GREENVILLE, S.C. -- A season opening contest at Ole Miss and six home games highlight Furman's 2024 football schedule, which the school released today.

The 12-game slate, split evenly with six home and away contests, includes eight Southern Conference matchups.

Furman, coming off a 10-3, Southern Conference championship season that included a FCS quarterfinal round playoff appearance, projects to return 31 lettermen and 15 players who count starting experience.  Under the direction of consensus 2023 SoCon Coach of the Year Clay Hendrix '86, set to begin his eighth season at the program's helm, the Paladins open spring practice this Thursday at 4:00 p.m. in Paladin Stadium.

An Aug. 31, season opening date at Ole Miss will mark only the second football meeting between the two schools, who first battled a century ago — on Nov. 14, 1924, in Greenville — in a game Furman won, 7-2.  The Rebels are coming off an 11-2 campaign last fall, capped by a 38-25 win over Penn State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

The Paladins kick off their six-game home schedule on Sept. 7 when they play host to Charleston Southern.  Furman claimed a 24-19 road win over the Buccaneers in 2022 after posting a 46-13 triumph in Greenville in 2019 in the series inaugural between the two Palmetto state programs.

Furman will welcome Stetson to Paladin Stadium on Sept. 14 for the first football clash against the Hatters, and then travel to Williamsburg, Va., to face Coastal Athletic Association and former SoCon foe William & Mary on Sept. 21.  The Paladins and Tribe last met in 2000 in a game Furman won, 34-10, in Greenville, a year after posting their biggest win — a 52-6 verdict in Williamsburg — in the now 15-game series.

On Sept. 28 Furman kicks off SoCon play and the university's Family Weekend when it plays host to Samford — the last league foe to record a win in Paladin Stadium with a 34-27 verdict in 2022.  Furman has since reeled off eight consecutive triumphs against conference opposition. The last four Furman-Samford clashes, over which the Paladins have gone 3-1, have been decided by seven points or less.

The Paladins are scheduled to face long-time rival The Citadel on Oct. 5 in Charleston. Furman, which has won the last three encounters with the Bulldogs, lead the SoCon's oldest active football rivalry, 63-37-3.

Chattanooga will provide the opposition on Oct. 12 when the Mocs return to Paladin Stadium for the second time in less than a year.  In 2023 Furman knocked off UTC, 17-14, in Chattanooga to claim the SoCon championship, and in late November steamrolled the Mocs, 26-7, in FCS second round playoff action in Greenville.

On Oct. 19 Western Carolina pays Furman a visit for Homecoming Weekend and will no doubt be looking to turn the tables on the Paladins, who downed the Catamounts, 29-17, in Cullowhee a year ago in a battle of then-highly ranked teams.  Furman holds a commanding 36-13-2 edge in the all-time series with WCU.

Following an off weekend, Furman's calender will flip to November for its final four games, including three road affairs.

On Nov. 2 the Paladins travel to VMI to face the Keydets, who fell to Furman a year ago in Greenville, 37-3, and the next week, Nov. 9, Furman plays its final home game of the regular season when it squares off against Wofford in the 98th renewal of the Deep South's oldest football rivalry, which began in 1889.

Furman wraps up the regular season with road battles at East Tennessee State (Nov. 16) and at Mercer (Nov. 23).  The Paladins have won the last two meetings against both the Buccaneers and Bears.

2024 Furman Football Schedule
Aug. 31 @ Ole Miss
Sept.7 Charleston Southern
Sept.14 Stetson
Sept. 21 @ William & Mary
Sept. 28 Samford (Family Weekend)
Oct. 5 @ The Citadel
Oct.12 Chattanooga
Oct. 19 Western Carolina (Homecoming)
Nov. 2 @ VMI
Nov. 9 Wofford
Nov.16 @ East Tennessee State
Nov. 23 @ Mercer