Big South Announces 2019 Football Conference Schedule
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – The Big South Conference, which reached the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons in 2018, announced today its 2019 football conference schedule for its eight football-playing members. Each team will play a 7-game league slate next fall for the first time that will determine the Big South’s automatic qualifier to the postseason.
The 2019 conference schedule will encompass an eight-week span beginning Oct. 5 and features the official entries of Hampton University and the University of North Alabama. Both programs finished 7-3 overall on the gridiron this past season, which included a combined four games against current Big South institutions. The new members will go head-to-head the opening week of league play on Saturday, Oct. 5, in Virginia. In addition, Campbell will host Presbyterian College that same day. The Camels will open its conference slate at home for the first time in three seasons, while the Blue Hose will begin league action on the road for the fourth time in five years.
The four remaining football members open Big South play on Saturday, Oct. 12. Two-time defending Big South champion and FCS quarterfinalist Kennesaw State, which carries a 10-game conference win streak into 2019, begins its title defense at home against Charleston Southern. Monmouth opens with Presbyterian, while Gardner-Webb begins its Big South slate at home against Hampton -- the first meeting between the squads since 2005.
Four Big South games will conclude the regular-season on Saturday, Nov. 23 -- Campbell at Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb at Kennesaw State, Hampton at Monmouth, and Presbyterian at North Alabama. Other schedule highlights include Monmouth at Kennesaw State on Saturday, Nov. 2; four teams playing their conference schedule in seven consecutive weeks (Charleston Southern, Gardner-Webb, Kennesaw State and Monmouth); GWU and Monmouth hosting both football newcomers; and Presbyterian opening and closing the league slate on the road, as well as being the lone member to visit both Hampton and North Alabama in 2019.
The Big South, which is 100-63 ( =61.3 percent) against non-conference FCS opponents since 2013 (including playoffs), is coming off another successful season in 2018. The league reached the quarterfinals of the FCS Playoffs for the fifth time in six seasons, had its third national Top 8 seed in the postseason and highest-ever at No. 4 (Kennesaw State), had the runner-up for the FCS Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year honor (Kennesaw State’s Brian Bohannon) and has one of the three national finalists for the Walter Payton Award (Kennesaw State’s Chandler Burks).
Below is the 2019 composite league schedule, which is subject to change.
Saturday, Oct. 5
Presbyterian at Campbell
North Alabama at Hampton
Saturday, Oct. 12
Charleston Southern at Kennesaw State
Hampton at Gardner-Webb
Presbyterian at Monmouth
Saturday, Oct. 19
Hampton at Campbell
Charleston Southern at North Alabama
Gardner-Webb at Monmouth
Kennesaw State at Presbyterian
Saturday, Oct. 26
Campbell at Gardner-Webb
Monmouth at Charleston Southern
North Alabama at Kennesaw State
Saturday, Nov. 2
Campbell at North Alabama
Charleston Southern at Gardner-Webb
Presbyterian at Hampton
Monmouth at Kennesaw State
Saturday, Nov. 9
Kennesaw State at Campbell
Hampton at Charleston Southern
Gardner-Webb at Presbyterian
North Alabama at Monmouth
Saturday, Nov. 16
Monmouth at Campbell
Charleston Southern at Presbyterian
North Alabama at Gardner-Webb
Kennesaw State at Hampton
Saturday, Nov. 23
Campbell at Charleston Southern
Gardner-Webb at Kennesaw State
Hampton at Monmouth
Presbyterian at North Alabama