N.C. A&T released a 12-game football schedule that includes five strong home games, exciting road trips for fans and a non-conference schedule that is second to none.

The Aggies will open the season in Orlando, Fla., as they take on Alabama A&M in the annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge. It will mark the first time in the event’s 10-year history that A&T has been a participant. It will also mark the first time the Aggies and the Bulldogs have met on the gridiron. Fourth-year A&T head coach Rod Broadway faced the Bulldogs four times during his tenure as Grambling State’s head coach and won all four.

The Aggies home opener will feature one of the best teams in Division I-FCS in Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers were 12-3 last season, finished ranked seventh in the country while advancing to the quarterfinals of the NCAA FCS Playoffs. The Aggies are winless in four tries against the Chanticleers.

A&T’s four other home games are against Chowan (Sept. 20), Hampton (Oct. 11), Florida A&M (Oct. 25) and Morgan State (Nov. 8). Hampton returns to Aggies Stadium for the first time since beating the Aggies 41-24 on Sept. 19, 2009. Hampton head coach and A&T alumnus Connell Maynor will also be returning to the place where he led the Aggies to the 1991 MEAC championship as the starting quarterback.

The Florida A&M Rattlers will be the Aggies Greatest Homecoming On Earth opponent for the fourth time in their existence.

The Aggies road schedule includes games at Elon (Sept. 13), Howard (Sept. 27), Delaware State (Oct. 18), Savannah State (Nov. 15) and N.C. Central. A&T will play at Elon for the first time since losing 12-9 on Sept. 24, 2005. The Aggies are back in Washington, D.C., for the first time in three years, but will play at Savannah State for the first time in school history.

A&T closes out its season once again against archrival N.C. Central, a team they have defeated three straight times, including last season’s 28-0 blowout at Aggie Stadium. The Aggies lone neutral site game is against S.C. State as the two teams return to Atlanta for the Atlanta Football Classic. S.C. State held off a late-game drive by A&T to win last year’s classic 29-24.

“We’re going to find out how good we are early,” said Broadway. “Alabama A&M, Coastal Carolina and Elon are going to be a challenge for our young team, and of course the MEAC continues to get better each year. We will have our hands full.”