NORFOLK, Va. — The second season of Norfolk State football under head coach Michael Vick will feature six home games at William "Dick" Price Stadium, highlighted by the annual Homecoming matchup and the storied "Battle of the Bay."
The Spartans released their 2026 football schedule on Wednesday morning, unveiling a 12-game slate that includes five MEAC contests and seven non-conference matchups. Six of the 12 games will be played at William "Dick" Price Stadium.
Norfolk State opens the 2026 campaign on Saturday, Aug. 29 hosting Winston-Salem State at Dick Price Stadium. The matchup will feature a reunion storyline, as former Norfolk State assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Tory Woodbury, now the head coach at Winston-Salem State, returns to face Vick and the Spartans.
The game will mark the 23rd meeting between the two programs and the first since the 2009 season.
Norfolk State then hits the road for back-to-back matchups against in-state opponents, traveling to face Old Dominion on Sept. 5 before visiting the University of Virginia on Sept. 12. The meeting with the Monarchs marks just the fifth matchup since the cross-town foe reinstated its football program in 2009, while the contest against the Cavaliers will be the first meeting between the two programs.
The Spartans return home on Sept. 19 to host longtime rival Hampton in the 67th edition of the "Battle of the Bay," one of the region's most storied HBCU rivalries and a matchup that annually draws strong fan interest from both programs.
NSU heads back on the road for consecutive games beginning Sept. 26, when the Spartans travel to Chicago, Ill., to face Chicago State. Norfolk State will then continue its road stretch with a trip to Moon Township, Pa., to take on Robert Morris on Oct. 3.
The Spartans close out the non-conference portion of the schedule on Oct. 10, hosting Virginia University of Lynchburg for Homecoming at William "Dick" Price Stadium. Norfolk State welcomed a record crowd of 47,273 fans at Homecoming last season when South Carolina State visited Dick Price Stadium.
Following a bye week, Norfolk State opens MEAC play on the road, traveling to Orangeburg, S.C., to face defending MEAC champion South Carolina State on Oct. 24.
NSU returns to Dick Price Stadium for back-to-back conference home games, hosting the Delaware State Hornets, led by head coach DeSean Jackson, for a Halloween matchup on Oct. 31, before welcoming the N.C. Central Eagles to Norfolk on Nov. 7.
The Spartans travel to Baltimore, Md., on Nov. 14 to take on Morgan State at Hughes Stadium, looking for their first win over the Bears since 2022. Norfolk State will close the regular season at home with Senior Day against Howard on Nov. 21 at Dick Price Stadium.
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