LEBANON, Ill. – The McKendree University football program released its 11-game 2022 schedule on Friday that features six Great Lakes Valley Conference games and five home games at Leemon Field on the McKendree campus.
 
The Bearcats, who are under the direction of 10th-year head coach Mike Babcock, will open its 2022 season on Thursday, Sept. 1 with a game in Marquette, Mich., against Northern Michigan University. Last year, the Bearcats fell 27-20 in the season opener at home to the Wildcats.
 
On Sept. 10, the Bearcats will play its first of five home games during the 2022 season as McKendree welcomes Division II powerhouse Delta State to Leemon Field for a 1 p.m. non-conference game. The Bearcats played last season at Delta State in Cleveland, Miss., and led the game 17-7 early in the second quarter, before the Statesmen scored 38 straight points to earn a 45-17 win.
 
Following the Delta State game, the Bearcats will return to the road for a contest in Painesville, Ohio, against Lake Erie College on Sept. 17. Last season, Lake Erie earned a 17-10 win in Lebanon.
 
The Bearcats will then return home to host Walsh University on Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. Last season, McKendree picked up its first win of the season with a 24-10 victory at Walsh.
 
After opening the season with four straight non-conference, the Bearcats will open its six-game slate of GLVC games on Oct. 1 as they travel to Liberty, Mo., for a 1 p.m. game against William Jewell. McKendree scored 38 first half points and scored on six of its first seven possessions en route to earning a 52-10-win last season at home over the Cardinals.
 
McKendree will then return home to host back-to-back GLVC games on Oct. 8 against the University of Indianapolis and on Oct. 15 against Quincy University. The UIndy game will kick-off at 1 p.m., while the Quincy game is slated for a 3 p.m. kickoff. In 2021, UIndy finished second in the GLVC with a 5-2 league record and posted a 7-4 overall record, while Quincy was 2-5 in league play and 4-7 overall.
 
Following the two-game homestand, the Bearcats return to the road as they travel to Rolla, Mo., for a 1 p.m. GLVC game against Missouri S&T. The Miners, who will have new head coach in 2022, went 4-3 in the league play and 6-5 overall in 2021. The Bearcats fell 37-31 to Missouri S&T in its annual Homecoming game.
 
The Bearcats will close the home portion of its 2022 schedule on Oct. 29 with a 1 p.m. game for Homecoming and Senior Day against Southwest Baptist. SBU was 3-4 in the GLVC and 4-7 overall in 2021 and the Bearcats picked up a thrilling 45-42 win last season in Bolivar, Mo., against SBU.
 
McKendree will close its GLVC slate of games on Nov. 5 with a road contest in Kirksville, Mo., against Truman State University. The Bulldogs, who played in the America's Crossroads Bowl last season and posted a 34-17 win over Hillsdale College, tied for third in the league with a 4-3 record and had a 9-3 overall record.
 
The 2022 regular season will conclude with a non-conference game on Nov. 12 at Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo. The Lions, who have won two straight GLVC Champions, are transitioning to the NCAA Division I level at the end of the 2021-22 school year and will be a member of the Ohio Valley Conference beginning in 2022-23.
 
McKendree finished the 2021 season with a 4-7 overall record and tied for fifth in the GLVC with a 3-4 league mark.
 
2022 Opponent Notes:
Northern Michigan: NMU leads the all-time series, 2-1, including picking up a 27-21 win in Lebanon in last year's season opener for both teams… The series began in 2018 as the Bearcats picked up a 34-28 win in Lebanon… In the lone meeting in the series in Marquette, Mich., the Bearcats lost 30-9 in 2019.
 
Delta State: The two teams played their first-ever game against each other last season on Delta State's home field, a game the Statesmen won, 45-17… Delta State, who plays in the Gulf South Conference and won the 2000 NCAA Division II National Championship, went 5-6 during the 2021 season… The Statesmen have made nine all-time NCAA playoff appearances and have won seven all-time GSC titles.
 
Lake Erie: Last season, the Storm picked up a 17-10 win in Lebanon in the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between the two schools… The Storm went 5-6 in 2021 and will have a new coach this coming season as Demir Boldin takes over the Lake Erie program after spending last season as the program's wide receivers coach and co-Special Teams Coordinator.
 
Walsh:  The Bearcats lead the all-time series 2-0 as along with picking up a 24-10 win last season at Walsh, the Bearcats also earned a 26-23 win in overtime at Walsh during the 1998 season … This will be the first time the teams have played on McKendree's home field… Walsh went 2-9 during the 2021 season.
 
William Jewell: McKendree leads the all-time series 9-0, including picking up a 52-10 last season in Lebanon… The Bearcats lead the series 5-0 in Lebanon and 4-0 at William Jewell… McKendree has outscored the Cardinals, 369-182 in the series, including scoring 42 or more points in each of the last four games in the series.
 
Indianapolis: UIndy leads the all-time series 10-0, including earning a 57-28 win in the team's most recent meeting last season in Indianapolis… McKendree is 0-4 at home and 0-6 on the road against the Greyhounds… UIndy has scored 48 or more points in each of the last four meetings… This year's game in Lebanon will be the first in the series since 2019.
 
Quincy: McKendree leads the all-time series, 14-3… The Bearcats have won nine straight games in the series, including a come-from-behind 51-48 win last season at Quincy… In that game last season, the Bearcats scored a school record 30 fourth quarter points and sealed the win on a 39-yard field goal with 25 seconds left by sophomore kicker Ryan Kastl… McKendree is a perfect 9-0 all-time at home against the Hawks.
 
Missouri S&T: Missouri S&T leads the all-time series 6-3 and the Miners have won three straight games in the series, including a 37-31 Homecoming win last season in Lebanon… McKendree's last win in the series came in Rolla on Oct. 21, 2017 as the Bearcats defeated the Miners, 39-31… The Bearcats have scored 180 points in the last five games in the series, including tallying 30 or more points in four of the five games.
 
Southwest Baptist: McKendree holds a 6-1 lead in the series and the Bearcats have won four straight games in the series, including a 45-42 win last season in Bolivar, Mo… The Bearcats are 3-0 at home against SBU… The 45 points scored last season were the second most scored by the Bearcats in a game against SBU as they scored 53 points in the first-ever meeting on Oct. 18, 2014.
 
Truman State: Truman State leads the all-time series 7-2… The Bulldogs have won four straight games in the series, including a 44-13 win last season in Lebanon… McKendree is 1-3 at Truman State, but they haven't played in Kirksville since suffering a 45-17 loss to the Bulldogs on Nov. 2, 2019… The Bearcats lone win in Kirksville came in 2015 as McKendree earned a 31-3 win.
 
Lindenwood: Lindenwood holds a 3-1 lead all-time the series and the Lions have won two straight games in the series, including a 45-30 win last season in St. Charles, Mo. … McKendree is 0-2 in St. Charles and 1-1 in Lebanon against the Lions… McKendree has scored 30 or more points in each of the last two games in the series.