The Citadel (0-1) travels to Charlotte, with Charlotte favored by 20.
What’s at stake
Charlotte
- Charlotte is the American Athletic program whose 2013 program founding + 2019 first bowl appearance + Jerry Richardson Stadium define what most-recent-FBS-newcomer-ascent looks like.
The Citadel
- The Citadel is still shaking off a 28-point loss.
The series
The Citadel leads the series 1-0
1 meeting since 2014 · The Citadel won the last meeting
- 2014The Citadel 63–56
Face-off
What each fanbase carries into this one.
The Citadel
The chipThe Citadel plays in the shadow of Clemson, South Carolina, and other Power programs; regional and national media largely ignore FCS military colleges despite their unique institutional mission and cadet sacrifice. Fans believe their story deserves recognition beyond the FCS bubble.
What this game touches
Small FCS program, consistent tournament drought and regional obscurity. The Citadel has won only four Southern Conference championships (1961, 1992, 2015, 2016) and made five FCS playoff appearances (2-5 record) in a century of football. The 2025 season finished 4-8 overall and 3-5 in Southern Conference play, reflecting the ongoing challenge of competing in an FCS landscape where transfer portal access and recruiting rank matter more than ever, while operating as a military academy where cadets are enrolled for service, not recruited as prospects.
Charlotte
The chip · vs the national mediaNiner fans say the rest of the sport treats a program this young like it doesn't count — and they point to the biggest, fastest-growing city in the Carolinas and ask why a metro this size shouldn't eventually have a real football team.
What this game touches
The 1-11 first year of the Albin era. Tim Albin arrived from a MAC-champion Ohio program and went 1-11 (0-8 American) in his debut — a single win that laid bare how far the young 49ers still are from the bowl team they flashed in 2019.
Best players
Charlotte
- Reid Williford (LB) · 2025: 74 tackles
- Kadin Schmitz (LB) · 2025: 65 tackles
- Ja'Qurious Conley (DB) · 2025: 64 tackles
The line, and the room
The model and the market don’t fully agree on Charlotte’s chances here.
Home −20 · O/U 46.5
Conditions
99°F · 7 mph wind · Clear
Charlotte is 45% at home, 24% on the road since 2018 (20-24 home, 11-34 away).