HBCU FCS programs add Bowie State to 2026 schedule

Bowie State announced its 2026 football schedule on Monday, and the HBCU slate includes two FCS opponents plus a new CIAA scheduling format.

The Bulldogs open the season with four straight road games. Bowie State begins Sept. 5 at Virginia State. It then visits HBCU FCS programs Delaware State on Sept. 12 and Alabama A&M on Sept. 19. Delaware State is a familiar foe for BSU as the two programs have played each other three times this decade. DSU has a 2-1 record after beating its CIAA foe last season. Bowie State closes the September road stretch at Elizabeth City State on Sept. 26.

The 2026 schedule also reflects the CIAA’s updated football scheduling format. That change reshapes how several traditional matchups fit on the calendar. BSU’s conference lineup includes dates with Shaw, Winston-Salem State, Virginia Union, Johnson C. Smith, and Fayetteville State.

Bowie State’s first home game is Oct. 3 against Shaw at Bulldog Stadium. The Bulldogs then travel to Winston-Salem State on Oct. 10. Homecoming season continues with Virginia Union visiting on Oct. 17. Bowie State stays home again on Oct. 24 to face Johnson C. Smith.

A road trip to Fayetteville State follows on Oct. 31. Bowie State wraps up the regular season at home against Lincoln (Pa.) on Nov. 7. All of its home games are listed for Bulldog Stadium.

The schedule arrives during a transition for the program. BSU went 3-7 in 2025, and head coach Kyle Jackson’s contract was not renewed. A new head coach has not yet been announced as the program starts planning for the 2026 HBCU campaign.