Western Football Announces 2015 Schedule

MACOMB, Ill. – Western Illinois released the 2015 football schedule on Monday (Jan. 12), announcing a slate of five contests at Hanson Field and a game at the University of Illinois.

Third year head coach Bob Nielson and the Fighting Leathernecks will face six teams that qualified for the NCAA FCS playoffs, including three of the 'Top 8' national seeds. Western also faces Big Ten Conference member the Fighting Illini, which played in the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl. Western will face its fourth different Big Ten opponent since the 2013 season.

The Fighting Leathernecks improved in the win-loss record from 2013, finishing 5-7 overall last fall and 3-5 in the Missouri Valley Football Conference. Western played a record eight ranked opponents, including five straight, and boasted the fifth-toughest schedule in the NCAA Division I FCS.

The 2014 season saw the MVFC show unprecedented dominance, posting a 30-2 record in games against non-conference FCS teams. For the first time ever, the FCS national championship game pitted two teams from the same conference – four-peat winner North Dakota State and runner-up Illinois State from the MVFC. The conference's Sagarin power ranking not only placed the MVFC ahead of every FCS conference, but also four conferences and the division of a fifth that comprise the 'Group of 5' FBS leagues.

For the fourth consecutive year, Western will open the season on Thursday night at Hanson Field, renewing a rivalry against Eastern Illinois on September 3rd at 6 p.m. The game marks the 66th meeting all-time between the in-state programs, and first since a 48-9 home win in the 2002 opening round FCS playoff game. Western leads the all-time series 40-21-4.

On Saturday, September 12th, Western travels across the state to play the Fighting Illini. In the only other meeting in the series, Western dropped a 21-0 decision at Memorial Stadium in 2007.

The final regular season non-conference contest has Western flying to play Coastal Carolina in Conway, South Carolina. The Fighting Leathernecks defeated Coastal 17-10 in the opening round of the 2010 playoffs, the only meeting all-time between WIU and the Chanticleers. The game is the first in a home-and-home series, with Coastal scheduled to play at Hanson Field in 2017. Coastal was the number seven seed in the 2014 FCS playoffs and eventually lost at NDSU.

"We are excited to welcome Eastern Illinois back to Macomb as we renew a long standing in-state rivalry with the Panthers," said Athletic Director Tommy Bell. "Our game at Coastal Carolina is the first of a home-and-home series. The Chanticleers were ranked among the top five nationally and received a national seed in the playoffs. The 2014 season showed just how tough our conference is week in and week out. Our non-conference schedule will prepare us for competition in the MVFC."

After a bye week on September 26th, Western opens Missouri Valley Football Conference play at Hanson Field against Southern Illinois on October 3rd. The Homecoming/Hall of Fame game is scheduled for a 3 p.m. kickoff. A two-game homestand concludes on October 10th versus South Dakota, a 3 p.m. start as part of Family Weekend activities.

Western travels to 2014 playoff qualifiers Northern Iowa (Oct. 17) and runner-up Illinois State (Oct. 24) in consecutive weeks before returning home on October 31st to play host to Youngstown State. Kickoff against the Penguins is set for 1 p.m.

Another two-game road trip follows, as Western visits Fargo and title winner North Dakota State (Nov. 7) for the first time in five years, then onto Indiana State (Nov. 14). The regular season concludes at home on November 21st against South Dakota State at 1 p.m. All three November opponents represented the MVFC in the FCS postseason and won at least one playoff game.

The opening round of the 2015 FCS playoffs begins on November 28th.

After two straight years of playing 12 regular season games, the calendar forces FCS programs to revert back to an 11-game schedule.

"For the second season in a row we will play one of the nation's toughest schedules. This type of scheduling represents our commitment to and my belief in playing the highest level of competition possible," said head coach Bob Nielson. "In 2015, we will be bringing some of the country's best teams to Hanson Field and have some tremendous and challenging road games."

Season ticket prices and ticket availability for the game at Illinois will be announced this spring.

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