September 3
Central Arkansas at Samford (ESPN3) - 7:00 p.m.
VMI at Ball State (ESPN3) - 7:00 p.m.

September 5
Wofford at Clemson (ACC RSN) - 12:30 p.m.
Mercer at Austin Peay - 5:00 p.m.
Davidson at The Citadel (ESPN3) - 6:00 p.m.
Jacksonville St. at Chattanooga (SDN) - 6:00 p.m.
Coastal Carolina at Furman (ESPN3) - 7:00 p.m.
Mars Hill at Western Carolina (SDN) - 7:00 p.m.

• The Southern Conference begins its 94th season of football this weekend.

• The Citadel, Furman, Samford, Chattanooga and Western Carolina host nonconference games this weekend while three league schools are on the road to open the season.

• Scott Wachenheim will make his head coaching debut Thursday when VMI visits Ball State. Wachenheim takes over at VMI after spending the previous five seasons as an assistant at Virginia.

• Samford head coach Chris Hatcher makes his return to the Southern Conference Thursday as Samford hosts Central Arkansas. Hatcher previously coached in the SoCon from 2007-09 as head coach at Georgia Southern.

• Home teams were 16-12 in conference play in 2014 and went 21-15 in 2013.

• Nine of the 28 league games were decided by one possession in 2014. Sixteen of the SoCon’s 36 league games were decided by one possession in 2013.

• Chattanooga was picked first in both the preseason coaches and media polls.

• Southern Conference teams will take on two FBS programs this weekend. The SoCon has 27 wins over FBS programs all-time.

• The Chattanooga Mocs are ranked in both preseason FCS polls.  UTC is ranked eighth by both the FCS coaches and STATS LLC.

• The first league game is set for Sept. 12 when Western Carolina visits The Citadel.