EIU Opens Football Season Sept. 1 at Arkansas

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois football will open the 2018 season on Sept. 1 with the game at Arkansas to be televised on the SEC Network with a 3 p.m. kickoff time.   The Southeastern Conference released its television schedule for the first three weeks of the season.

This will be the first time that EIU will play a member of the Southeastern Conference.  EIU previously played at Missouri when the Tigers were members of the Big 12 Conference.

EIU is coming off a 6-5 season as the Panthers posted their third straight winning campaign under head coach Kim Dameron.  The season opener at Arkansas will be a homecoming for the Panthers head coach as he played at the school in the early 1980’s.

Following the road opener, EIU will play at Illinois State on Sept. 8 in the Mid-America Classic before hosting Indiana State on Sept. 15 at O’Brien Field.   Season tickets are now on sale for the 2018 season by calling 217-581-2106.

This will mark the first of three straight seasons that EIU will play a team from a Power 5 Football Conference.  The Panthers announced earlier this spring that they will play at Indiana in 2019 and Kentucky in 2020.

The SEC Network is available on the following outlets in the EIU viewing area…

Consolidated Communications – Channel 182 / HD Channel 719

Mediacom – call provider for service

Comcast Xfinity – Channel 537 / HD Channel 601

AT&T U-verse – Channel 607 / HD Channel 1607

DirectTV – Channel 611

Dish Network – Channel 408 / Hopper Channel 404

Sling TV – select SEC Network from Channel List

Verizon FiOS – Channel 75 / HD Channel 575

Playstation Vue – Select SEC Network from Chanel List