Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Campbell University is a private Christian school located in Buies Creek, North Carolina. The university is halfway between Raleigh and Fayetteville.
Campbell’s football program is now in its 19th season and has never come close to reaching the FCS playoffs – yet.
The school’s 5,000 students and mascot Gaylord the Camel are downright giddy as the football team is off to its best start in school history.
The Fighting Camels began playing football in 2008 and posted a woeful 1-10 first season. They have never finished with more than six wins in a season during their 18 years in the FCS.
Campbell finished 2-10 in 2025.
The Fighting Camels have lumbered out to a surprising 5-1 start in 2026. A 52-3 “payday game” road loss at the University of Florida is the team’s only defeat.
Campbell just moved up to #6 in this week’s SwampSwamiSports.com FCS Top 25 rankings. The Fighting Camels are 2-0 in the Coastal Athletic Association and ½ game behind conference leader Monmouth (3-0).
This Saturday’s homecoming game against struggling 0-7 Towson could boost Campbell to a lofty 6-1 season record.
Fighting Camels head coach Braxton Harris is now in his third season.
His background as a recruiter appears to be paying dividends this year.
Quarterback Camden Sixkiller transferred to Campbell after two seasons at McNeese State in Lake Charles. The honor roll student-athlete is averaging 280 yards per game via the air with 14 touchdown passes in six games. Campbell’s offense ringing-up 35 points per game.
The hardest part of the team’s schedule lies ahead in November.
Campbell will face conference foes Stony Brook (4-2) on November 7, travel to 3-2 Elon, and finish at home against Monmouth (4-2) on November 21.
The school’s first trip into the FCS playoffs is still a possibility as this 2026 dream season continues to unfold for the Campbell Fighting Camels.
The FCS playoff race is heating up
There is one half of the season remaining. The big race to grab one of the 24 FCS playoff spots is well underway.
Remember that the FCS (the smaller-college football group) awards a guaranteed playoff spot to each of its 11 conference winners.
That leaves 13 at-large playoff spots to be awarded on the basis of season record and strength of schedule.
A group of athletic directors (one per FCS conference) meets every November to determine the at-large playoff teams. The committee then tries to pair the opening and second round games with teams in geographic proximity to help save on travel costs.
Most FCS teams have at least one loss, because they play one or more games per season at a larger division FBS school. Some teams receive upwards of $1 million from these payday road games. The money can be a vital component of the schools’ athletic funding.
Top teams in the FCS must focus on winning the outright conference championship in order to guarantee a post-season appearance. Losing two conference games often doom for your favorite team’s playoff chances.
Who’s hot right now?
Only four FCS teams remain unbeaten entering this weekend’s play.
Harvard is 4-0. Lehigh, Stephen F. Austin and Tarleton State are all 6-0.
Several other football teams are on a lengthy winning streak coming into the weekend.
Lamar University (Beaumont, Texas) of the Southland Conference has rolled off four straight wins to move to 5-1. The Cardinals’ only blemish came in their “payday” road game at FBS member UL-Lafayette. Lamar and unbeaten Stephen F. Austin are both 3-0 in Southland Conference play. Those two rivals will meet on November 7 in Beaumont.
The Butler Bulldogs (Pioneer Conference) have also won four consecutive games and are 5-1 this week. Butler will host the 4-1 Dayton Flyers at 12 Noon CDT this Saturday. The winner will immediately springboard into an FCS playoff contention.
Morgan State of the MEAC is on their own four-game winning streak and stands at 5-1 overall.
The Bears’ only blemish was a 70-7 road loss at FBS University of Arizona. Morgan State’s brief but very important five game conference schedule will begin in two weeks.
East Tennessee State of the Southern Conference has won four straight games. The 5-2 Buccaneers will host 5-1 Tennessee Tech on October 24 in a battle of the top two teams within this competitive conference.
Don’t forget Northern Arizona of the Big Sky Conference! The Lumberjacks have moved to 5-2 and are part of a four-way tie atop the conference standings. Northern Arizona is trying to win the Big Sky for the first time since 2003.
And who’s not?
A quartet of FCS teams is still trying to win their first game of 2026.
Utah Tech is 0-7 in its initial season as part of the tough Big Sky Conference.
The Trailblazers from St. George, Utah may not face another team with a losing record until mid-November when they host Eastern Washington (currently 2-5).
Towson University is also 0-7.
The Tigers from suburban Baltimore play in the Coastal Athletic Association. Towson has lost three consecutive games by seven points or less. A winnable home game against 1-5 Hampton is coming up on Halloween. Perhaps the Towson Tigers will finally scare up a victory!
VMI is 0-6 entering this weekend’s game at 4-3 Wofford.
The Keydets from picturesque Lexington in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains seem to have lost their offense this season. VMI has scored seven or fewer points in four of its last five games.
In case you were wondering, the origin of the school’s unique nickname of Keydets is unknown. Most assume that it was likely the word “Cadets” being pronounced with a distinctive southern drawl.
Our final winless FCS team is Northwestern State University. The 0-6 Demons from Natchitoches, Louisiana started the season by losing at home to NAIA member Louisiana Christian.
It has gotten worse.
Northwestern State’s defense has given up nearly 51 points per game. That may be terrific in college basketball, but it’s a complete disaster for a football team. Saturday’s home game against 2-4 McNeese State will be followed by a visit from 2-4 Nicholls State on October 24. Perhaps the Demons will finally pick-up their first win of the season.
It’s time to check the latest SwampSwamiSports.com FCS Top 25 teams for the week ending October, 10, 2026:
