 935 games are in our file. They have won eight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association titles (the last in 2006) and seven Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference titles, counting shared titles. Since 1958, the NFL Draft has taken 14 players from here in its first seven rounds, 1 of them in the first round. The AFL draft also took one player from here. The most-played rival is North Carolina A&T: 21 meetings, North Carolina Central leads 11–10. This season, they’re 2–5.
Résumé
- All-time record
- 497–411–27 official; 113–100 on file; how we count
- Postseason
- 1–2 bowls, title games, playoff
- AP No. 1 finishes
- 0
- Weeks at No. 1
- 0 of 0 ranked
- Elo now
- 1260
- Computer rankings
- Massey No. 101 · Composite No. 111 in FCS, Oct 17; down 1 since Oct 11. From Massey Ratings
- Conference titles
- 15 last in 2023
- Seasons
- 21 since 2003, 213 games
Identity
- Band
- Marching Sound Machine since 1938, 210 members
2026 season 2–5
RosterFull 2026 season| Date | Opponent | Result | Elo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29 | at Texas Southern | L 30–42 | 56% |
| Sep 5 | vsElizabeth City State | W 27–6 | 85% |
| Sep 12 | vs North Carolina A&T | W 30–22 | 84% |
| Sep 19 | at Gardner-Webb | L 20–44 | 53% |
| Sep 26 | at East Carolina | L 9–42 | 17% |
| Oct 3 | vs Campbell | L 31–38 | 59% |
| Oct 10 | vs William & Mary | L 14–17 | 64% |
| Oct 23 | at Delaware State | Preview | 38% |
| Oct 31 | vs Howard | Preview | 61% |
| Nov 7 | at Norfolk State | Preview | 46% |
| Nov 14 | at South Carolina State | Preview | 25% |
| Nov 21 | vs Morgan State | Preview | 54% |
Elo: a pregame chance from scores alone.
This season, game by game
Players
The 2026 rosterThe moneyOn the 2026 team
- Nelson Layne781 passing yards, 4 TD (leads North Carolina Central in passing yards)
- Zarion Walters41 tackles, 6 sacks (leads North Carolina Central in sacks)
- Joshua Truesdale52 tackles, 2 INT (leads North Carolina Central in tackles)
- Chance Peterson33 catches, 348 yards, 1 TD (leads North Carolina Central in receiving yards)
- Zion Dobson292 rushing yards, 2 TD
- Plez Lawrence317 rushing yards, 4 TD (leads North Carolina Central in rushing yards)
Program strength since 2003
Best seasons everMost-played series
All rivalries- North Carolina A&T
11–10 in 21
- 2016 W 42–21
- 2017 L 10–24
- 2018 L 0–45
- 2019 L 0–54
- 2021 L 14–37
- 2022 W 28–13
- 2023 W 30–16
- 2024 W 66–24
- 2025 W 62–20
- 2026 W 30–22
Won the last five.
- Delaware State
12–3 in 15
- 2015 W 43–10
- 2016 W 38–19
- 2017 W 42–14
- 2018 L 13–28
- 2019 W 30–23
- 2021 W 34–28
- 2022 W 28–21
- 2023 W 55–14
- 2024 W 52–10
- 2025 L 26–35
Lost the last one.
Next: Oct 23
- Howard
11–1 in 12
- 2015 W 41–6
- 2016 W 30–21
- 2017 W 13–7
- 2018 W 40–35
- 2019 W 28–6
- 2021 W 45–27
- 2022 W 50–21
- 2023 L 20–50
- 2024 W 26–3
- 2025 W 35–14
Won the last two.
Next: Oct 31
| Opponent | Games | NCCU record |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina A&T | 21 | 11–10 |
| Delaware State | 15 | 12–3 |
| Howard | 12 | 11–1 |
| Norfolk State | 12 | 10–2 |
| Morgan State | 12 | 8–4 |
| South Carolina State | 11 | 4–7 |
| Savannah State | 10 | 8–2 |
| Bethune-Cookman | 10 | 1–9 |
Rivals the program names: North Carolina A&T.
Every opponent (60)
Every program North Carolina Central has played, A to Z, with North Carolina Central’s record against it. Each links to the series, game by game.
- Alabama State 1–0
- Albany State 0–1
- Alcorn State 1–0
- App State 0–2
- Austin Peay 0–1
- Bethune-Cookman 1–9
- Cal Poly 0–1
- Campbell 2–2
- Central Connecticut 0–1
- Central Methodist 1–0
- Central State 2–0
- Charlotte 1–1
- Coastal Carolina 0–1
- Delaware State 12–3
- Duke 0–7
- East Carolina 0–2
- East Texas A&M 1–0
- Edward Waters 3–0
- Elizabeth City State 4–0
- Elon 1–3
- Fayetteville State 3–1
- Florida A&M 4–4
- Florida International 0–1
- Gardner-Webb 1–2
- Georgia State 0–1
- Grambling 0–1
- Hampton 3–4
- Howard 11–1
- Jackson State 1–0
- James Madison 0–1
- Johnson C. Smith 1–0
- Liberty 0–1
- Marshall 0–1
- Mississippi Valley State 1–1
- Morehead State 0–1
- Morgan State 8–4
- New Hampshire 1–1
- Norfolk State 10–2
- North Carolina 0–1
- North Carolina A&T 11–10
- North Greenville 1–0
- Old Dominion 0–3
- Prairie View A&M 0–1
- Presbyterian 0–2
- Richmond 0–1
- Rutgers 0–1
- Savannah State 8–2
- Shaw 1–0
- South Carolina State 4–7
- Southern 1–0
- St. Augustine’s 5–0
- Tennessee Tech 1–1
- Texas Southern 0–1
- Towson 0–3
- UCLA 0–1
- Virginia Lynchburg 2–0
- Western Kentucky 0–1
- Western Michigan 0–1
- William & Mary 0–1
- Winston-Salem State 5–2
Conference titles
15, counting shared titles- Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference 7
- 1972, 1973, 2014 (shared), 2015 (shared), 2016, 2022 (shared), 2023 (shared)
- Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association 8
- 1953, 1954, 1956 (shared), 1961, 1963, 1980, 2005, 2006
As the program counts them in its Wikipedia article, shared titles included, and listed under each conference’s current name (a Western Conference title of the 1900s counts as a Big Ten title); season pages use the name the conference had that year. A title the article files under a conference the team wasn’t in that season is listed under the one it was. Division titles include years the team tied for its division.
Black college football
Black college national titles 4
- 1954
- 2005
- 2006
- 2022
Who named them
- 1954 (as North Carolina College) 7–1–1: National Football Classic; Pittsburgh Courier (Sheridan Poll)
- 2005 10–2: Dr. Cavil’s Classic Cuts (Jafus Kenyatta Cavil & formerly SWAC Page Network)–Mid-Major Division Poll (NCAA Division II)
- 2006 11–1: Atlanta Daily World & 100% Wrong Club–W. A. Scott II Memorial Trophy (1953–1992, 2010); Coca-Cola National Historical Black College Football Championship Award (1993–2009); American Urban Radio Networks (Sheridan Poll); Black College Sports Page (Carl “Lut” Williams & formerly Major Broadcasting Cable); Dr. Cavil’s Classic Cuts (Jafus Kenyatta Cavil & formerly SWAC Page Network)–Mid-Major Division Poll; Pigskin Club of Washington, DC—William G. “Billy” Coward Award (NCAA Division II)
- 2022 10–2: BOXTOROW (& formerly Black Athlete Sports Network)–Coaches Poll; BOXTOROW (& formerly Black Athlete Sports Network)–Media Poll; Black College National Championship for NCAA Division I FCS teams; Black College Sports Network for NCAA Division I FCS teams; Cricket Celebration Bowl (Celebration Bowl); Dr. Cavil’s Classic Cuts (Jafus Kenyatta Cavil & formerly SWAC Page Network)–Major Division Poll; HBCU Sports–Ultimate Poll
Black College Football Hall of Fame: 2 inductees from North Carolina Central.
Black college national champions as Wikipedia’s list gives each season’s selections since 1920 (the black press’s polls, bowls and later media polls; some seasons have several). Black college football history: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Conferences
- 2007Went independent from the CIAA. Source
- 2011Joined the MEAC from independence, announced March 10, 2009. Source
North Carolina Central’s football conferences by season, from CollegeFootballData.com’s memberships (renamed conferences keep the name of the time). The moves and their announcement dates from Wikipedia’s lists of NCAA Division I conference changes; the year is the first season in the new conference. Conference realignment: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
In the draft
By college- NFL picks, rounds 1–7
- 14 since 1958
- First-round picks
- 1
- AFL picks
- 1 1962
| 1970 | Doug Wilkerson OG | No. 14, Houston Oilers |
The school
North Carolina Central University- Enrollment
- 8,579 6,595 undergraduates, fall 2024
- Where
- Durham, North Carolina
- Public or private
- Public
- Founded
- 1909
- Graduates’ median earnings
- $42,968 10 years after starting
Enrollment, place and Carnegie research tier from the National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS, public domain). Earnings from the US Department of Education’s College Scorecard (CC BY 4.0): the median for students who received federal aid and were working, not in school. Founding year from Wikidata. Every school’s in the data.
Season by season
National champions| Season | Record | Conf. | AP pre | AP final | Coach | Elo | SP+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2–5 | 1260 | |||||
| 2025 | 8–4 | 3–2 | 1395 | ||||
| 2024 | 8–3 | 4–1 | 1417 | ||||
| 2023 | 9–3 | 4–1 | 1401 | ||||
| 2022 | 10–2 | 4–1 | 1415 | ||||
| 2021 | 6–5 | 4–1 | 1264 | ||||
| 2019 | 4–8 | 3–5 | 1194 | ||||
| 2018 | 5–6 | 3–4 | 1282 | ||||
| 2017 | 7–4 | 5–3 | 1379 | ||||
| 2016 | 9–3 | 8–0 | 1451 | ||||
| 2015 | 8–3 | 7–1 | 1402 | ||||
| 2014 | 7–5 | 6–2 | 1338 | ||||
| 2013 | 5–7 | 3–5 | 1212 | ||||
| 2012 | 4–5 | 3–3 | 1212 | ||||
| 2011 | 2–9 | 1–7 | 1120 | ||||
| 2010 | 3–8 | 1–4 | 1151 | ||||
| 2009 | 4–7 | 1234 | |||||
| 2008 | 4–7 | 1184 | |||||
| 2007 | 6–4 | 1196 | |||||
| 2004 | 1–1 | 1162 | |||||
| 2003 | 1–1 | 1149 |
Officially 497–411–27 since 1922 (per Wikipedia, rechecked weekly); game by game here, 113–100 (213 of its 935 games are on file). Our file starts in 2003; the program began in 1922. Some games are missing from our source.
No season on file for 2005–06, 2020: the program may not have played, or our source may be missing them.
Records are computed from every game on file at CollegeFootballData.com, whose coverage of the earliest seasons can be incomplete. Elo is this site’s own rating; see how it works on the records page.