The Aggie-Eagle Classic between North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central kicks off this weekend and Eagles head coach Trei Oliver is ready. The NCCU alumnus spoke about the game in the team's press conference earlier this week.

“I know how important the game is to our university and to our fan base,” Oliver said. “So, it's my responsibility to make sure that we put a good product on the field and we come home with a victory. This is not any play-play right here. This is real…and it's gonna get real Saturday.”

North Carolina Central, the reigning Celebration Bowl champions, was able to snap a four-game losing streak in the classic last season with a 28-13 season-opening win. Eagles star quarterback Davius Richard had a game to remember in the win. He threw for 213 yards on 21/33 passing and two touchdowns while also rushing for 71 yards on 13 attempts and 2 touchdowns. Richard led both teams in rushing in last year's edition of the game.

New Aggies head coach Vincent Brown spoke about the matchup in the team's press conference. While he's excited for the game and to compete for the first win of his tenure, he believes that the Classic will not define the team's success.

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“Since I got here, everyone’s spoken about the importance of this game. We want to win and understand the importance of winning this game, but our program will not be defined by one game.”

Andscape's Kamryn Jackson spoke to A&T redshirt sophomore running back Westly Graves about the matchup. Graves signaled the importance of the game but also being prepared for all 11 games on the schedule.

“This game means a lot to me because it’s not just for us, it’s for A&T as a whole. As a team, we know how much this rivalry means. But at the end of the day, it’s another football game. We always practice hard and prepare physically and mentally to do all we can to win.”

The Eagles travel to Greensboro to match up against the Aggies at 7 PM EST. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.