By Alex Boggis, UT Martin Assistant Sports Information Director
MARTIN, Tenn. – The two-time defending Ohio Valley Conference league champion University of Tennessee at Martin football team has released its loaded 2023 schedule and game times.
The 2023 schedule features five home games at Hardy M. Graham Stadium while traveling to six opponents, including a date against back-to-back FBS national champion Georgia. UT Martin will also square off against three other non-conference opponents in Missouri State, Houston Christian and North Alabama. All 11 games will be broadcast on ESPN+.
This also marks the first season of the Big South-OVC Football Association. In the inaugural 2023 season, conference games will be played during 10 of the 12 weeks. The 10 combined teams in 2023 (6 – OVC, 4 – Big South) will play a six-game conference schedule. Those programs include Bryant, Charleston Southern, Eastern Illinois, Gardner-Webb, Lindenwood, Robert Morris, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and UT Martin.
The Skyhawks are coming off their first back-to-back conference championship in program history. UT Martin cruised to a perfect 5-0 record in OVC play last season, marking the team’s first unbeaten conference season during the OVC-Era while finishing 7-4 overall.
UT Martin will officially kickoff the season on Saturday, Sept. 2 when traveling to Sanford Stadium to take on the back-to-back FBS national champions Georgia. This marks the first meeting between the two programs with the game slated for a 5 p.m. CT kickoff.
The Skyhawks will make their home debut at Hardy Graham Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 9 when playing host to Missouri State for the third consecutive season. The game highlights Family Weekend on the UT Martin campus with kickoff scheduled for 6 p.m.
The following week features another return game from the 2022 schedule as UT Martin welcomes Houston Christian into town on Saturday, Sept. 16. The Skyhawks came out victorious on the road last season with a 52-28 victory in the first meeting between the two programs. This season’s rematch is scheduled for 6 p.m.
An old rivalry dating back to the program’s Division II days will see UT Martin and North Alabama square off for the first time since 1990 on Saturday, Sept. 23. North Alabama holds a 19-12-1 advantage in the series with kickoff from Florence, Ala. slated for 6 p.m.
UT Martin will play its inaugural game in the Big South-OVC Football Association on Saturday, Sept. 30 when playing host to league rival Tennessee State. The game highlights Hall of Fame Weekend and serves as the first matchup of the Sgt. York Trophy Series. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The Skyhawks will kick off the month of October with a road matchup at Eastern Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 7. UT Martin has found success against the Panthers in recent history by winning four straight and six of the last seven meetings. Kickoff from O’Brien Field is slated for 2 p.m.
New conference foes sprinkle the schedule in back-to-back weeks in late October following a bye week. UT Martin will host its annual Homecoming contest on Saturday, Oct. 21 when welcoming the Big South’s Charleston Southern to Hardy Graham Stadium. The full week of campus festivities is capped off by a 2 p.m. kickoff.
Week 8 features another Big South-OVC matchup with the Skyhawks playing host to 2022 league champion Gardner-Webb on Saturday, Oct. 28. The matchup of undefeated conference powers from last season will mark the first meeting between the two programs since 2006. Kickoff is slated for 12:30 p.m. CT in Boiling Springs, N.C.
The final game of the Sgt. York Trophy Series will see UT Martin travel to Tennessee Tech to open the month of November on Saturday the 4th. The Golden Eagles finished last season strong by winning three of their last four games, but the Skyhawks have controlled the series advantage in recent history with 10 consecutive head-to-head victories. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
No coin flip will decide the fate of this season as 2022 OVC co-champions UT Martin and Southeast Missouri will square off on the gridiron this fall. The Nov. 11 matchup will be played at Hardy Graham Stadium with both teams looking to tilt the all-time series in their favor with the head-to-head matchup currently sitting at 19-19.
The final week of the regular season sees the Skyhawks travel to defending SoCon champion Samford on Saturday, Nov. 18. The former OVC foes met regularly until 2007 before finally renewing their former rivalry back in 2021 when the Skyhawks picked up a 33-27 home victory. Kickoff in Birmingham, Ala. is scheduled for noon.
Season ticket packages and single-game ticket sales for Skyhawk football will go on sale on July 1. For more information, visit the Skyhawk Ticket Office – located in Room 1091 in the Skyhawk Fieldhouse – call (731) 881-7207 or purchase online at www.utmsports.com/tickets.
Graphic courtesy of UT Martin Sports Information
