GAME TIME 
Morgan State will face the North Carolina A&T Aggies, members of the Coastal Athletic Association, in the 2026 season opener on Saturday, August  29. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Truist Stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina. The game will be broadcast live on FloCollege. The game will also air on WEAA, 88.9FM. This highly anticipated clash marks the first meeting between the teams since 2019.

GAME COVERAGE
FloFootball (online) Click Here | Spencer Turkin will call the play-by-play with color analyst Daimeon Banks.

RADIO: WEAA, 88.9 FM, is the flagship station for the Morgan State Bears ... Lamont Germany will call the play-by-play with Renard Stubbs in the booth. The game will be broadcast live on 88.9 FM and streamed on WEAA.org, HSRN.com, and SiriusXM 386 and 988 on the SiriusXMmobile app. 

LIVE STATS: www.ncataggies.com - here

THE SERIES
• Saturday will mark the 84th meeting between the schools. 

• Morgan State leads the series against N.C. A&T with an overall record of 44-36-3.

•  The Bears have won 4 of the last 6 meetings since 2012, including the last two meetings (2018, 2019).

• The Bears last visited Aggieland on September 22, 2018, earning a 16–13 victory.

SEASON OPENERS
• Morgan State has won two of its last three season openers. The Bears opened the 2023 season with a 17-10 road win at Richmond on Sept. 2 and followed with a 30-28 victory at Hampton on Aug. 31, 2024.

• Morgan State's last season-opener defeat was August 30, 2025, at South Alabama (38-21).

• Morgan State head coach Damon Wilson holds a 2-2 record in season openers.

THE COACHES
• Damon Wilson enters his 5th season as Morgan's head coach. He previously spent 13 seasons as the head coach at Bowie State University, where he achieved three straight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) conference championships.

• Shawn Gibbs returned to Aggieland as the 23rd head football coach in North Carolina A&T State University football program history on December 6, 2024. He spent 11 seasons at A&T as the football program's running backs and special teams coach under head coaches Rod Broadway (2011-17) and Sam Washington (2018-2021) before taking his first career head coaching position at Division II Fort Valley State University (FVSU) on February 10, 2022.

QUICK HITS
• The 2026 Morgan State Bears are under the leadership of fifth-year head coach Damon Wilson. Wilson, the 24th coach in school history, previously served 13 seasons as the head football coach at Bowie State. There, he achieved three straight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) conference championships in 2021, 2019, and 2018; five NCAA playoff berths; and three CIAA Coach of the Year honors.

• Cameron Edge (6-2, 230) has been named the starting quarterback for Morgan State, head coach Damon Wilson announced at the conclusion of preseason camp. The competition behind Edge remains ongoing, with Ade Olanegan (6-1, 210) currently listed as the No. 2 quarterback. Tahj Smith (6-1, 200), Raeden Oliver (6-3, 195), Howard Kennedy III (6-1, 204) and Timothy Cole II (5-10, 185) also remain in the mix as the Bears continue to develop depth at the position.

• The National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame announced the members of the 2026 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, with four Morgan State student-athletes earning recognition. Representing the Bears on this year's list are John Griffith, Arturo Mattocks, Tahj Smith, and Uriel Rodriguez-Campos. The NFF Hampshire Honor Society recognizes college football players from all divisions of the NCAA, NAIA, and spring football who maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or higher throughout their college careers. Morgan State's four honorees are part of a record-setting class of 2,596 players from 365 schools nationwide.

• Morgan has several offensive linemen as they enter the 2026 season ... The Bears have 21 OL listed on the roster and will be led by veterans  Adorain Favors (6-7, 300), Alec Washington (6-4, 325), and Daniel Casillas Jr. (6-2, 315).

• The current Morgan State Bears alumni active or recently signed on NFL rosters include defensive end Elijah Williams, who enters his second season with the Minnesota Vikings,  and linebacker Erick Hunter, who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Detroit Lions, alongside offensive tackle Tyrone Wheatley Jr., who currently plays with the Atlanta Falcons.

SCOUTING THE AGGIES
• North Carolina A&T finished the 2025 season with a 2-10 overall record and were 2-6 in CAA play. The Aggies endured their fourth losing season in five years and their third straight overall.

• N.C. A&T was picked to finish No. 12 in the CAA Preseason Coaches Poll. Elijah Kennedy earned recognition on the 2026 CAA Preseason Team. Rhode Island, which is coming off back-to-back 11-3 seasons and the outright CAA Football championship in 2025, was the unanimous choice to claim the title again in 2026.

• A positive for A&T going into the 2026 season could be at QB. The Aggies could have two junior quarterbacks in the fold: Kevin White (116-203, 1,516 yards, 7 TDs, 6 INTs) and Champ Long. Braxton Thomas could return as a redshirt sophomore after showing promise against Tennessee State, and true freshmen Nelson Layne (24-36, 236 yards, 2 TDs, INT) and Jy Walls also saw action this season. Plus, the Aggies could get graduate Alston Hooker back from injury.  

•  NCAT has one of Division I-FCS football's best returners in senior Elijah Kennedy. He earned second-team recognition as a punt returner. Kennedy returned 18 punts for 294 yards and two touchdowns. He averaged 16.1 yards per return to lead the conference and rank second nationally. He also ranked second nationally and first in the CAA in punt returns for touchdowns (2). As a kickoff returner, Kennedy returned 36 kickoffs for 705 yards and a touchdown, averaging 19.6 yards per return to rank ninth in the league. He is also one of A&T's top receivers, which helped him rank seventh in the conference in all-purpose yards per game (107.9).

• NCAT averaged 20.5 points per game and allowed 43.6 points per game. 

• The 100th Edition of North Carolina A&T Homecoming returns Oct. 25–Nov. 1, 2026. The university expects at least 200,000 people to descend upon Greensboro. Last year, around 150,000 people attended.

• On Nov. 9, 2019, Morgan State stunned North Carolina A&T, No. 14 in the STATS FCS Top 25, Saturday afternoon at Hughes Stadium by defeating them 22-16 in a MEAC matchup.  Morgan State's defense bent, didn't break, and held the Aggies, who average 34.5 points per game, to a single touchdown. The Bears also collected eight tackles for loss, five QB hurries, two sacks, and a pair of interceptions. DeAndre Harris threw for 218 yards, completing 14-20 pass attempts. He added 58 yards rushing and scored on a rushing touchdown after a roughing-the-kicker penalty on the Aggies gave the Bears a first down on the Aggies one-yard line. Manasseh Bailey was Harris' main target. The senior wideout caught a touchdown pass and had 118 yards, moving him into a fifth-place tie on Morgan State's career receiving list with 1,802 yards.

A LOOK AHEAD
Morgan State will travel to face the Arizona State Sun Devils on Saturday, Sept. 5 in the 2026. Kickoff will be at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.

PRESEASON PICKED FOURTH 
Morgan State was picked to finish fourth (4th) in the MEAC standings, according to the poll of the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Returning MEAC champion South Carolina State has been picked to win the MEAC Football Championship as the Bulldogs topped the league's annual preseason poll for 2026. North Carolina Central was tabbed to place 2nd.

PRESEASON ALL-MEAC PLAYERS
The Bears placed nine student-athletes on the 2026 Preseason All-MEAC Team, as selected by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors. 

• Leading the way were three first-team selections: tight end Alex Simmons, linebacker Arturo Mattocks, and defensive back Aki Harvey.

• The Bears also had five second-team honorees, including running back Keith Jenkins Jr., wide receiver Justin Perry, defensive lineman Justin Dutton, defensive lineman Kristopher Boyd, punter Shane Messenger, and return specialist Malique Leatherbury.

BEARS OPEN 51st SEASON IN MEAC
The Bears will open their 51st season in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) when they host Howard for the conference opener on Oct. 24.

• The Bears opened the 2025 MEAC schedule with a 33-27 loss at Howard (Oct. 25) at Greene Stadium.

• The Bears kicked off their first season in the MEAC in 1971. Morgan State withdrew from the conference at the end of the 1979- 80 fiscal year, before returning to the MEAC in 1984.

MSU IN THE CIAA
Morgan State was a power as a former member of the CIAA. The Bears posted 173 wins between 1929 and 1959 when Edward P. Hurt was the head coach, and the Bears won 14 CIAA championships. Earl Banks added to the championship collection by winning four titles during the 1960s.

MSU LEGEND EARL BANKS
Earl "Papa Bear" Banks was a legendary head coach at Morgan State University,

• In 1960, Banks took over the head coaching position at Morgan State from 2011 Trailblazer Award winner, Edward Hurt.

• In his 14 seasons as head coach, he would lead the Bears to six CIAA titles, one CIAA Northern Division championship, and one Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title. Banks had an overall record of 96-31-2 after he retired from coaching in 1973 and produced three undefeated seasons from 1965 through 1967.

• He guided Morgan State to four bowl games, winning the 1965 Orange Blossom Classic and the 1966 Tangerine Bowl.• He was named the American Football Coaches Association's recipient of the 2018 Trailblazer Award. The award was presented posthumously at the 2019 AFCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

BEARS OPEN 127th SEASON OF FOOTBALL SINCE 1898
MSU enters its 127th season of football and will open the 2026 campaign under five-year head coach Damon Wilson.

RETURN MEN 
The 2026 Morgan State Bears return 15 starters - 4 on offense, 6 on defense, and 5 on special teams.

CAMPAIGNING FOR SUCCESS 
The Bears enter the 2026 season looking to post their first winning season since going 6-5 in 2009. MSU's 7-6 record in 2014 was vacated.

NON-CONFERENCE PLAY
The Bears will open the 2026 campaign with seven non-conference contests, including four road games. Morgan State begins the season at North Carolina A&T on Aug. 29 before traveling to Arizona State on Sept. 5. The Bears return to Hughes Stadium for their home opener against Virginia University of Lynchburg on Sept. 12, then head back on the road to face Towson on Sept. 19 and Villanova on Oct. 3. Morgan State returns home for Homecoming against Robert Morris on Oct. 10 before wrapping up its non-conference slate against Tennessee State at Nissan Stadium on Oct. 17.
 

FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE 
There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official website of Bear athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios, and more. 
• Follow us on social media:
 Facebook: /MorganStateBears
 Twitter: @MorganStBears
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 150 baccalaureate, master's degree, doctorate, and certificate programs. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.