Benedict College Releases 2026 Football Schedule

Tigers look to build on historic 2025 season with challenging slate

Jan. 30, 2026 at 7:31am

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Benedict College has released its 2026 football schedule, which features six home games at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium and matchups against three teams that advanced to the 2025 NCAA Division II playoffs. The Tigers are coming off a 10-3 season in 2025 that included the program's first-ever playoff win.

Why it matters

Benedict College's football team is looking to build on its breakthrough 2025 season, where the Tigers won their first-ever NCAA Division II playoff game. The 2026 schedule features several high-profile opponents, setting the stage for the team to potentially make another deep postseason run and further establish the program as a rising power in Division II.

The details

The 2026 schedule opens with a home game against Johnson C. Smith, the 2025 CIAA champion and playoff team. Other notable home games include a matchup with 2019 national champion West Florida and the annual homecoming game against Edward Waters. The Tigers also have road games against SIAC powers Fort Valley State and Albany State, the latter of which ended Benedict's 2025 season in the playoffs.

  • The 2026 season opens on August 29 with a home game against Johnson C. Smith.
  • Benedict hosts West Florida on September 12, the Tigers' only scheduled night game of 2026.
  • The SIAC portion of the schedule begins on September 19 with a road game at Fort Valley State.
  • Homecoming is scheduled for October 17 against Edward Waters.
  • The regular season concludes on November 7 with a home game against Central State.

The players

Ron Dickerson, Jr.

The head coach of the Benedict College football team, who is entering his third season leading the program.

Johnson C. Smith

The Golden Bulls, Benedict's season-opening opponent, won the CIAA championship and made the NCAA Division II playoffs in 2025.

West Florida Argonauts

The 2019 national champion Argonauts, who advanced to the second round of the 2025 Division II playoffs, will visit Benedict on September 12.

Albany State Golden Rams

The reigning SIAC champion, who ended Benedict's 2025 season in the playoffs, will host the Tigers on October 24.

Wingate

The team Benedict defeated 25-24 in the 2025 NCAA Division II playoffs, rallying from a 24-0 deficit in the third quarter.

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What they’re saying

“It's a very challenging schedule, but that's what I wanted when I took the job. We want to be able to see if we can compete with some of the best in the country.”

— Ron Dickerson, Jr., Head Coach

What’s next

The Tigers will look to build on their historic 2025 season and make another deep playoff run in 2026, with several key matchups against fellow postseason contenders on the schedule.

The takeaway

Benedict College's football program has emerged as a rising power in Division II, and the 2026 schedule presents an opportunity for the Tigers to prove they can compete with some of the best teams in the country and potentially make another playoff appearance.