
CHARLESTON — The Eastern Illinois University Panthers revealed the schedule Thursday for the 2022 football season. The first slate of opponents in the first season of the Chris Wilkerson era is now set.
The Panthers kick off the season with a road game against the Huskies of Northern Illinois University September 3, before playing their home opener against Chattanooga a week later.
September 17 marks the annual Mid-America Classic as the Panthers take on the rival Redbirds of Illinois State University.
Despite the previously announced departure of Murray State from the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) this summer, the Racers are still competing in OVC football for 2022. However, they will host the Panthers on September 24 to kick off conference play.
The Panthers will then return home for back-to-back home games. October 8 marks the first of two scheduled meetings with schools from the Southland Conference. The OVC and Southland conferences brokered a co-scheduling agreement last October.
Eastern Illinois welcomes incoming OVC member Lindenwood University to Charleston in non-conference action on October 15. OVC and Lindenwood officials made the news official last month. Moreover, the Lions’ first full official year in the conference will be in 2023.
The Panthers will return to conference action in back-to-back games against Tennessee State on the road and at home against Tennessee Tech.
The second game in the Southland agreement will be November 5 on the road against McNeese State.
Eastern plays its home finale November 12 against conference foe Southeast Missouri before closing the season on the road the following week against defending OVC champion Tennessee-Martin.
Currently, the times and schedule for radio and television broadcasts are still pending as of Friday.
2022 Eastern Illinois football schedule
Date | Time | Home/Away | Opponent | Location |
September 3, 2022 | TBD | Away | Northern Illinois | Huskie Stadium DeKalb, IL |
September 10, 2022 | TBD | Home | Chattanooga | O’Brien Field Charleston, IL |
September 17, 2022 | TBD | Away | Illinois State | Hancock Stadium Normal, IL |
September 24, 2022 | TBD | Away | Murray State | Roy Stewart Stadium Murray, KY |
October 8, 2022 | TBD | Home | Northwestern State | O’Brien Field Charleston, IL |
October 15, 2022 | TBD | Home | Lindenwood | O’Brien Field Charleston, IL |
October 22, 2022 | TBD | Away | Tennessee State | Hale Stadium Nashville, TN |
October 29, 2022 | TBD | Home | Tennessee Tech | O’Brien Field Charleston, IL |
November 5, 2022 | TBD | Away | McNeese State | Cowboy Stadium Lake Charles, LA |
November 12, 2022 | TBD | Home | Southeast Missouri | O’Brien Field Charleston, IL |
November 19, 2022 | TBD | Away | Tennessee-Martin | Hardy Graham Stadium Martin, TN |
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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.