ETSU replaces NDSU 2026 trip with Tusculum home game fundraiser

ETSU announced Feb. 24 that the Sept. 5 road trip to North Dakota State will no longer be played because NDSU is transitioning toward the FBS, and the Buccaneers added a home game vs Tusculum on Sept. 5, 2026, at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium. The replacement fills the hole on ETSU’s non-conference slate and keeps a game on the calendar that had once been set for the Fargodome in Fargo.

The added game is being marketed as a fundraising opportunity for Niswonger Children’s Hospital in partnership with Ballad Health. Alan Levine, Executive Chairman and President & CEO of Ballad Health, said, "We are incredibly grateful for our strong partnership with ETSU Athletics and Ballad Health, and for the opportunity to work together in support of Niswonger Children's Hospital. This game represents a meaningful opportunity for our community to come together to support children and families facing serious health challenges. We are proud to partner with ETSU to raise awareness and critical funding that will make a real difference in the lives of so many families across our region."

WCYB’s coverage of ETSU’s announcement included a ticketing line that reads, "Ticket pricing will not change, but they encourage season ticket holders to make a donation to Niswonger." That phrasing appears in WCYB’s report and is attributed there to ETSU; ETSU’s press release stresses the fundraising purpose but did not publish detailed ticketing mechanics in the release. ETSU Athletics is the authoritative source for final ticket and donation procedures and has been listed as the primary communicator for the schedule change.

ETSU’s non-conference slate around the Tusculum addition remains: the season opens Aug. 29 at home vs Campbell (noted as the first-ever football meeting between Campbell and ETSU), Sept. 12 at North Carolina, and Sept. 19 vs West Georgia. Local coverage published the full Southern Conference slate that includes home games vs Western Carolina and Chattanooga and road trips to The Citadel, VMI, Wofford and Mercer across October and November.

The cancelation severs a planned home-and-home that started in 2024, when North Dakota State beat ETSU 38-35 in Johnson City, and follows a previous 2021 trip to Fargo when NDSU won the FCS quarterfinal 27-3. FBSchedules reported that NDSU’s announced Mountain West opponents for 2026 include Nevada, Northern Illinois, UTEP and Wyoming at home and Air Force, Hawai‘i, New Mexico and UNLV on the road, and that NDSU’s non-conference slate had not been finalized at the time of that reporting.

One local outlet’s story contains an internal inconsistency that places the Tusculum replacement on Sept. 12; ETSU’s official press release and FBSchedules list Sept. 5. ETSU Athletics’ release timestamped Feb. 24 is the primary source for the replacement date and the Niswonger fundraising tie; media and fans should look to ETSU Athletics for confirmation of kickoff time, ticket pricing mechanics and how donations will be collected.