EIU Announces Televised Start Times For Football Games

Eastern Illinois football announced two start times for road games for the upcoming 2016 season including a game at FBS member Miami of Ohio that will be televised on ESPN3 as part of the Mid-American Conference broadcast package.
 
EIU will play at Miami of Ohio on Saturday, Sept. 10 with a 2:30 p.m. (Central) kickoff time..   This will be the first meeting between the two schools which have both produced a number of NFL Head Coaches in the long history of their football programs.  EIU’s list of NFL Head Coaches includes current New Orleans head coach Sean Payton along with former NFL head coaches Mike Shanahan and Brad Childress.   Miami has had a number of NFL Head Coaches with notable ones Weeb Ewbank, Paul Brown and current Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh.
 
EIU was 7-5 last season ending the year ranked No. 23 in the FCS Coaches poll.  The Panthers return 16 starters from last season’s team that made the FCS playoffs for the 16th time in school history.   Miami was 3-9 last season with the Redhawks winning two of their last three games over Eastern Michigan and Massachusetts.
 
EIU has five previous wins over FBS schools with the last a 40-19 win over San Diego State in 2013.  The Panthers four other wins are over Mid-American Conference members, the last a 31-28 win at Eastern Michigan in 2004.
 
On Thursday the start time for EIU’s Ohio Valley Conference game at Southeast Missouri was also announced.  SEMO and EIU will kickoff at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1.   EIU beat SEMO 33-28 last season in Charleston and the Panthers have won four straight to lead the all-time series 17-6.
 
EIU opens the season at home on Thursday, Sept. 1 hosting Western Illinois at 6 p.m. at O’Brien Field.   Season ticket renewals and sales are now available for the 2016 EIU Football season by calling 217-581-2106 or online at www.eiupanthertickets.com
 
2016 EIU Football Schedule
 
Sept. 1                  vs. Western Illinois, 6 pm
Sept. 10                at Miami (Ohio), 2:30 pm
Sept. 17                at Illinois State, 2 pm
Sept. 24                * vs. Austin Peay, 1 pm (FW)
Oct. 1                    * at Southeast Missouri, 6 pm
Oct. 8                    * vs. Tennessee State, 6 pm (HOF)
Oct. 15                  * at Tennessee Tech, TBA
Oct. 22                  * vs. Murray State, 1 pm (HC)
Oct. 29                  * at Jacksonville State, 3 pm
Nov. 5                   * vs. UT Martin, 1 pm
Nov. 19                 * at Eastern Kentucky, TBA
Nov. 26                 FCS Playoffs 1st Round