The Drake Bulldogs have released their 2024 football schedule, which features five home games and 11 contests overall.
Drake opens the 2024 season with a home contest on Thursday, Aug. 29, against the Quincy Hawks. Quincy is a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference in Division II. The Bulldogs then hit the road for two FCS tilts sandwiched around a bye week, venturing to Eastern Washington (Sept. 7) and South Dakota (Sept. 21).
The Pioneer Football League (PFL) portion of Drake’s slate kicks off with San Diego visiting Drake Stadium in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 28.
Drake’s other home tilts in PFL action include Butler on Oct. 12, Marist on Nov. 2, and Morehead State on Nov. 16.
The Bulldogs venture outside of the Hawkeye State for road league games at Valparaiso on Oct. 5, Presbyterian on Oct. 19, St. Thomas on Nov. 9, and Stetson on Nov. 23.
Below is Drake’s complete schedule for the 2024 season, plus a link to their schedule page which will be updated with kickoff times and TV as they are announced:
- 08/29 – Quincy
- 09/07 – at Eastern Washington
- 09/14 – OFF
- 09/21 – at South Dakota
- 09/28 – San Diego*
- 10/05 – at Valparaiso*
- 10/12 – Butler*
- 10/19 – at Presbyterian*
- 10/26 – OFF
- 11/02 – Marist*
- 11/09 – at St. Thomas*
- 11/16 – Morehead State*
- 11/23 – at Stetson*
* PFL contest.
Drake finished the 2022 season 8-4 overall and 8-0 in PFL action, before falling, 66-3, to North Dakota State in the first round of the FCS playoffs. It was the fifth season at Drake for head coach Todd Stepsis, who was Drake’s defensive coordinator before being promoted to the lead role.
In my research on ’12 game permitted seasons’ ’24 & ’25 the calendar format says you may play 12 games.
There =s no requirement to play 12 Games.
11 Wins would get the Bulldogs into the 24 Team playoff. 10 W – 1 with the loss coming vs. a nonconference foe would also access the playoff.
Achieving conference champ status is the only guarantor for the Pioneer Football League to compete in the 24 team playoffs.
Welcome to 2024 and 2025. In these two years, the calendar sits with 13 Saturdays for FCS schools, so they’re allowed 12 games.
I would like to see FCS add Another regular season game go from 11 to 12 games.
The are allowed to play 12 in 2024 and 2025, but aren’t required to.
Zero concerns at all.