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Although his first season as head coach has yet to begin, DeSean Jackson and Delaware State have already secured a significant $450,000 game contract for next season. The University of South Florida (USF) was originally scheduled to play Bethune-Cookman in September 2026, but a recent contract copy obtained by FBSchedules.com reveals that the Bulls will now host Delaware State on September 19, 2026. The contract stipulates that USF will pay Delaware State a guarantee of $450,000 for the game.
This matchup will mark the first time the two programs have ever faced each other on the gridiron. For DeSean Jackson, this will be his second game against an FBS opponent in his coaching career, as he is slated to debut against the new Conference USA contenders Delaware Blue Hens.
It remains unclear if USF will reschedule the game with Bethune-Cookman for another season. However, USF does have another game scheduled with Bethune-Cookman on September 16, 2028 as a part of a two-game contract. USF has a history of playing HBCUs. In the 2023 season, the Bulls faced the eventual Celebration Bowl champions, the Florida A&M Rattlers, under then-head coach Willie Simmons, winning a competitive game 38-24.
The previous year, in 2022, USF beat Howard University 42-20. The Bulls' commitment to playing HBCUs on their schedule extends back to the 2019 season when they defeated the Buddy Pough-led South Carolina State Bulldogs 55-16. This season, USF is also scheduled to play South Carolina State under the direction of Chennis Berry.
Interestingly, USF also recently announced a home-and-home series with another former HBCU coach: Eddie George. George, a former NFL star and the head coach of Bowling Green, will bring his team to face USF in a series that is set to begin on September 26. Nevertheless, the Bulls will start their 2025 season with a visit from Boisie State and will face off against South Carolina State on September 20th.
