EIU Football Opens In Two Weeks

CHARLESTON, Ill. -- Eastern Illinois football will open the 2018 season in just under two weeks on Sept. 1 at Arkansas.  On Tuesday the Panthers announced a home-and-home FCS series with Southern Conference member Chattanooga that will now complete the EIU football schedule for both the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

EIU will open the two-game series at Chattanooga with the 2019 season opener on August 31.  The Mocs will play the return game in Charleston on Sept. 10, 2022 which fills an open date on the Panthers schedule that season.

FCS teams are allowed to play 12-games during the 2019 season which created the opportunity for the FCS series to be set.  The Panthers had already announced 2019 non-conference games against Indiana, Indiana State and Illinois State.

In 2020 the Panthers will play Kentucky, Indiana State and Illinois State in the non-conference slate.

The Panthers are coming off a 6-5 season last year under head coach Kim Dameron, the third straight winning season for the program.  EIU has made 16 FCS playoff appearances which ranks seventh all-time among FCS programs.  EIU’s last FCS playoff appearance was in 2015.

Chattanooga was 3-8 last season after posting a 9-4 record in 2016 which included a third straight FCS playoff appearance.  The Mocs have made four all-time FCS playoff appearances.

This will be the first meeting between the two schools and just the second time EIU has played a school from the Southern Conference after playing at Marshall in 1992.

Season and single game tickets are now on sale for the 2018 Eastern Illinois football season by calling 217-581-2106 or online at www.eiupanthertickets.com

 2019 Schedule

Aug. 31 – at Chattanooga

Sept. 7 – at Indiana

Sept. 14 – ILLINOIS STATE

Sept. 21 – at Indiana State

Sept. 28 – * TENNESSEE TECH

Oct. 5 - * at Murray State

Oct. 12 - * JACKSONVILLE STATE

Oct. 19 - * at UT Martin

Oct. 26 - * EASTERN KENTUCKY

Nov. 9 – * at Tennessee State

Nov. 16 - * SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

Nov. 23 - * at Austin Peay

2020 Schedule

Sept. 5 – INDIANA STATE

Sept. 19 – at Illinois State

Sept. 26 - * at UT Martin

Oct. 3 - * AUSTIN PEAY

Oct. 10 – at Kentucky

Oct. 17 - * at Eastern Kentucky

Oct. 24 - * JACKSONVILLE STATE

Oct. 31 - * at Murray State

Nov. 7 - * SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

Nov. 14 - * at Tennessee State

Nov. 21 - * TENNESSEE TECH