The first home game of the season brings together Charlotte and the Citadel. The 49ers have undergone a massive overhaul under second-year

coach Tim Albin in order to climb up from the American Conference cellar. We'll look at new players and season expectations.

Parker McQuarrie was a four-star football recruit in 2019 when he picked UCLA over Michigan and several other Power 4 schools. Since then, he's played across the country before landing at Johnson C. Smith. Many lessons were learned along the way, including perseverance that led McQuarry to the Golden Bulls, who are preseason No. 23 in NCAA Division II. He'll make his first collegiate start on Aug. 29 when JCSU takes on Benedict College in Columbia, S.C.

The Golden Bulls head coach looks ahead to a challenging 2026 schedule, which kicks off with a road trip to Benedict College in a clash of 2025 NCAA Division II playoff participants. The next week is equally challenging with a trip to Canton, Ohio, against Albany State for the Black College Hall of Fame Classic.

High school football season kicks off across North Carolina, and we unveil the Magnificent Seven ranking of Mecklenburg County's top teams. Can anyone stop Hough High and we talk underdogs who can make a run at the top spot.

Carolina takes on the Arizona Cardinals to kick off the preseason in Canton Ohio, where Panthers great Luke Kuechly will be enshrined with the Class of 2026. Up for debate: Is Kuechly the greatest Panther ever?

The Crown raced out to a 2-0 lead against Atlanta United only to wind up with a 2-2 draw. WTH happened? Also, keys to righting the ship as the playoff chase returns.

How will North Carolina's ACC football programs fare in 2026? Everyone has questions to answer, starting with 2025 league champ Duke, which lost their quarterback and top receiver to conference rival Miami, the national runner-up. Is it make or break time for Bill Belichick in Chapel Hill? Can NC State finally put together an elite season? Can Wake Forest back up a surprisingly strong 2025 with more success?

After going 1-11 in coach Tim Albin's first season, what can the 49ers do to improve in 2026? In a word: everything. We're talking offense, defense, schedule and health. #football #charlotte

Charlotte native Akbar Majeed, founder of Concrete2Green, an urban soccer advocacy group, has broken into moviemaking as director and producer of the documentary "Can We Kick It," which debuted in May 2026 in New York City. The documentary examines the evolution of soccer in urban America and the road ahead to make the sport more mainstream in the U.S. #soccer #documentary

The Hornets shocked the NBA – and Charlotte – by trading LaMelo Ball to Minnesota for Naz Reid and a raft of draft picks and a $41 million contract exception. What in the world were the Hornets thinking, and what else is on the horizon?