DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University football program will be at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium for the second straight week on Saturday, gearing up for the annual Aggie-Eagle Classic against rival North Carolina A&T.

Kickoff is set for 12 p.m., and the game will air live on ESPN+.

The Match-Up: This marks the 98th meeting all-time between the two teams, with the Aggies leading 54-38-5. But the Eagles have won each of the last four meetings, including a 62-20 drubbing in Greensboro last season. The Eagles have put up at least 60 points on the Aggies in each of the last two meetings.

Scouting the Aggies: North Carolina A&T enters its second season under head coach Shawn Gibbs, looking to improve upon a 2025 campaign that saw the Aggies go 2-10 overall and 2-6 in the CAA. The Aggies are 0-2 on the season, following losses to Georgia State and former MEAC foe Morgan State. Wide receiver/return specialist Elijah Kennedy is the team's top player coming into the season, earning Preseason All-America accolades from BoxToRow, FCS STATS Perform and the CAA. Kennedy was a Preseason First Team honoree in the CAA at punt returner, Third Team at kickoff returner. The Aggies were picked to finish 12th in the CAA this season.

Last Time Out: NCCU defeated Elizabeth City State 27-6 this past Saturday at O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium, improving its record to 1-1 on the season. Freshman quarterback Nelson Layne threw for two touchdowns, while wide receiver Chance Peterson, the MEAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, recorded his first 100-yard game of the season. Peterson caught five passes for 109 yards and a score. Kicker Riley Daniels was 2-for-2 in field goals, and he was named MEAC Rookie of the Week for his efforts. The Eagles held an opponent under 200 yards of total offense since holding Howard to 174 total yards last season. The last time NCCU held an opponent under 150 total yards: Howard in 2024 (121 yards). Elizabeth City State's 39 rushing yards are the fewest the Eagles have allowed since they held Florida A&M to 43 rushing yards last season (which wrapped up a stretch of three straight games in which NCCU held an opponent under 50 yards on the ground).

Eagles at Home: NCCU is 21-9 at home under head coach Trei Oliver following this past Saturday's win over Elizabeth City State. The Eagles were 2-3 at home in 2025. NCCU has finished with a winning home record in four of the last five seasons, including undefeated home campaigns in 2022 (4-0) and 2023 (5-0).

Eagles vs. CAA Football: Since his arrival, Oliver holds a 6-4 mark against teams from the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA, formerly Colonial Athletic Association), with wins over New Hampshire, North Carolina A&T, Campbell and Elon. This will be NCCU's first game of the season against a team from the CAA. The Eagles will also take on Campbell later this season, wrapping up a stretch of five straight games against North Carolina schools.

The Coaches: Oliver (NCCU, 1998) is in his eighth season as a college head coach. With 24 years of college coaching experience that includes five conference championships and three Black college football national titles, Oliver returned to his alma mater as North Carolina Central University's 24th head football coach in December 2018. He is four wins shy of 50 for his head coaching career. Shawn Gibbs is in his second season as head coach of the North Carolina A&T football program. He is back with the team he spent 11 seasons with as an assistant coach under head coaches Rod Broadway and Sam Washington, before spending three seasons as head coach at Div. II Fort Valley State University. He went 22-9 in those three years.

Non-Conference Success: NCCU is 24-15 in non-conference games under Oliver. Over the last three-plus seasons, the Eagles are 21-7 against opponents from outside the MEAC. This includes wins over three top 25 teams (No. 25 Elon [2023], No. 25 New Hampshire [2022], and No. 5 Jackson State [2022]). This season, the Eagles will face opponents from the SWAC, CAA Football, the OVC, the American, the CIAA and the Patriot League. The Eagles went 5-2 in non-conference play last season, after going 4-2 in 2024.

North Carolina State of Mind: Oliver has made a point of playing schools from the state of North Carolina, and there are five on the schedule this year (Elizabeth City State, North Carolina A&T, Gardner-Webb, East Carolina and Campbell). There have been at least two teams from the Tar Heel State on the schedule each year since Oliver took over as head coach. Since 2011, the Eagles are 25-21 against teams from North Carolina, and Oliver has a 13-6 advantage.

For more information on NCCU Athletics, visit NCCUEaglePride.com.