2019 McKENDREE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

(LEBANON, Ill., May 21)—McKendree University head football coach Mike Babcock officially released the Bearcats' 2019 season schedule on Tuesday.
 
The 11-game slate features the program's first four-game home stand since returning to the gridiron in 1996. In all, McKendree will have six home games along with five road contests. Each of the Bearcats' six home games will have a 1 p.m. kickoff at Leemon Field. McKendree will have a seven-game Great Lakes Valley Conference slate this season, with the first league contest slated for Sept. 21.
 
"I'm excited for the upcoming season," said Babcock, who will begin his seventh season at the helm of the Bearcats' program in 2019. "I believe we have assembled an outstanding non-conference schedule with two opponents from the GLIAC (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletics Conference), one from the CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) and another from the MEC (Mountain East Conference). Our GLVC schedule will continue to provide a challenge on a weekly basis as well. We cannot wait to head to the Superior Dome at Northern Michigan (University) and kick off the new season."
 
For the second consecutive year, McKendree will kick off its season by facing Northern Michigan University in non-conference play. The Bearcats and Wildcats will square off on Sept. 7 in Marquette, Mich., inside the Superior Dome, which will mark McKendree's first game played at an indoor venue. The following week, McKendree will begin its four-game home stand by hosting Michigan Tech in the Bearcats' Leemon Field opener on Sept. 14. The contest will be the first between the two schools.
 
The University of Indianapolis will come to Lebanon to provide the opposition for McKendree's GLVC opener on Sept. 21. The home stretch will continue for the Bearcats a week later on Sept. 28 when Chowan University visits. McKendree will wrap up its historic home stand during Homecoming weekend on Oct. 5 when the Bearcats host new GLVC member Lindenwood University. It will mark the first meeting on the football field between the two programs since 1997.
 
On Oct. 12, McKendree steps out of conference for the final time in 2019 by heading east to Wheeling, W.Va., to take on a new opponent in Wheeling Jesuit University. The Bearcats will then head the opposite direction a week later – Oct. 19 – to visit William Jewell College just outside of Kansas City.
 
McKendree will return to the home turf at Leemon Field on Oct. 26 to resume conference play against Southwest Baptist University, which becomes a full-time GLVC member for 2019. The Bearcats will then head to Kirksville, Mo., for a Nov. 2 match-up at Truman State University.
 
The six-game home schedule will conclude for McKendree on Nov. 9 when Quincy University comes to Leemon Field for Senior Day. The Hawks are the most familiar face on the Bearcats' 2019 schedule as the two teams have faced off 20 times since 1996. The Bearcats will wrap up the regular season slate on Nov. 16 with a short trip to Rolla, Mo., to battle Missouri S&T.
 
"This schedule will be a great test for us," said Babcock. "We face a pair of great non-conference opponents in return games from last year (Northern Michigan and Chowan) plus we added two more challenging games out of league (Michigan Tech and Wheeling Jesuit). We're also excited to play Lindenwood, who is joining the GLVC for the first time in 2019. Add them to the rest of the outstanding programs we will face in the conference, and it will provide a great challenge for us this fall."
 
All 11 games will be carried once again on the Bearcat Sports Network at www.glvcsn.com/mckendree. The home contests will be carried via live video, while the road games will have audio play-by-play.
 
McKendree finished the 2018 season with an overall record of 6-5. The Bearcats went 4-3 against GLVC competition a year ago.