A Fresh Start for the Mid‑Eastern Athletic Conference
The 2026 MEAC football campaign officially begins on August 27, when Delaware State welcomes Stony Brook to kick off the year on the MEAC Network. The matchup marks the start of a schedule that will see every conference team in action during Week 0, with broadcasts spread across ESPN+, FloSports, HBCU Go and ABC.
South Carolina State arrives as the preseason favorite, sitting at No. 24 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25 and No. 25 in the AFCA FCS Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs, led by Chennis Berry, aim to extend their recent dominance after capturing back‑to‑back MEAC titles.
Key Players and Coaching Returns
Preseason accolades highlight the narrative. Chance Peterson of North Carolina Central earned Offensive Player of the Year honors, while Jordan Franklin of South Carolina State was named Defensive Player of the Year. Both will be watched closely as the season unfolds.
Delaware State’s head coach DeSean Jackson begins his second year at the helm, having posted a 4‑1 conference record in his debut season. His return adds a layer of continuity for a program that finished the previous campaign with a strong finish.
Howard University welcomes back Ted White, who guided the Bison to their last championship in 2023 and now seeks to rekindle that success. Meanwhile, Morgan State’s Damon Wilson enters his fifth season, hoping to snap a 12‑year conference title drought that has lingered since the early 2010s.
North Carolina Central will look to maintain its recent standard under coach Trei Oliver, despite the loss of 2025’s Offensive Player of the Year, Walker Harris. The team’s resilience will be tested as they aim to stay in the upper tier of the league.
A Historic Milestone for the League
The 2026–27 academic year marks the MEAC’s 56th season of intercollegiate competition, underscoring the conference’s deep roots in collegiate athletics. The league’s eight member institutions — Delaware State, Howard, Morgan State, Norfolk State, North Carolina Central, South Carolina State, and two others — continue to showcase the unique culture and talent of historically Black colleges and universities.
The inaugural Black College Football Poll placed South Carolina State at No. 1, with North Carolina Central at No. 5 and Delaware State at No. 6, reflecting the high expectations placed on these programs heading into the new season.