JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Carson-Newman will play six times within the friendly confines of Burke-Tarr Stadium during the 2020 campaign. The Eagles' head coach Mike Clowney released the schedule Wednesday afternoon.
For the eighth time in nine years, Carson-Newman will open the season on a Thursday night under the lights at Burke-Tarr Stadium. The contest is part of a three-game homestand to open the season.
The Eagles will welcome the Gulf South's West Georgia Wolves to open the year on Sept. 3. Carson-Newman and the Wolves will match wits for the first time in 15 years. C-N has won all five of the previous meetings. The series started in 1995 with a 37-26 win for the Eagles in the first round of the NCAA playoffs.
"As with any first-year head coach, you are largely going to inherit your schedule," Carson-Newman head football coach Mike Clowney said. "However, being around what we've done the last 20 years, this is a true Carson-Newman football schedule. It's a schedule that will prepare us well and also it's nice to see the SAC grow, to be able to stay local and play an expanded league schedule is a great benefit to our student-athletes."
Carson-Newman stays out of conference in week two by taking on Virginia-Lynchburg for the second time ever. The Eagles won the inaugural meeting in 2018 63-10.
SAC play gets rolling in week three, which also closes out the three-game home stand to open the season. The Eagles welcome Wingate to town for a 2 p.m. kick. The Eagles lead the all-time series 25-7 with the teams alternating wins in the last three meetings. The road team hasn't prevailed since the Bulldogs tallied a 29-16 win in Burke-Tarr Stadium in 2016.
After the three-game home stand to open the year, the Eagles hit the road for three straight to close the month of September and open October.
Sept. 26 and week four will take Carson-Newman to Wise, Va. for the first time in school history to match wits with the University of Virginia's College at Wise and the Highland Cavaliers.
The Eagles won the first meeting between the two programs last season 42-7.
The first week of October takes Carson-Newman to a first-year program and its final non-conference game. Barton is in the first year of a scheduling alliance with the South Atlantic Conference and begins its tenure as a football playing school as an independent.
Carson-Newman wraps up the three-game road trip on Oct. 10 to take on the Catawba College Catawba Indians. The Eagles have won three consecutive in the series, and lead the all-time ledger 40-12-1.
Week seven returns the Eagles back to Mossy Creek to challenge the defending SAC champion Lenoir-Rhyne Bears on Oct. 17. Carson-Newman will be looking for its first home win over Lenoir-Rhyne since 2012.
Week eight features a similar hopeful first when the Eagles travel to Setzler Field to take on Newberry. That's a venue the Eagles haven't collected a win in since 2010. Carson-Newman does lead the all-time series 32-23.
Carson-Newman wraps up the month of October on Halloween with Homecoming against Mars Hill. The Eagles have won their six previous contests played on Halloween, scoring at least 35 points in each game.
The Eagles wrap up their home schedule on Nov. 7 taking on Limestone for Senior Day. The Eagles are unbeaten all-time against the Saints.
The regular season wraps up Nov. 14 at Tusculum. Carson-Newman will be looking for its first win at Pioneer Field since 2014.
All Carson-Newman football games are broadcast on the Eagle Sports Network on flagship station Joy 620 (WRJZ-AM, Knoxville) and The Mountain 106.3 (WPFT-FM, Sevierville) as well as online at cneagles.com/live. Coverage begins one hour prior to kickoff with the AEC Tailgate Show.
