EKU football announces eight-game schedule; Colonels will play three times at home
College football will be played in Richmond this fall, after all.
Eastern Kentucky University on Friday announced an eight-game 2020 schedule that includes three home games. The Colonels will host Central Arkansas on Oct. 10, Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 7 and Western Carolina on Nov. 21.
“With the release of our schedule this morning, I am proud of what we have accomplished,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Matt Roan said in a press release from the school. “We were able to schedule games against a historic regional rival, a senior military college, and other FBS and FCS championship-level programs, to go along with our already-scheduled games at West Virginia and at home against Western Carolina. I hope that you will join me in my excitement for the schedule.”
The Ohio Valley Conference last week postponed league play until spring 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic but allowed EKU and its other members to pursue up to four non-conference games for fall. After having instead scheduled eight such games, Roan confirmed to the Herald-Leader that the Colonels will not participate in a conference season next spring.
“We were transparent with the OVC the last several weeks. My peers knew the position that we really had a lot of questions as related to the possibility and viability of a spring season,” Roan said. “We had serious safety concerns with respect to a spring season and the idea that student-athletes could play in 18-22 games in a calendar year.
“Our stance was pretty well known. Our president informed his colleagues prior to the Board of Presidents meeting last Friday that we would intend to opt out if the decision was made to move football to the spring. When that decision was made we huddled up and collaborated with campus leaders and experts and made the decision that the fall was the best thing for us and went two feet in.”
EKU will open the season at Marshall on Sept. 5 then play at West Virginia on Sept. 12. Following a bye week, the Colonels will play another road game Sept. 26 at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C.
After another week off, EKU will open its home schedule at Roy Kidd Stadium in Richmond on Oct. 10 against Central Arkansas, which is ranked No. 11 in multiple preseason Football Championship Subdivision polls. It will be the first meeting between the programs.
After facing Troy in Alabama on Oct. 17, the Colonels will again face Central Arkansas, this time on the road.
EKU is scheduled to close the season with home games against Stephen F. Austin and Western Carolina.
“I’m looking forward to leading this team onto the field at Marshall on Sept. 5,” EKU Coach Walt Wells said in the release. “I want to thank our administration for working so hard to ensure our players have an outstanding experience this season in an environment that stresses their well-being and safety.”
Game times will be announced later. There’s a possibility EKU could add more opponents to its 2020 schedule.
“We do have the flexibility to add additional and/or special opportunities and will continue exploring those. We’ll share those details as they become known,” Roan said.
The Colonels have four bye weeks built into the schedule which Roan said could be used to add up to two more games; a game could also be added to the end of the schedule. Roan said the schedule would be limited to a maximum of 10 games and any additional contests would have to be played in Richmond, as the team intends to limit travel.
With a run at an OVC championship and the prospect of a traditional postseason off the table this year, Roan said he hopes to add a “championship-level game” to the schedule and that the program has had “preliminary talks” in pursuit of that goal.
“It would need to be a home game,” Roan said. “If we could create a championship-level opportunity, where a trophy could be raised or a bowl game-type atmosphere could exist, that’s something that we would be interested in doing.”
2020 EKU football schedule
(Home games in all capital letters)
Sept. 5: At Marshall
Sept. 12: At West Virginia
Sept. 26: At The Citadel
Oct. 10: CENTRAL ARKANSAS
Oct. 17: At Troy
Oct. 31: At Central Arkansas
Nov. 7: STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
Nov. 21: WESTERN CAROLINA
This story was originally published August 21, 2020 at 12:06 PM.
