GREENVILLE, S.C. (Furman SID) — A home season opener against North Carolina A&T and a mid-September clash against North Carolina State highlight Furman’s 2021 football schedule, which was announced today.
The 11-game slate features five home contests and six away games, including eight Southern Conference matchups.
Head coach Clay Hendrix’s Paladins kick off the 2021 campaign with three straight non-conference contests, beginning with a Sept. 4 home game versus North Carolina A&T. Furman will then travel to Cookeville, Tenn., to face Tennessee Tech on Sept. 11, and complete the three-game non-conference run with a Sept. 18 clash against N.C. State.
The Furman-North Carolina A&T matchup will mark the first meeting on the gridiron between the two schools. Furman and Tennessee Tech last squared off in football in 1976, and the Paladins’ foray into Raleigh against N.C. State resumes a series that was last played in 2017 and which Furman leads 8-5-4.
The Paladins open Southern Conference play at home on Sept. 25 versus Mercer, having won its last two meetings with the Bears in Greenville. The game will highlight Family Weekend at Furman University.
Following an open date Furman will make the short trip to Spartanburg to face Wofford in a renewal of the Deep South’s Oldest Football Rivalry. The Paladins and Terriers, who first met on the gridiron in 1889, didn’t play their scheduled April 17 game in Greenville after Wofford failed to complete its spring campaign. Furman leads its series with Wofford, 54-33-7.
Two home games follow, beginning with an Oct. 16 clash against arch-rival The Citadel in what will represent the 101st contest in the SoCon’s oldest active rivalry. East Tennessee State will provide the opposition for Homecoming on Oct. 23. The Paladins have won the last two clashes with the Buccaneers, including a 17-13 road triumph in March.
Furman will play three of its final four games on the road starting with an Oct. 30 contest at Chattanooga, where the Paladins have captured the last two meetings and are 17-8 all-time.
A Nov. 6 game at Western Carolina in Cullowhee, N.C., awaits, as does the Nov. 13 home regular season finale against VMI. Furman owns a five-game series winning streak and has gone 20-3 against the Catamounts since 1998. The Paladins, meanwhile, are 13-0 versus VMI in Paladin Stadium.
Furman concludes its regular season at Samford on Nov. 20. The Paladins and Bulldogs have played several thrilling contests over the last several years, including a 44-37 Furman overtime victory in Greenville this spring.
The Furman Athletics Ticket Office will offer season ticket renewals and new season ticket options beginning on Wednesday, May 5, including early bird specials and price discounts, as well as prize incentives for both season ticket renewals and new purchases made thru June 2.
The 2021 football season will debut a renewed emphasis on fan experience via the “Furman Fan Zone.” Free to the public, the Furman Fan Zone will feature live music, food trucks, tailgate games, inflatables, family-friendly activities, and premium tailgate opportunities. This is in addition to improvements made inside Paladin Stadium over the last year, including enhanced seating, improved accessibility, branding, and fan experience.
2021 Furman Football Schedule
Sept. 4 NORTH CAROLINA A&T
Sept. 11 @ Tennessee Tech
Sept. 18 @ North Carolina State
Sept. 25 MERCER (Family Weekend)*
Oct. 9 @ Wofford*
Oct. 16 THE CITADEL*
Oct. 23 EAST TENNESSEE STATE (Homecoming)*
Oct. 30 @ Chattanooga*
Nov. 6 @ Western Carolina*
Nov. 13 VMI*
Nov. 20 @ Samford*
*Southern Conference Game
