The 2026 East Carolina Football Schedule runs 12 regular-season games with seven home matchups at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina. East Carolina opens the season on the road at Alabama on Saturday, September 5 at noon ET on ABC, then plays four straight games against in-state and regional opponents before opening conference play. The American Conference announced kickoff times and television assignments for the first three weeks and key prime-time games on May 27, with conference games landing on CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN networks, and ABC.
2026 East Carolina Pirates Football Overview
Blake Harrell returns as the East Carolina head coach in 2026 after being elevated from interim during the 2024 season. The Pirates compete in the American Conference (AAC) with a bye on Saturday, October 3 on the slate and a regular season that closes with Black Friday at home vs Florida Atlantic on November 27 at noon ET on ESPN.
2026 East Carolina Football Schedule
| Wk | Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat, Sep 5 | @ Alabama Crimson Tide | 12:00 PM | ABC |
| 2 | Sat, Sep 12 | vs App State Mountaineers | 12:00 PM | ESPNU |
| 3 | Sat, Sep 19 | @ Old Dominion Monarchs | 6:00 PM | ESPN+ |
| 4 | Sat, Sep 26 | vs NC Central Eagles | 4:00 PM | ESPN+ |
| BYE | Sat, Oct 3 | Open Date – Bye Week | – | – |
| 6 | Sat, Oct 10 | vs Rice Owls | TBD | TBD |
| 7 | Thu, Oct 15 | @ UAB Blazers | 7:30 PM | ESPN/ESPN2 |
| 8 | Thu, Oct 22 | @ Memphis Tigers | 7:30 PM | ESPN2 |
| 9 | Sat, Oct 31 | vs Temple Owls | TBD | TBD |
| 10 | Fri, Nov 6 | vs South Florida Bulls | 7:30 PM | ESPN2 |
| 11 | Sat, Nov 14 | @ Charlotte 49ers | TBD | TBD |
| 12 | Sat, Nov 21 | @ Army Black Knights | 12:00 PM | CBS Sports Network |
| 13 | Fri, Nov 27 | vs Florida Atlantic Owls (flex) | 12:00 PM | ESPN |
All times Eastern. Bold entries are network-confirmed from the May 27, 2026 American Conference broadcast release. Most remaining games will be announced about 12 days before kickoff. The conference’s Black Friday flex window (Nov 27/28) finalizes specific game selections by October 11.
More 2026 College Football Resources
- 2026 College Football Schedule Hub (printable PDFs by team and conference)
- All American Conference Team Schedule PDFs
2026 East Carolina Football FAQ
Who is East Carolina’s head coach in 2026?
Blake Harrell returns as the East Carolina head coach in 2026 after being elevated from interim during the 2024 season.
How many home games does East Carolina have in 2026?
East Carolina Pirates have seven home games on the 2026 schedule, all played at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina.
When is East Carolina’s bye week in 2026?
East Carolina has a bye on Saturday, October 3 on the 2026 schedule.
When will East Carolina’s remaining game times and TV channels be announced?
Remaining American Conference game times and TV assignments are announced about 12 days before each game. CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN family, ABC, and the league’s Thursday and Friday primetime slots are already locked in from the May 27 broadcast release.
When are East Carolina’s Thursday and Friday primetime games in 2026?
East Carolina has three weeknight conference games in 2026 on the ESPN family of networks: Thursday, October 15 at UAB (7:30 PM ET on ESPN/ESPN2), Thursday, October 22 at Memphis (7:30 PM ET on ESPN2), and Friday, November 6 vs South Florida (7:30 PM ET on ESPN2). The Florida Atlantic flex game on November 27 is also currently slated for noon ET on ESPN.
