The Lindenwood Lions will be entering their third season as an NCAA Division I FCS member in the fall. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
DeMarcus Dixon
Staff Writer
The Lindenwood University athletics department released the season schedule for the 2024 football team on Wednesday. The Lions will play 12 games next fall — six at home and six on the road — while also competing again in the merged Big South-OVC Football Association.
Last year, Lindenwood played six games against Big South-OVC opponents. This year, the Lions will play eight league games, including their annual “Game Ball Brawl” rivalry game against Southeast Missouri State.
The season will begin on Thursday, August 29, when Lindenwood will play its first game ever against an NCAA FBS opponent, the University of Kansas. The game will be played at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kan., due to Kansas renovating its on-campus stadium.
Last year, Kansas went 9-4 and finished its season by defeating UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in Phoenix, Ariz.
Lindenwood’s home opener will be Saturday, September 7, at Hunter Stadium against Central Arkansas. This game will be the conclusion of a home-and-home series between the Lions and Sugar Bears, which began with a game at Central Arkansas in 2022. Lindenwood won a high-scoring thriller that day, 52-49.
Other non-conference opponents for Lindenwood next season will include a road game against Missouri State (September 14), and a home matchup against St. Thomas (September 21).
Big South-OVC league play will begin the following week, with the Lions traveling to Charleston, Ill., to take on Eastern Illinois.
Lindenwood’s other road conference opponents next season will be defending league champ Gardner-Webb, Tennessee Tech, and Tennessee-Martin.
The Lions’ Big South-OVC home opener will be on October 5 against Tennessee State. Other league home games in 2024 will be against Charleston Southern, new league member Western Illinois, and the above mentioned “Game Ball Brawl” game against SEMO.
Lindenwood will be looking to bounce back in 2024, after going 3-7 last season.
LINDENWOOD LIONS FOOTBALL 2024 SEASON SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | Conference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 29, 2024 (Thursday) | TBA | Away | Kansas | Kansas City, Kan. | Non-Conference |
| September 7, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Home | Central Arkansas | Hunter Stadium | Non-Conference |
| September 14, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Away | Missouri State | Springfield, Mo. | Non-Conference |
| September 21, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Home | St. Thomas | Hunter Stadium | Non-Conference |
| September 28, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Away | Eastern Illinois | Charleston, Ill. | Big South-OVC |
| October 5, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Home | Tennessee State | Hunter Stadium | Big South-OVC |
| October 12, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Home | Charleston Southern | Hunter Stadium | Big South-OVC |
| October 19, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Away | Gardner-Webb | Boiling Springs, N.C. | Big South-OVC |
| October 26, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Home | Western Illinois | Hunter Stadium | Big South-OVC |
| November 2, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Away | Tennessee Tech | Cookeville, Tenn. | Big South-OVC |
| November 9, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Home | Southeast Missouri State | Hunter Stadium | Big South-OVC |
| November 23, 2024 (Saturday) | TBA | Away | Tennessee-Martin | Martin, Tenn. | Big South-OVC |