The North Carolina Central Eagles and Norfolk State Spartans will continue their MEAC rivalry in a different arena this upcoming season. Norfolk State’s football schedule updated; it now shows they will kick off against North Carolina Central in the 40th Circle City Classic on Saturday, Sept. 28.
The Circle City Classic has an extensive history, dating back to its inception in 1984. The Classic started with a matchup between Grambling State and Mississippi Valley State, led by future Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice and its legendary head coach, Archie “The Gunslinger” Cooley. MVSU defeated Grambling 48-36. Following a break year in 2022, the Circle City Classic returned in 2023 with a game between MVSU and North Carolina Central.
The Eagles dominated in a 45-3 victory. Their upcoming matchup against Norfolk State will be their third time playing in the Classic after they previously defeated South Carolina State, 40-10, in 2012. The Spartans have never played in this event before.
The Circle City Classic takes place in Indianapolis, Indiana, at Lucas Oil Stadium, the home of the Indianapolis Colts. The NFL-sized stadium seats up to 67,000 fans.
Norfolk State will be seeking revenge against North Carolina Central for the past few seasons. The Spartans have failed to defeat the Eagles in their last three matchups. They haven’t won since 2019, before the COVID pandemic. In their last few meetings, North Carolina Central’s offense has averaged 41.3 points per game while holding Norfolk State to 24.6 points per game. Last season, the Eagles won rather comfortably, defeating their MEAC rival 38-24.
This upcoming season, however, will be different for North Carolina Central. They are now without their two-time MEAC Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Davius Richard. He had been an excellent quarterback for a while, but national audiences first caught wind of his abilities when North Carolina Central defeated the Deion Sanders-led Jackson State Tigers in the 2022 Celebration Bowl. Richard had another successful campaign in 2023, leading his team to the FCS Playoffs.
Richard graduated and was well on his way to landing with an NFL team this offseason. Unfortunately, he sustained a severe ankle injury in the HBCU Legacy Bowl as he ran in for the opening score.
Still, his performance in the opening drive earned him the game’s Offensive MVP award. Richard was a prime candidate to be taken in the NFL Draft, but the injury likely worried teams, coupled with the fact that no HBCU players heard their names called on stage.
Despite the setback, Richard should find his way onto an NFL training camp setting very soon. As for his former team, North Carolina Central may struggle without an NFL-caliber quarterback running the offense. Norfolk State could have their first victory over the Eagles in nearly five years in front of thousands of fans at the Circle City Classic.
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