WEEK 1 SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, AUG. 29 TIME WATCH SERIES
Wofford at GARDNER-WEBB ……………………………………………………………………………….. 7:00pm ET ESPN+ Wofford leads, 20-8
LINDENWOOD at Kansas (#22/24) …………………………………………………………………. 7:00pm CT ESPN+ 1st meeting
EASTERN ILLINOIS at Illinois ……………………………………………………………………………….. 8:00pm CT BTN Illinois leads, 2-0
SATURDAY, AUG. 31 TIME WATCH SERIES
WESTERN ILLINOIS at Northern Illinois ……………………………………………………. 2:30pm CT ESPN+ Northern Illinois leads, 21-18-1
Mississippi Valley State at TENNESSEE STATE ……………………………… 5:00pm CT ESPN+ Tennessee State leads, 5-3
The Citadel at CHARLESTON SOUTHERN …………………………………………….. 6:00pm ET ESPN+ The Citadel leads, 7-3
UT MARTIN at Kansas State (#17/18) …………………………………………………………. 6:00pm CT ESPN+ 1st meeting
TENNESSEE TECH at Middle Tennessee ………………………………………………… 6:00pm CT ESPN+ Middle Tennessee leads, 35-32-7
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI at New Mexico State …………………………………. 7:00pm MT ESPN+ 1st meeting
All Times subject to change
2-MINUTE OFFENSE
OPENING KICKOFF: The second season of the Big SouthOVC Football Association kicked off with the league’s first Week 0 appearance this past Saturday, as Southeast Missouri downed former Big South football member North Alabama, 37-15, in the FCS Kickoff in Montgomery, Ala. Year 2 of the Association is comprised of nine members, with Western Illinois making its Association debut this season. The 2024 conference schedule features every team playing each other for an 8-game league slate.
1st DOWN: All nine Big South-OVC squads will play in Week 1. Three contests are Thursday night openers, while six of the nine total match-ups on the schedule are against FBS opponents. Week 2 features the fi rst Association game of the season when SEMO hosts UT Martin.
2nd DOWN: The Big South-OVC 2024 Preseason Players of the Year are Eastern Illinois QB PIERCE HOLLEY (Offense) and Southeast Missouri LB BRYCE NORMAN (Defense) Holley is among the WALTER PAYTON Award Preseason Watch List candidates, while Norman is a preseason All-American and BUCK BUCHANAN Award Preseason Watch List member.
3rd DOWN: The Association welcomes three new head coaches in 2024 — CRIS REISERT (Gardner-Webb), BOBBY WILDER (Tennessee Tech) and JOE DAVIS (Western Illinois). Davis was EIU’s Offensive Coordinator in 2022-23.
4th DOWN: Eight of the nine Association members will play 13 total games against FBS opponents this fall, with five squads playing two — EIU, GWU, TTU, UTM and WIU
SLANT ROUTES
- CHARLESTON SOUTHERN: The Buccaneers are opening the season at home for the third-straight year, and are looking to start 1-0 for the second consecutive season … CSU’s Week 1 match-up vs. The Citadel has been dubbed the “Lowcountry Boil Bowl” as the crosstown rivalry continues.
- EASTERN ILLINOIS: The Panthers are looking to start 1-0 for the second consecutive season … EIU carries a four-game win streak into Week 1’s contest at Illinois.
- GARDNER-WEBB: The Runnin’ Bulldogs are opening the season at home for the first time since 2022, which was also the last time GWU opened 1-0 … Gardner-Webb is seeking its first victory over Wofford since 2014.
- LINDENWOOD: The Lions are playing their first-ever FBS opponent in Week 1 … Kansas will mark the first of four first-time foes for Lindenwood this season.
- SOUTHEAST MISSOURI: The Redhawks are 1-0 for the first time since 2019 … Southeast Missouri is opening the season with two games away from home.
- TENNESSEE STATE: The Tigers are looking to start 1-0 for the first time since 2019 — which was also against Mississippi Valley State … TSU is ranked No. 8 in the preseason HBCU Coaches poll, and received votes in the HBCU media poll.
- TENNESSEE TECH: The Golden Eagles are opening the season on the road for the fourth-straight year, and second time at an FBS opponent in three seasons … TTU will face backto-back FBS members in the first two weeks of the 2024 campaign.
- UT MARTIN: The Skyhawks are opening the season at a nationally-ranked FBS member for the second-straight year … Kansas State will be UTM’s lone first-time foe of 2024.
- WESTERN ILLINOIS: The Leathernecks are opening the campaign at an FBS foe for the second-straight year … WIU will face consecutive FBS members in the first two weeks of the season, while playing its first three contests of 2024 on the road.
