MARTIN, Tenn. – The University of Tennessee at Martin 2025 football schedule was released today as the Skyhawks will face four nonconference opponents before a challenging eight-game OVC-Big South slate next fall.
Year 20 of the Jason Simpson Era will feature a trio of Football Bowl Subdivision opponents and one Football Championship Subdivision nonconference foe before league play begins on Sept. 27. The conference schedule runs through Nov. 22 as UT Martin’s bye week lands right in the middle of the OVC-Big South slate in Week 10 (Oct. 25).
A pair of first-time opponents dot the first two slots of the schedule as the Skyhawks will travel to Oklahoma State for its second consecutive season-opener at a Big 12 Conference opponent. The matchup in Stillwater, Okla. is set for Aug. 30.
UT Martin then heads to UTEP on Sept. 6, which is the first of two meetings against Conference USA institutions for the Skyhawks in 2025.
The home opener is set for Sept. 13 as UT Martin will host Southern Illinois out of the Missouri Valley Football Conference for the first time since the 1998 campaign.
For the fifth straight season, the Skyhawks will meet Missouri State on the gridiron as UT Martin travels to Springfield, Mo. on Sept. 20. The Bears will be in their first year transitioning to the FBS level after spending the last 40 years in the MVFC.
Conference play starts in Week 5 as the Skyhawks take on Southeast Missouri at Hardy Graham Stadium. UT Martin is 11-9 all-time against the Redhawks at home as two of the four OVC-Big South champions collide on Sept. 27.
The Skyhawks travel to Lindenwood on Oct. 4, making their first trip to St. Charles, Mo. since the Lions entered the OVC-Big South in 2022. UT Martin is 2-0 all-time against Lindenwood.
Western Illinois visits Graham Stadium on Oct. 11, making its first appearance in Martin since 2003. The Skyhawks are 2-1 all-time against the Fighting Leathernecks, who will be in Year Two competing in the OVC-Big South.
UT Martin wraps up October with a trip to OVC-Big South rival Gardner-Webb on Oct. 18. The Skyhawks have won three out of the last four matchups in the all-time series against the Runnin’ Bulldogs.
After its bye week, UT Martin continues league play when it heads to Eastern Illinois on Nov. 1. The Skyhawks have won five of the last six decisions in Charleston, Ill. since 2011 with the lone setback coming in overtime.
Back-to-back home OVC-Big South contests begin with an in-state matchup against Tennessee State on Nov. 8. UT Martin has won five home games in a row against the Tigers, who claimed a share of the league title last fall.
The 2025 home finale is set for Nov. 15 against Charleston Southern. The Skyhawks are 3-0 all-time – including a 2-0 record at Graham Stadium – against the Buccaneers.
UT Martin puts the finishing touches on the 2025 regular season with a Nov. 22 matchup at Tennessee Tech, who shared the OVC-Big South championship last fall. The Skyhawks have won six consecutive road outings against the Golden Eagles dating back to 2013.
The NCAA Division I Football Championship will tentatively start on Nov. 29. This year’s FCS championship game will be played at FirstBank Stadium on the campus of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.
UT Martin is coming off a 9-5 campaign in 2024, earning a share of its fourth consecutive conference championship with a 6-2 record in OVC-Big South outings. The Skyhawks defeated a FBS opponent (Kennesaw State) for the second time in program history and won its first-round FCS playoff game before falling to eventual national runner-up Montana State. Just last week, UT Martin was ranked No. 17 in the final Stats Perform poll and No. 18 in the last AFCA Coaches rankings for the 2024 season.
Game times, ticket information and a home promotional schedule will be available at a later date.
