NC Central vs. North Carolina A&T 2017 live stream: Time, TV channel, and how to watch online

One of the FCS’s most-storied rivalries will add another chapter Saturday afternoon. Only one team stands between North Carolina A&T and a perfect regular season — and it’s the Aggies’ biggest rival. North Carolina A&T will play host to North Carolina Central in a game that determines whether the Aggies win the MEAC title outright or share it with Howard — a team whose only conference loss came against NCCU. While the game will be broadcast with a tape delay on ESPNU, you can catch the action live online, starting at 1 p.m. ET through ESPN3 (live stream).

A&T has rolled through its regular season — though, unlike the Eagles, that didn’t include an FBS matchup — and stands at the brink of a conference title and a spot in the FCS Playoffs. NC Central doesn’t have as much to play for — just the satisfaction of upsetting its biggest rival on its home field.

If there’s one thing you need to know about Saturday’s game, it’s that nothing, from the play on the field to the party in the stands, is going to be half-assed

The bands are loud. It’s Senior Day for the home team, and the players cannot suppress their smiles, cannot avoid breaking character when they get their framed uniforms before the game. The teams facing off are separated by an hour, at most, on I-40 and feature stars from the same high schools: Charlotte Vance, Greensboro Grimsley, Durham Hillside, etc.

This event is college football’s platonic ideal. This is what all of college football aspires to be. You could be anywhere in the United States right now, but you’re in central North Carolina, a little more than an hour west of I-95 and smack in the middle of the Research Triangle.

And if you forget where you are, the beat brings you back.

Raynard has been one of the FCS’s top quarterbacks this fall. The junior quarterback has been deadly efficient through the air, posting a 23:5 TD:INT ratio while completing two-thirds of his passes for the Aggies. NC Central has fielded just the FCS’s 60th-ranked passing defense in 2017, which should allow plenty of opportunities for A&T’s rising star to shine.

Anything can happen in a rivalry game, but A&T has the better quarterback, home-field advantage, and more to play for. Give me the Aggies in a tight contest.