CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel football team's 2016 schedule was released Thursday.
The Bulldogs' 2016 season features five home games inside Johnson Hagood Stadium and concludes with a trip to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, to face the North Carolina Tar Heels.
"Our 2016 schedule is a competitive slate for us as a program that will appeal to our fans," head coach
Mike Houston said. "Having two Southern Conference games to start the season is unique, but after opening at Mercer I know we will have a tremendous crowd for our home opener against Furman. Our team will be tested right out of the gate with only one home game in September, but overall our home schedule should produce exciting matchups for our crowd. We are currently preparing for our 2015 season opener against Davidson and hope to have a great environment inside Johnson Hagood Stadium on Sept. 5."
The Citadel opens its 2016 campaign with two Southern Conference games, traveling to Mercer on Sept. 3 before hosting Furman Sept. 10 in the home opener. The Bulldogs hold a 7-4-1 lead in the all-time series with Mercer, including a 2-0 mark in Macon, and have won three of the last five home games against Furman.
After traveling to Gardner-Webb on Sept. 17, the Bulldogs have a bye week before another road game at Western Carolina on Oct. 1. The Gardner-Webb contest is the second matchup between the schools after The Citadel earned a 37-14 victory in Charleston last season, and The Citadel holds a 22-16-1 edge in the all-time series with Western Carolina.
The Citadel returns to Johnson Hagood Stadium for Parents' Day on Oct. 8 against North Greenville in the first matchup between the schools. The next week, Chattanooga comes to Charleston on Oct. 15 before the Bulldogs hit the road once again for an Oct. 22 matchup at Wofford.
The final two-game home stretch features ETSU on Oct. 29 and Samford on Nov. 5 for Homecoming. The Citadel's season ends with games at VMI on Nov. 12 and at North Carolina on Nov. 19. The matchup is the fifth meeting between The Citadel and UNC and is later in the season than any of the previous four. The series dates back to an October game in 1915 and includes September meetings in 1939, 1986 and 2009.
The Citadel football team opens its 2015 season Sept. 5 with a 6 p.m. kickoff against Davidson. To purchase tickets, call The Citadel Athletic Ticket Office at 843-953-DOGS (3647) or visit
CitadelSports.com/tickets.
For more information on The Citadel football, follow
@CitadelFootball or visit CitadelSports.com.
2016 Citadel Football Schedule| Sept. 3 | at Mercer* | Macon, Ga. |
| Sept. 10 | Furman* | Charleston, S.C. |
| Sept. 17 | at Gardner-Webb | Boiling Springs, N.C. |
| Oct. 1 | at Western Carolina* | Cullowhee, N.C. |
| Oct. 8 | North Greenville (Parents' Day) | Charleston, S.C. |
| Oct. 15 | Chattanooga* | Charleston, S.C. |
| Oct. 22 | at Wofford* | Spartanburg, S.C. |
| Oct. 29 | ETSU* | Charleston, S.C. |
| Nov. 5 | Samford* (Homecoming) | Charleston, S.C. |
| Nov. 12 | at VMI* | Lexington, Va. |
| Nov. 19 | at North Carolina | Chapel Hill, N.C. |
*Southern Conference GameÂ
