Delaware State Releases 2026 Schedule as Jackson Enters Year Two

Delaware State's 8-4 turnaround under DeSean Jackson earned the program what HBCU Sports called "FCS football's biggest turnaround" in a first season. The 2026 schedule, released Friday, maps out exactly how hard it will be to repeat that success.

The Hornets open at Alumni Stadium on Thursday, Aug. 27 against Stony Brook, with a second home game against Bowie State following on Sept. 12. The non-conference road slate is where Delaware State will face its stiffest early tests: trips to William & Mary, South Florida, and the University of Albany round out the non-conference schedule before the calendar turns to October.

The South Florida matchup stands out immediately. Delaware State will travel to face an FBS program, a cross-division challenge that carries both program-building credibility and significant logistical demands for an FCS squad entering just its second year under a new coaching staff.

Homecoming arrives Oct. 10 at Alumni Stadium against Franklin Pierce University, a Division II program. MEAC conference play begins Oct. 24 when North Carolina Central visits Dover.

Jackson was announced as Delaware State's head coach on Dec. 27, 2024, with his first campus press conference held Jan. 8, 2025 at the Athletic Hall of Fame in the MLK Student Center. He inherited a program that needed rebuilding and handed off a 4-1 MEAC record to his coordinators, offensive coordinator Nyema Washington and defensive coordinator Brandon Blackmon, both also in their first seasons in 2025.

The 2026 schedule does not offer an easy path to matching that 8-4 mark. Three road non-conference trips plus a full MEAC slate mean Jackson and the Hornets will face consistent tests of whether last year's turnaround was a foundation or a ceiling.