Short answer
ECU’s biggest rival is NC State, played since 1970 and as recently as the 2024 Military Bowl (an ECU win) and the 2025 opener (an NC State win). App State beat ECU 27-24 in 2026 and the teams meet again in 2029 in Charlotte. ECU leads Marshall 11-6 all time and is 6-0 against Old Dominion (Wikipedia; ECU).
NC State
- First met in 1970. ECU won the 1991 season’s Peach Bowl 37-34 and the 2024 Military Bowl 26-21.
- The record crowd at Dowdy-Ficklen, 51,711, saw NC State win 21-20 on September 3, 2022.
- NC State won the 2025 opener 24-17 in Raleigh.
App State
- App State won 27-24 in Greenville on September 12, 2026, its fourth straight win over ECU at the FBS level (ECU recap).
- Next meeting: the 2029 Duke’s Mayo Classic in Charlotte (ECU).
Old Dominion
- ECU won 20-17 in Norfolk on September 19, 2026 and is 6-0 against the Monarchs; four of those six games were decided by six points or fewer.
Marshall
- ECU leads 11-6 all time. The 1970 game in Greenville was the last for the Marshall team lost in the plane crash days later.
- Marshall won the wildest bowl in ECU history, 64-61 in double overtime in the 2001 GMAC Bowl.
Memphis
- A league series of close games: Memphis won 41-34 in overtime on October 22, 2026, the third overtime game in the last four meetings. ECU had won 10 of the previous 12 (ECU recap).
Questions fans ask
Who is ECU’s biggest rival?
NC State is the rivalry most ECU fans name; App State and Marshall are the other long-running ones.
Sources
- ECU Athletics, ECU drops home opener to App State (September 12, 2026)
- ECU Athletics, East Carolina and App State to meet in the 2029 Duke’s Mayo Classic (October 20, 2026)
- ECU Athletics, Pirates fall at Memphis in overtime (October 23, 2026)
- Wikipedia, East Carolina Pirates football
- ECU Athletics, ECU earns first win of 2026 at Old Dominion (September 19, 2026)
Last checked October 29, 2026. Kickoff times, TV and stadium rules can change; ECU Athletics posts the final word each game week.