Charlotte 49ers

0–0 · 0–0 AMERICAN ATHLETIC

In the books

WEEK 1 · 2026

Week 1 pregame guide

Keep the opener boring

Charlotte’s Week 1 hope is a controlled win built on disciplined run defense against The Citadel.

Read the rooting guide →

The model sees Charlotte as an extreme playoff long shot.

Jerry Richardson Stadium with Charlotte painted in the end zone. — Jerry Richardson Stadium, home of Charlotte football.
Credit
**Photo credit**Alex G. from Charlotte, NC, USAWikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0Cropped to 16:9, resized and converted to WebP by Fan Watch.

Your game

The Citadel at Charlotte

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ESPN+

Final

The Citadel

Final · The Citadel 43–41 CharlotteWent the other way ✗

Charlotte

Nothing else moves the path

the rest is background football

Nothing else meaningfully changes Charlotte's path. Watch the rest because it is football.

43 other games had little impact

Massachusetts at Rutgers · BTN

Akron at Wake Forest · ACC Network

Colorado at Georgia Tech · ESPN

UAB at Illinois · BTN

San José State at Eastern Michigan · ESPN+

UTEP at Oklahoma · SECN+

Toledo at Michigan State · FS1

Miami at Stanford · ESPN

Fresno State at USC · FOX

East Carolina at Alabama · ABC

Oregon State at Houston · ESPN

Coastal Carolina at West Virginia · TNT

North Texas at Indiana · FOX

Ohio at Nebraska · FS1

Liberty at James Madison · ESPNU

Miami (OH) at Pittsburgh · The CW Network

Ball State at Ohio State · BTN

Kent State at South Carolina · SEC Network

Baylor at Auburn · ABC

Texas State at Texas · ESPN

Boston College at Cincinnati · FOX

Tulane at Duke · ACC Network

Boise State at Oregon · CBS

Marshall at Penn State · FS1

Oklahoma State at Tulsa · ESPNU

Northern Illinois at Iowa · BTN

Wyoming at Colorado State · USA Network

Missouri State at Texas A&M · ESPN

Arkansas State at Memphis · ESPN+

Florida International at South Florida · ESPN+

Sam Houston at Troy · ESPN+

Clemson at LSU · ABC

UL Monroe at Mississippi State · ESPNU

Western Michigan at Michigan · NBC

Florida Atlantic at Florida · SEC Network

UNLV at Hawai'i · The CW Network

Central Michigan at New Mexico · FS1

UCLA at California · ESPN

Western Kentucky at Nevada · CBSSN

Washington State at Washington · NBC

Louisville at Ole Miss · ABC

Wisconsin at Notre Dame · NBC

SMU at Florida State · ESPN

The rooting list was:Charlotte. Nothing else meaningfully moves the path.

Based on 50,000 season simulations entering week 1, anchored to the AP Top 25 (preseason). How the model works.