An Update From AD Jon Gilbert
September 24, 2026 | General
Pirate Nation:
It is beginning to feel like football weather, and we are looking forward to welcoming you to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Saturday as the Pirates host North Carolina Central for Family Weekend at 4:00 p.m. The game is sponsored by Pepsi–Minges Bottling Group.
More than 40,000 tickets have already been distributed for Saturday's game, and we have surpassed 17,000 football season tickets for 2026. Thank you to our season ticket holders and everyone who continues to make Dowdy-Ficklen such a special place on game day
If you still need tickets, call the ECU Athletics Ticket Office at (252) 737-4500 or visit the Online Ticket Center.
Saturday's game day highlights:
It is beginning to feel like football weather, and we are looking forward to welcoming you to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium on Saturday as the Pirates host North Carolina Central for Family Weekend at 4:00 p.m. The game is sponsored by Pepsi–Minges Bottling Group.
More than 40,000 tickets have already been distributed for Saturday's game, and we have surpassed 17,000 football season tickets for 2026. Thank you to our season ticket holders and everyone who continues to make Dowdy-Ficklen such a special place on game day
If you still need tickets, call the ECU Athletics Ticket Office at (252) 737-4500 or visit the Online Ticket Center.
Saturday's game day highlights:
- Tailgate Plaza opens at 10 a.m., with North Carolina singer-songwriter Zack Lee taking the stage at 1:30 p.m.
- The Pirate Walk will begin at 1:45 p.m. along the Howard & Lyn Swain Pirate Promenade. Come out and welcome the team as the players step off the buses.
- The All Veteran Group will parachute into Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium approximately 20 minutes before kickoff. Thank you to Pepsi–Minges Bottling Group for making this possible.
- Junior Pirate Club members will take a halftime lap around the perimeter of Bagwell Field. There is still time to join the Junior Pirate Club and register for the halftime lap.  Every child registered for the lap will be entered for a chance to raise the No Quarter Flag at the start of the fourth quarter.
- Thanks to Pepsi - Minges Bottling Group, fans can once again enjoy a full array of fireworks throughout the game.
- At halftime, please remain in your seats for a special performance by the Jr. Pirate Dancers followed by a performance from our very own Marching Pirates.
Fans can once again purchase 50/50 raffle tickets online until the end of the third quarter of Saturday's game. This new promotion is sponsored by Valicy. Fifty percent of the raffle proceeds will be awarded to the holder of a randomly selected ticket, while the remaining 50 percent will benefit the Pirate Club and its mission of supporting our student-athletes. Fans can participate by scanning QR codes displayed throughout Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium or visiting ecu5050.com.
There's plenty of action on campus this weekend beyond football. The ECU baseball team will scrimmage Friday at 3:50 p.m. and Saturday at 11:50 a.m. in Clark-LeClair Stadium. You can also cheer on women's soccer Sunday against UAB at 1 p.m. at Bill Clark Homes Field at Johnson Stadium and softball against UNCW at 3 p.m. at Max R. Joyner Family Stadium.
I hope you'll come out and support our Pirates throughout the weekend. We look forward to seeing you.
Go Pirates!
Jon
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There's plenty of action on campus this weekend beyond football. The ECU baseball team will scrimmage Friday at 3:50 p.m. and Saturday at 11:50 a.m. in Clark-LeClair Stadium. You can also cheer on women's soccer Sunday against UAB at 1 p.m. at Bill Clark Homes Field at Johnson Stadium and softball against UNCW at 3 p.m. at Max R. Joyner Family Stadium.
I hope you'll come out and support our Pirates throughout the weekend. We look forward to seeing you.
Go Pirates!
Jon
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