2023 SoCon football schedule announced

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference’s 36-game league football schedule for 2023 is set to get under way Saturday, Sept. 9, with 2022 SoCon champion Samford opening its title defense when it visits Western Carolina.
 
Another solo SoCon game follows on Sept. 16 when Chattanooga hosts The Citadel. Three league games are set for Sept. 23, with Mercer visiting Furman, Samford hosting Chattanooga and VMI welcoming Wofford.
 
ETSU is the final SoCon squad to get its league slate under way when it visits Samford on Sept. 30. Each Saturday from Sept. 30 to Nov. 11 features four SoCon games.
 
Regular-season play wraps up for all nine SoCon squads on Saturday, Nov. 18, with the opening round of the FCS playoffs starting the following weekend. Three league games are set for the final day of the regular season.
 
Full broadcast schedules will be announced later, but all nine schools’ home games will air on ESPN+ if not selected for national or regional broadcast.
 
Samford, Furman, Mercer and Chattanooga finished the 2022 campaign in the national rankings. Samford was No. 7 in both the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Top 25 and the Stats Perform FCS Top 25, while Furman ranked 10^th in both polls. Mercer finished 21st in the AFCA poll at 24^th in the Stats Perform poll, while Chattanooga was tied for No. 24 in the AFCA poll and was No. 23 in the final Stats Perform rankings.
 
Samford finished the 2022 campaign with an 11-2 overall record and went 8-0 in SoCon play, winning the league title outright for the first time. The Bulldogs, who earned the No. 6 national seed in the NCAA Division I Football Championship, won a school-record 10 straight games before falling 27-9 in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs to fourth-ranked and third-seeded North Dakota State, which would go on to play for the national title. Coach Chris Hatcher was named the AFCA Region 2 Coach of the Year and finished third in voting for the Stats Perform Eddie Robinson Award, which honors the national coach of the year.
 
Furman went 10-3 overall and 7-1 in league action to earn an at-large selection to the FCS playoffs. The Paladins cruised past No. 15/12 Elon 31-6 in the opening round before dropping a 41-38 decision at No. 7/5 UIW in the second round.
 
Fifteen SoCon players earned All-America honors following the 2022 campaign, including eight who claimed honors from multiple organizations. Furman tight end Ryan Miller and ETSU defensive back Alijah Huzzie earned first-team honors from the AFCA, Associated Press, Athlon Sports, FCS ADA, HERO Sports and Stats Perform. Chattanooga offensive lineman McClendon Curtis was selected to five of those squads, while UTC defensive lineman Jay Person and VMI long snapper Robert Soderholm were picked by four of those organizations. Mercer all-purpose player Devron Harper and Chattanooga defensive lineman Devonnsha Maxwell earned three selections each and Samford quarterback Michael Hiers earned All-America honors from the AP and Stats Perform.
 
2023 Southern Conference football schedule (league games only)
Sept. 9
Samford at Western Carolina
 
Sept. 16
The Citadel at Chattanooga
 
Sept. 23
Mercer at Furman
Chattanooga at Samford
Wofford at VMI
 
Sept. 30
Western Carolina at The Citadel
ETSU at Samford
VMI at Mercer
Chattanooga at Wofford
 
Oct. 7
The Citadel at Furman
Mercer at ETSU
Samford at Wofford
Western Carolina at Chattanooga
 
Oct. 14
VMI at The Citadel
Wofford at ETSU
Furman at Samford
Chattanooga at Mercer
 
Oct. 21
ETSU at Chattanooga
Furman at Western Carolina
Wofford at Mercer
Samford at VMI
 
Oct. 28
The Citadel at Samford
ETSU at Furman
Mercer at Western Carolina
Chattanooga at VMI
 
Nov. 4
Mercer at The Citadel
VMI at ETSU
Furman at Chattanooga
Western Carolina at Wofford
 
Nov. 11
Wofford at The Citadel
ETSU at Western Carolina
VMI at Furman
Samford at Mercer
 
Nov. 18
The Citadel at ETSU
Furman at Wofford
Western Carolina at VMI