LEBANON, Ill. – Second-year head coach Jason Rejfek and McKendree University is excited to announce their 2025 football schedule. The slate sees the Bearcats competing in 11 games, including five at Leemon Field. During the 2025 season, McKendree will be encountering two brand new opponents in FCS-member Indiana State and Division II-independent Northeastern State (Okla.).

For the first time, the Bearcats will be competing in a week 0 contest with the road trip to Terre Haute, Indiana to battle the Indiana State University Sycamores on August 28^th. The Thursday contest will be the second straight year McKendree has battled an FCS opponent.

With the calendar flipping to September, McKendree will host the Hillsdale College Chargers, out of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference for their home opener on September 6^th. This will be the second meeting between the non-conference opponents with the first coming back in 2017, which McKendree won by the score of 24-21.

After a bye week, McKendree will head east to the University of Indianapolis for their Great Lakes Valley Conference opener on September 20^th. The last time McKendree went to the Circle City, the Bearcats pulled off the top-25 upset over the Greyhounds during the 2023 season.

The final game in the month of September will see the William Jewell College Cardinals pay a visit to Leemon Field on the 27^th. McKendree owns a perfect 6-0 record all-time at home against the Cardinals.

Week five has the Bearcats heading to Quincy University for the second installment of the Battle of the Land of Lincoln trophy on October 4^th. This is the first of two straight road games for McKendree in conference play.

On October 11^th, it's the annual Battle of the Bearcats in the GLVC with a trip to Bolivar, Missouri and Southwest Baptist University. McKendree won last years' contest by the score of 37-14.

Looking to make it four straight wins over the Miners, McKendree will welcome them to Leemon Field on October 18^th. Last year at Missouri S&T, McKendree used a 21-point fourth quarter to rally from behind to take the contest.

The annual homecoming game will be on October 25^th with the Lincoln University (Mo.) coming to Lebanon, Illinois. This will be the Blue Tigers' first trip to McKendree in eight years. All-time, McKendree holds a perfect 6-0 record against Lincoln.

McKendree will hit the road for the final time in GLVC play on the first day of November with a trip to Upper Iowa University. The last trip to Fayette for the Bearcats ended in dramatic fashion resulting in a McKendree win in overtime.

Week ten sees McKendree welcome a new opponent to their schedule as Coach Rejfek and company step out of conference play. The Bearcats will be traveling to Tahlequah, Oklahoma to battle the Northeastern State University RiverHawks. Formerly of the MIAA, the RiverHawks became an independent football playing school before the 2024 season.

The 2025 schedule rounds out with a home contest against Truman State University on November 15^th. McKendree went into Kirksville last year and pulled out the 28-21 win, their first since 2016 in the series.

All of the 2025 game times will released at a later date, stay tuned to McKBearcats.com and the McKendree University Athletics social media channels.