HBCU Football Week 4: Scores, How to Watch, TV and Streaming Schedule

SWAC conference play opens with games on its network, and two classics will be streaming on ESPN+ and HBCU GO.

Week 4 HBCU Football Streaming Schedule | HBCU Legends

HOUSTON -- Week 4 of the 2026 HBCU football season runs Thursday through Saturday with 28 games across the SWAC, MEAC, CIAA and SIAC, plus HBCU independents and programs in the CAA and SAC.

The Southwestern Athletic Conference opens league play Saturday with five conference games. Two significant contests will kick off with Prairie View A&M and Grambling State meeting in the State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

Also, Southern visits Jackson State in the Boom Box Classic as both games are streaming on ESPN+.

State Fair Classic | Unknown

Five Featured Games to Watch

Prairie View A&M vs. Grambling State, Saturday, 7 p.m., ESPN+

The State Fair Classic returns to the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. It is a SWAC West Division game in the first week of league play. The Panthers are smarting from two consecutive losses to Baylor and Stephen F. Austin.  On the flip side, the Tigers are beaming with confidence after posting a 2-1 record to start the season under Mickey Joseph.  Would the early-week distractions from the SFA coach's comments take a toll on Tremaine Jackson’s squad?  Or will G-Men take care of business and claim at least a share of the top spot in the Wacky SWAC West?

Southern at Jackson State, Saturday, 7 p.m., ESPN+ (BOOM BOX CLASSIC)

TC Taylor and the Jackson State Tigers have been looking forward to hosting Marshall Faulk and the Southern Jags. That’s where the pleasantries end. Can Ckelby Givens and Herman Brister contain Jared Lockhart, Nate Rembert, and the gang in a SWAC showdown at The Vet?

Texas Southern at Alcorn State, Saturday, 3 p.m., ESPN+

The Tigers travel to meet the Braves at The Reservation for a clash of SWAC West foes.  Alcorn State is 1-0 in the conference, while TSU sits at 0-1.  Neither can fall in this contest.   The loser will face an uphill battle as Prairie View A&M and Grambling State lead the division.

Alabama A&M at Florida A&M, Saturday, 7 p.m., SWAC TV

This may be the most competitive contest in the SWAC this weekend.  The Rattlers open conference play at home against the Bulldogs on SWAC TV.  Has Coach Gray said and done enough to “right the ship” in Tallahassee after this week's heart-to-heart meeting?  Or will Quad Brown and the Bulldogs assert themselves as a heavyweight player in the SWAC East race?

South Carolina State at Bethune-Cookman, Saturday, 7 p.m., HBCU GO

The Bulldogs visit the Wildcats at Daytona Stadium for an HBCU GO featured broadcast of the week. Chennis Berry leads a heavily favored South Carolina State team against a gritty, pesky Bethune-Cookman team looking to make a statement in Week 4.M

*Games at Eastern Standard Time

BROADCAST LINKS: SWAC TV | HBCU GO | Urban Edge Network/CIAA | ESPN+

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Week 4 at a Glance

• Games: 28 involving HBCU programs, Sept. 24-26
• National TV: Benedict at Tuskegee (ESPN2, Thursday) and Howard at Rutgers (Big Ten Network, Friday)
• Classics: State Fair Classic and Boom Box Classic, both on ESPN+
• Free streams: SWAC TV (three games), HBCU GO (South Carolina State at Bethune-Cookman) and CIAA Sports Network
• SWAC openers: Texas Southern at Alcorn State, Mississippi Valley State at Alabama State, Alabama A&M at Florida A&M, Prairie View A&M vs. Grambling State and Southern at Jackson State

How to Watch HBCU Football Week 4: Sat., Sept. 26

• 1 p.m.: Bluefield State at Lincoln (Pa.) | CIAA Sports Network
• 1 p.m.: Bowie State at Elizabeth City State | CIAA Sports Network
• 1 p.m.: Edward Waters at Morehouse | SIAC Network
• 1 p.m.: Kentucky State at Albany State | SIAC Network
• 1 p.m.: Livingstone at Shaw | CIAA Sports Network
• 1 p.m.: Virginia Union at Fayetteville State | Broncos Sports Network
• 1 p.m.: Winston-Salem State at Virginia State | CIAA Sports Network
• 1 p.m.: West Virginia State at Fairmont State | MEC TV
• 2 p.m.: Warner at Clark Atlanta | Urban Edge Network
• 2:30 p.m.: Florida Memorial at Cumberland | Urban Edge Network
• 4 p.m.: Texas Southern at Alcorn State | SWAC TV
• 4 p.m.: North Carolina Central at East Carolina | ESPN+
• 4 p.m.: Rhode Island at North Carolina A&T | FloCollege; My 48 (local)
• 5 p.m.: Central State at Lane | SIAC Network
• 6 p.m.: Mississippi Valley State at Alabama State | SWAC TV
• 6 p.m.: Campbell at Hampton | FloCollege
• 6 p.m.: Miles at Savannah State | SIAC Network
• 6 p.m.: Fort Valley State at West Georgia | ESPN+
• 6 p.m.: Towson at Delaware State | MEAC Network
• 7 p.m.: Langston at Arkansas Baptist (Homecoming) | YouTube
• 7 p.m.: Prairie View A&M vs. Grambling State (State Fair Classic) | ESPN+
• 7 p.m.: Southern at Jackson State (Boom Box Classic) | ESPN+
• 7 p.m.: Alabama A&M at Florida A&M | SWAC TV
• 7 p.m.: South Carolina State at Bethune-Cookman | HBCU GO
• 7 p.m.: Norfolk State at Chicago State | ESPN+
• Time TBA: Bluefield at Virginia-Lynchburg | YouTube

Open Dates

Morgan State, Tennessee State, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Allen, and Johnson C. Smith do not play in Week 4.

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HBCU Football Scoreboard

Frequently Asked Questions

What HBCU football games are on national TV in Week 4?

Benedict at Tuskegee airs Thursday at 7 p.m. Eastern on ESPN2. Howard at Rutgers airs Friday at 7 p.m. Eastern on the Big Ten Network.

How can I watch the State Fair Classic?

Prairie View A&M and Grambling State play Saturday at 7 p.m. Eastern at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. The game streams on ESPN+.

Which Week 4 HBCU games are free to stream?

SWAC TV carries Texas Southern at Alcorn State, Mississippi Valley State at Alabama State, and Alabama A&M at Florida A&M. CIAA Sports Network carries CIAA home games that are streaming at no cost.  The SIAC will have UEN powering the Wagner at Clark Atlanta tilt.

When does SWAC conference play begin in 2026?

SWAC league play opens Saturday, Sept. 26, with five conference games.

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HBCU LEGENDS PODCAST - WEEK 4