Four home games, some new foes highlight Spartans’ 2023 schedule

The Labor Day Classic will return and the Battle of the Bay will continue for Norfolk State’s football program in 2023, but the Spartans also will face some unfamiliar opposition.

The Spartans, seeking to bounce back from an injury-plagued 2-9 season in 2022, announced their 11-game schedule Friday. It includes four home games and three contests against Colonial Athletic Association opponents.

The Spartans will start their season Sept. 2 at Dick Price Stadium against Division II Virginia State, which they haven’t played since NSU won 34-13 in 2019.

NSU then will go to Hampton for the Battle of the Bay on Sept. 9. The Pirates won 17-7 in Norfolk last season.

On Sept. 16, Norfolk State will go to Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for its only game against an FBS opponent, facing Temple for the first time. On Sept. 23, the Spartans will play at Towson; the schools’ only previous meeting was the Tigers’ 31-21 victory in the 1984 Division II playoffs.

On Sept. 30, NSU will be at home against North Carolina A&T, its former MEAC rival. Like Hampton and Towson, A&T is now in the CAA.

“This is a very fan-based schedule. I think our fans will be very appreciative of the schedule and the proximity of the teams that we are playing,” coach

Dawson Odums said in a release. “We open the season with Virginia State, an old rivalry, and this should be a very good Labor Day Classic. I think the schedule is challenging in the first four games, but I think it gives us an opportunity to start with some success.”

After a bye week, the Spartans will visit Tennessee State on Oct. 14 in Nashville for the HBCU programs’ first clash since 1972, when the Tigers won 56-6.

After that come the five MEAC games: Oct. 21 at Howard, homecoming on Oct. 28 against Morgan State, Nov. 4 at reigning MEAC and Celebration Bowl champion North Carolina Central, Nov. 11 at Delaware State and a home game Nov. 18 against South Carolina State to finish the season.