Central_Colonels_football

Eastern Kentucky Colonels football

Eastern Kentucky Colonels football

Football program representing Eastern Kentucky University

The Eastern Kentucky Colonels football program represents Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in college football, competing at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC). The school has traditionally had much success on the football field, having won 21 OVC conference titles and two Division I FCS National Championships (then called Division I-AA) in 1979 and 1982, and reaching the finals in 1980 and 1981. Much of the success came during the long tenure of head coach Roy Kidd from 1964 to 2002. In 1990, Eastern honored Kidd by naming the school's football stadium Roy Kidd Stadium. Eastern Kentucky's football team was able to secure 31 consecutive winning seasons before finally posting a losing season record in 2009.

Quick Facts First season, Athletic director ...

In September 2013, the Lexington Herald-Leader, the daily newspaper of nearby Lexington, reported that EKU was considering moving its program to the top-level Football Bowl Subdivision. However, under NCAA rules, such a move would require that EKU receive an invitation from an existing FBS conference.[2] In the end, no such move was made.

EKU left the OVC for the Atlantic Sun Conference, then officially known as the ASUN Conference, in July 2021. At the time, the ASUN did not sponsor football, but had committed to launching an FCS football league in the near future.[3] During the 2021 season, EKU competed as a de facto associate member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in a football partnership between the two leagues officially branded as the "ASUN–WAC Challenge".[4] While the ASUN launched its own football league in 2022, it maintained its partnership with the WAC for the 2022 season. Shortly after that season, the two conferences fully merged their football leagues,[5][6] announcing the new branding of United Athletic Conference in April 2023.[7]

Conference affiliation

Championships

National championships

Eastern Kentucky went to four consecutive national championship games, winning twice in 1979 and 1982 while finishing as runner-up in 1980 and 1981 to Boise State and Idaho State, respectively.

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Conference championships

Eastern Kentucky has won 22 conference championships, 16 outright and 6 shared.[8]

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† Co-champion

Bowl games

Eastern Kentucky has participated in six bowl games. Four of these bowl games served as a sort of championship game, whether as a regional championship game or as the NCAA Division I Football Championship. The EKU Colonels played in the inaugural Opportunity Bowl presented by Raising Cane's, and in memory of Dr. Sheila Pressley, on Nov. 21, 2020. Eastern Kentucky University hosted the second annual Opportunity Bowl presented by Dinsmore & Shohl on Nov. 20, 2021. The game was matchup EKU and Jacksonville State University.

Season Coach Bowl Opponent Result
1954Glenn PresnellTangerine BowlOmahaL 7–6
1967Roy KiddGrantland Rice BowlBall StateW 27–13
1980Roy KiddCamellia BowlBoise StateL 29–31
1981Roy KiddPioneer BowlIdaho StateL 23–34
1982Roy KiddPioneer BowlDelawareW 17–14
2020Walt WellsOpportunity BowlWestern CarolinaW 49–17
2021Walt WellsOpportunity BowlJacksonville StateW 39–31

Playoff appearances

NCAA Division I-AA/FCS

Eastern Kentucky University football is considered the first dynasty in FCS football. Including a four-year run to the championship game from 1979 to 1982. During this time period they went 46–7 under legendary coach Roy Kidd. Eastern Kentucky is third all time in the FCS for playoff appearances with 21 total appearances (Montana 26/UNI 22). Below is a list of all playoff appearances.

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NCAA Division II

The Colonels made one appearance in the Division II playoffs, with a record of 0–1.

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Head coaches

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Rivalries

Western Kentucky

The Battle of the Bluegrass is the name given to the Eastern Kentucky–Western Kentucky football rivalry. Both schools were formerly members of the Ohio Valley Conference, and played against each other regularly until Western Kentucky's transition from the NCAA's FCS to FBS in 2008. The two teams have met 84 times on the football field, with Western Kentucky currently holding a 47–35–3 edge in the all-time series. This rivalry has been known to be particularly competitive with neither team gaining an edge until recent history with Western moving up to the FBS level. It is known as the oldest and most fierce rivalry the commonwealth of Kentucky has, even more so than larger schools of the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville's Governors Cup game because of how many times the teams met, the longevity of the rivalry, and the important conference implications the annual game used to hold.

After a nearly nine year pause, the series resumed again in 2017, when Western Kentucky hosted Eastern Kentucky in a game played at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium. The two teams will meet again on September 7, 2024

Main article: Battle of the Bluegrass

Morehead State

The Old Hawg Rifle is the name of the rivalry trophy between the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and the Morehead State Eagles. This rivalry was important because the schools are in such close proximity and are serving the same general Eastern Kentucky region. The gun is an antique, pre-Revolutionary War muzzleloader that is rumored to have once been used in Kentucky's Rowan County War. The rifle has not been actively used in the rivalry since 1962, though the two teams have continued to play against each other since then. The rifle is currently kept on display in the Morehead State student center. The two teams have met 73 times on the football field, with Eastern Kentucky currently holding a 53–16–4 edge in the all-time series. Eastern Kentucky has won 28 out of the last 29 matchups.

Main article: Old Hawg Rifle

Program records

Team records

  • Consecutive winning seasons: 31, 1977–2008
  • Consecutive wins: 18, 1982–1983
  • Consecutive National Title appearances: 4, 1979–1982

Individual records

  • Most rushing yards (game): 300 Markus Thomas against Marshall 1989
  • Most rushing yards (season): 1,998 Elroy Harris in the 1988 season
  • Most rushing yards (career):' 5,532 Markus Thomas 1989–1992
  • Most passing yards (game): 464 Bennie Coney against Tennessee Tech 2015
  • Most passing yards (season): 2,861 Josh Greco in the 2005 season
  • Most passing yards (career): 5,992 Josh Greco 2004–2007
  • Most receiving yards (game): 316 Aaron Marsh against Northwood 1967
  • Most receiving yards (season): 1,150 Andre Ralston in the 2005 season
  • Most receiving yards (career): 3,095 Andre Ralston 2002–2005
  • Most completions (season):225 Bennie Coney 2015

Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of January 16, 2024.[9]

2024 2025 2026 2027
at Mississippi State at Louisville at Ole Miss at Vanderbilt
at Western Kentucky Houston Christian
Morehead State at Appalachian State
Robert Morris at Western Illinois

References

  1. [1]
    Eastern Kentucky University Brand Guide. December 5, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  2. [2]
    Story, Mark (September 14, 2013). "Mark Story: EKU is 'discussing' moving its football program up to the FBS". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved September 18, 2013.
  3. [3]
    "ASUN Conference Announces Three New Institutions; Adds Football as 20th Sport" (Press release). ASUN Conference. January 29, 2021. Archived from the original on January 29, 2021. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
  4. [4]
    "ASUN, WAC Conferences Announce Football Partnership for 2021" (Press release). ASUN Conference. February 23, 2021. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  5. [5]
    "@ASUN_Football and WAC Release 2023 Schedule" (Press release). ASUN Conference. December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  6. [6]
    "ASUN And WAC Unveil 2023 Football Schedule" (Press release). Western Athletic Conference. December 20, 2022. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  7. [7]
    "ASUN-WAC Football Partnership Formally Rebrands As The United Athletic Conference" (Press release). ASUN Conference. April 17, 2023. Retrieved April 19, 2023.
  8. [8]
    "Ohio Valley Conference" (PDF). ovcsports.com.
  9. [9]
    "Eastern Kentucky Colonels Football Future Schedules". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
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