Click here to view the 2016 schedule
By Rob Schabert, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A Thursday night opener highlights the five-game home portion of the schedule and a non-conference trip to play at the University of Tennessee late in the year is featured among six road games in the football schedule awaiting the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles in 2016.
The schedule was announced jointly Wednesday by new head coach Marcus Satterfield and Director of Athletics Mark Wilson.
Tech faces 11 games, all against NCAA Division I opponents with 10 Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) games and one against the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) UT Volunteers.
"The 2016 Golden Eagle football schedule positions us for the NCAA playoffs with an all Division I schedule, three excellent non-conference opponents plus eight OVC games," said Wilson.
Satterfield also likes the slate for his first season at the helm.
“It sets us apart from many FCS schools who might not play all Division I programs,” he said. “The toughness of the schedule can help prepare us for bigger and better things, and hopefully help in getting into the post-season. One of our team traits is going to be toughness, and having to fight through that type of schedule can help us toughen up each week.”
Tech opens the year at home on Thursday, Sept. 1, with a rematch against Wofford, a team Tech visited a year ago.
“It’s a tremendous opportunity to open the season on a Thursday night at home in front of our students and alumni, playing against a traditional powerhouse in Wofford,” Satterfield said. “This game will give us a chance to measure ourselves at a championship level and get moving forward.”
The Golden Eagles follow up the opener with three consecutive road games, including two Ohio Valley Conference games and a second foe from the Southern Conference.
The road stretch begins Sept. 10 with a trip to Clarksville, Tenn., to open league play at Austin Peay. A week later, the Golden Eagles face Mercer in Macon, Ga., on Sept. 17, followed by another OVC bout on Sept. 24 at UT Martin. The games with Austin Peay and UT Martin also put the Golden Eagles immediately into the race for the Sgt. York Trophy.
“It will give us the chance to be fresh and healthy going into the Sgt. York Trophy games,” Satterfield said. “We need to be successful in the Sgt. York games to maintain a strong recruiting presence within the state.”
Facing a three-game road stretch so quickly won’t bother Satterfield and his squad.
“It’s good for a young team and a new staff to go on the road early in the season,” he said. “It will help with the “Us against the World” mentality which brings groups together.”
And with two early games against teams from the Southern Conference, Satterfield looks at the pair as an opportunity to bolster his staff’s recruiting efforts.
“It can be crucial in recruiting that we are competing against two Sothern Conference teams, both of which recruit the state of Tennessee as we do,” he said. “We can use those games to compare and contrast the conferences. It will be a good measuring stick in the state to see how we stack up against two from the Southern Conference.
Tech comes back home to Tucker Stadium for three of its four games in October. The streak opens with a visit from Eastern Kentucky on Oct. 1. The following Saturday, Tech heads to Jacksonville State to challenge the Gamecocks, who spent most of the 2015 season as the No. 1 ranked FCS team and finished as national runnerup with a loss to North Dakota State in the championship game. That contest is Oct. 8.
The month closes with a home tilt against Eastern Illinois on Oct. 15 and a visit by Southeast Missouri on Oct. 22. Tech will enjoy an open date in the action on Oct. 29.
Satterfield’s team doesn’t leave the state in the final month, beginning with a non-conference road game at Tennessee on Nov. 5 and an OVC game at Tennessee State, Nov. 12, for its final Sgt. York Trophy contest.
“Getting to play a team like Tennessee will be an unreal experience for our kids and our fans,” Satterfield said. “The fact that it’s Tennessee and many of our kids grew up in the state watching Tennessee play, and maybe wanting to go to Tennessee makes it special. It will help us by playing a high-profile game in-state, and it will be a tremendous help in our recruiting.
“A lot of people who don’t get to watch us on Saturdays will get to tune in and watch us compete.”
The regular season wraps up in Tucker Stadium with a final OVC game Nov. 19 as the Golden Eagles welcome Murray State.
Season tickets for Tech’s five-game home schedule are already available by contacting the Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center or by calling (931) 372-3940.
