2018
Tarik Cohen NFL Pro Bowl
Tarik Cohen earns a Pro Bowl selection with the Chicago Bears in his rookie season — peak individual achievement from an Aggie
Program outlook
Program outlook
Now the Aggies are rebuilding after leaving the MEAC for the CAA, testing whether the championship culture that made them legendary can take root in a new conference.
Since Jul 3: L 30-31 at Bryant; W 30-27 vs New Hampshire; W 27-12 vs Chicago State; W 13-10 vs Elon. 4-5 this season.
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North Carolina A&T's golden age began under head coach Rod Broadway, who arrived in 2011 and transformed the program into a MEAC power.
The Aggies won four Celebration Bowls total between 2015 and 2019, more than any other program in the bowl's history, establishing themselves as the premier HBCU football program of the era.
Cohen's success elevated the program's national profile and demonstrated that Greensboro was a pipeline for elite FCS talent.
The program's trajectory shifted sharply with institutional realignment. After the 2020 season was cancelled due to the pandemic, North Carolina A&T left the MEAC—their historic home since 1971—for the Big South Conference in 2021, then moved to the Coastal Athletic Association in 2023. These moves severed A&T's connections to peer HBCU programs like Howard and North Carolina Central. Sam Washington parted ways in December 2022 after five seasons, and Shawn Gibbs took over as head coach in 2025. The Aggies finished 2-10 in Gibbs' inaugural season, marking a difficult transition and raising questions about whether A&T can rebuild in a non-HBCU-dominated conference while maintaining the identity that made them champions.
On the field
North Carolina A&T plays HBCU football—rooted in historically black college tradition, peer competition with other black colleges, and the cultural pride of developing black athletes in a professional pipeline. Under Rod Broadway and Sam Washington, A&T emphasized toughness, resilience, and championship expectations. The program developed NFL talent (Tarik Cohen) and proved it could sustain excellence across multiple seasons. Now, the challenge is translating that championship DNA to the CAA while honoring the MEAC identity that created it.
What this program never forgets
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
2025 CAA debut — 2-10
First-year coach Shawn Gibbs posts 2-10 (2-6 CAA) — the hard floor of the CAA transition era
Wound
Moment of the year · 2026
Won 22-18 vs Rhode Island
Week 4 of 2026. An upset win.
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Conference
Coastal Athletic standing · 2026
6th in the Coastal Athletic
North Carolina A&T sits 6th of 13 in the Coastal Athletic at 3-2. Mid-conference — moves up or down depend on rivalry results and the late-season closing run.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Monmouth | 6-0 |
| 2 | Campbell | 4-1 |
| 3 | UAlbany | 4-1 |
| 4 | Sacred Heart | 4-2 |
| 5 | Bryant | 3-2 |
| 6 | North Carolina A&T | 3-2 |
| 7 | Stony Brook | 3-2 |
| 8 | Elon | 2-3 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | 2-3 |
| 10 | New Hampshire | 1-4 |
| 11 | Towson | 1-4 |
| 12 | Maine | 1-5 |
| 13 | Hampton | 0-5 |
Gameday customs
Rituals
Three gameday rituals — the ones outsiders never quite catch.
Celebration Bowl Championship Tradition
since 2015
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North Carolina A&T holds the most Celebration Bowl victories of any team (four wins: 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019). The Celebration Bowl is the championship of HBCU football, and A&T's dominance in this bowl defines the program's competitive pride.
HBCU Excellence and Aggie Identity
since 1924
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North Carolina A&T's football program formally began in 1924 when the university joined the CIAA athletic conference. As a historically black college, the Aggies' football identity is rooted in HBCU tradition, peer competition with other black colleges, and the development of black athletes. The MEAC (1971–2021) was A&T's historic peer group; leaving that conference was a cultural rupture as much as an athletic one.
Truist Stadium Home Field
since 1981
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Truist Stadium (originally opened as Aggie Stadium in 1981, renamed BB&T Stadium in 2018, then Truist Stadium in 2020) is the home of Aggie football with a capacity of 21,500. The stadium is the focal point of Greensboro's college football community and hosts the annual homecoming and rivalry games that define the Aggie season.
Aggie the Bulldog Mascot
since 1900
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Aggie the Bulldog is the program's mascot, embodying the Aggies' tough, competitive spirit. The bulldog represents strength, loyalty, and the warrior mentality that defines Aggie football culture.
Cultural identity
2019 W
2018 W
2017 W
2015 WReddit blowups
r/CFB moments
125
[Postgame Thread] UCF Defeats North Carolina A&T 68-7
All-time top community posts
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