BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Campbell opens its 19^th modern era season of football on Saturday, August 29 at East Tennessee State. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. at Bank of Tennessee Field at William B., Greene, Jr. Stadium.

WATCH / FOLLOW
Watch the Camels take on the Buccaneers on ESPN+, listen to the CU broadcast at GoCamels.com, and follow live stats at GoCamels.com, and follow on Twitter and Instagram @GoCamelsFB for live updates.

QUICK HITS

• Campbell begins the 19th season of its modern era of football (since 2008) in 2026, its fourth year as a member of the CAA.
• The Fighting Camels under third year head coach Braxton Harris return six full-time starters on the offensive side of the ball, and four on defense from 2025. Harris is the third head coach in Campbell's modern history.
• The 2026 Campbell team features 44 total returners and 62 newcomers, including 34 freshmen and 28 transfers.
• Campbell and ETSU are meeting for the first time on the football field, one of three first-time opponents on the Camels' 2026 schedule (Florida, UAlbany).
• The Camels are 7-11 all-time in season openers, seeking their first win in an opener since 2022. Campbell has opened a season on the road eight times all-time, carrying a 1-7 record (won at UVA-Wise 20-16 in 2010).
• Saturday's matchup will mark the 100^th road game in Campbell's modern history.
• Both teams head into the 2026 opener unranked, with ETSU receiving top-25 votes in various preseason national polls.

PETTIS EARNS PRESEASON ALL-CAA HONORS, CAMELS PICKED EIGHTH IN POLL
Campbell linebacker DaVonyae Pettis has been named honorable mention Preseason All-CAA, while the Fighting Camels were picked eighth in the conference's preseason poll, as selected by the CAA's head coaches.
 
Rhode Island, which took the CAA title last season, was the unanimous choice to claim the championship again in 2026, picking up all 12 possible first-place votes (coaches can't vote for their own team) and 144 points in the preseason poll.
 
Monmouth was chosen second with 119 points, while Elon was close behind in third with 115 points. Placing fourth was New Hampshire with 106 points, and Stony Brook, which got one first-place vote, took fifth with 105 points. Towson (93 points) finished sixth in the poll, followed by Maine (88 points), Campbell (56 points), Bryant (50 points), CAA newcomer Sacred Heart (49 points), UAlbany (35 points), North Carolina A&T (28 points) and Hampton (26 points).
 
Headlining the preseason all-conference teams, Rhode Island quarterback was chosen as the CAA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Monmouth safety Jaeden Jones was selected as the CAA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Campbell's Pettis, meanwhile, earned the honorable mention nod after posting 25 tackles, including team highs of 8.5 stops for loss and 4.0 sacks, while forcing three fumbles, registering seven QB hurries and breaking up three passes in his first season at Campbell in 2025.
 
The Shelby, N.C. native, selected as a team captain heading into the 2026 season, has been nominated for the 2026 Good Works Team, recognized for leadership in community service and announced by Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).
 
EIGHT CAMELS NAMED TO PHIL STEELE PRESEASON ALL-CAA TEAMS
Phil Steele has picked eight Camels on his 2026 preseason CAA all-conference teams.
DaVonyae Pettis was selected as a second team All-CAA pick at linebacker, while seven other Camels were predicted as third team members, including punter Brandon Bowman, offensive lineman Kameron Durant, kicker Caleb Robison, quarterback Kamden Sixkiller, punt returner Barry Tate, linebacker Kalen Villanueva, and wide receiver Jyron Waiters.
 
BEDADA NAMED TOP-20 IN CFL SCOUTING BUREAU PRESEASON RANKINGS
Campbell defensive lineman Ebenezer Bedada has been selected as one of the top professional prospects in Canada, earning the No. 19 spot in the Canadian Football League (CFL) Scouting Bureau's Preseason edition of the Class of 2027 prospect rankings.
 
The Calgary, Alberta native saw time in all 12 games for the Camels in 2025, posting 12 tackles, including one stop for loss, with a pass breakup, three hurries and a fumble recovery. He made multiple tackles three times on the year, including a season-high three against New Hampshire and William & Mary, tacking on a stop for loss against UNH, and a QB hurry against the Tribe.
 
The fifth year CAA Commissioner's Honor Roll recipient, earning High Honors in 2025, heads into his third season at Campbell after beginning his career at Murray State.
 
The CFL Scouting Bureau, comprising CFL scouts, as well as player personnel directors and general managers from the league's nine clubs, releases its rankings three times each year, with the cycle beginning in the fall to coincide with the opening of the collegiate season, in winter ahead of prospects' postseason, and a final ranking in the spring following CFL Combine Season.
 
PETTIS NAMED GOOD WORKS TEAM NOMINEE BY ALLSTATE, AFCA
Campbell linebacker DaVonyae Pettis has been nominated for the 2026 Good Works Team, recognized for leadership in community service and announced by Allstate and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA).
 
Pettis has made an impact in the community, especially at Buies Creek Elementary School, located next to the Campbell University campus, volunteering on multiple occasions, often multiple times per week, while also joining BCES for its international day where the grade levels put on international dances.
 
In addition, Pettis has volunteered with a special needs prom, assisting with food assistance for the homeless, and helped with Campbell's freshmen move in.
 
In his first season at Campbell in 2025, the Shelby, N.C. native also made an immediate impact on the field, posting 25 tackles, including team highs of 8.5 stops for loss and 4.0 sacks, while forcing three fumbles, registering seven QB hurries and breaking up three passes. He has also been selected as a team captain heading into the 2026 season. Pettis also carries a 3.642 GPA and will be graduating with his BBA-Management degree this December.
 
Pettis is one of 175 student-athletes and coaches nationally across all divisions nominated on this year's Good Works Team, including one of only 20 student-athletes from the FCS ranks.
 
The Allstate AFCA Good Works Team recognizes college football student-athletes who demonstrate exceptional commitment to community service, academics and athletics. Established in 1992 and presented by Allstate since 2008, the program honors players who use their platforms to strengthen communities and support causes important to them.
 
BOWMAN NAMED TO FCS PUNTER OF THE YEAR PRESEASON WATCH LIST
Campbell newcomer Brandon Bowman has been named to the 2026 FCS Punter of the Year Award Preseason Watch List by the Augusta Sports Council.
 
The watch list, which honors the nation's top collegiate punter in the Football Championship Series (FCS), includes 14 student-athletes on its preseason edition.
 
Bowman, a Harrisburg, N.C. native, heads into his first season at Campbell, transferring from North Carolina Central where he was named a 2025 honorable mention BOXTOROW HBCU All-American, as well as First Team All-MEAC at punter. The senior was also named to the MEAC Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll following the 2025 season, his only year in Durham after starting his collegiate career at NCAA Division II member North Greenville.
 
The 14 candidates on the list incorporate a broad spectrum of FCS punters and were compiled based on previous FCS Punter of the Year semifinalists, 2025 All-American, and All-Conference selections, top performing punters, and 2026 Preseason All-American and Preseason All-Conference selections. This is not a final list as the winner of the FCS Punter of the Year Award does not need to appear on the preseason watch list.
 
CAMPBELL, LANE & ASSOCIATES FAMILY DENTISTRY ANNOUNCE TRANSFORMATIONAL PARTNERSHIP
Campbell University and Lane & Associates Family Dentistry, one of North Carolina's largest family dental practices, have announced a significant partnership.
 
The generous gift is highlighted by a new, state-of-the-art videoboard manufactured and installed by Daktronics at Barker-Lane Stadium, home of Campbell's football and lacrosse programs. The partnership also provides additional support for the Campbell Football program through a dedicated special purpose fund, significant commitment to support Campbell's football NIL efforts, and game day fan activations.
 
The partnership builds upon a long-standing relationship between Lane & Associates and Campbell University. Dr. Lane has been a longtime supporter of Campbell University and its athletics programs, being half of the namesake of Barker-Lane Stadium, named along with fellow Fuquay-Varina businessman, founder of the Bob Barker Company and longtime Campbell supporter, Bob Barker, in 2008.
 
As part of the partnership, Lane & Associates will sponsor the new scoreboard at Barker-Lane Stadium, featuring state-of-the-art Daktronics equipment and prominent LAA branding across the back panel of the scoreboard, providing visibility to the heavily traveled U.S. Route 421, which runs through the edge of the University's campus.
 
CAMPBELL MOURNS THE LOSS OF DALE STEELE, HALL OF FAME FORMER HEAD FOOTBALL COACH
Dale Steele, Campbell Athletics Hall of Fame member, former head coach and the architect of the rebirth of the Campbell football program, passed away on Sunday, July 19 after a after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 70 years old.
 
Inducted into the Campbell Athletics Hall of Fame in 2025, Steele was named Campbell's first head coach of its modern era on June 15, 2006, of a program that had been dormant since 1950. Steele built the coaching staff and oversaw Campbell's first six recruiting classes on the NCAA Division I level.
 
Under Steele's guidance, the Camels produced 33 All-Pioneer Football League performers from 2008-12 and 192 PFL Academic Honor Roll members. The team led the PFL – and ranked among the nation's top-20 programs – in rushing for three-straight years from 2009-11. In 2011, Campbell won five consecutive games and finished with the program's first overall (6-5) and conference (5-3) winning records.
 
The son of a high school coach and a 1976 graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he played on both the offensive and defensive line, Steele began a collegiate coaching career that lasted more than 45 years in 1977 as a graduate assistant at Ball State. Among the many accomplishments his teams produced were five bowl games – including four during two stints on the staff at East Carolina, as well as back-to-back NCAA FCS national championships in 2016 and 2017 while serving as Director of Football Administration at James Madison.
 
In November 2025, Steele was presented with the Orange Tie Award at the 2025 Orange Tie Gala after establishing the Steele Family endowed scholarship.
 
A 35-year member of the American Football Coaches Association, Steele served as FCS representative on the NCAA Football Issues Committee, as well as a voting member on the FCS Coaches Poll and All-America selection committee.
 
Following retirement, Steele remained involved in college football as an advisory and team host for the Myrtle Beach Bowl and has remained present in Campbell Athletics in an unofficial capacity, connecting the entirety of the Camels' modern era of football while continuing to serve the program's coaches, student-athletes, administrators and alumni.
 
NEXT UP
The Camels will make their 2026 home debut at Barker-Lane Stadium, hosting Western Carolina (3:30 p.m.) on September 5. The home opener is also our Youth Sports and Faith & Family Day. Check out all game day dates and kickoff times at GoCamels.com.
 
Single game tickets are on sale for all five of the Fighting Camels' 2026 home dates, starting at just $10, including CU's 2026 Homecoming Game. Once again, Kids 12 & under get in free for every home game this season.
 
Visit GoCamels.com/Tickets for more information and to secure your seats.
 
Full season tickets also remain available, starting at only $60 ($12 per game) with reserved seats beginning at $80 ($16 per game), also available at GoCamels.com/Tickets. Season parking passes are also available now for $50. A three-game mini plan is also available, featuring the home opener against WCU, plus the Homecoming matchup on October 17 against Towson, and CU's regular season finale on November 21 vs. Monmouth.