The Eastern Illinois Panthers and Murray State Racers have scheduled a home-and-home football series for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, both schools announced Thursday.
In the first game of the series, Eastern Illinois will travel to take on Murray State at Roy Stewart Stadium in Murray, Ky., on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. The series will conclude the following season when the Panthers host the Racers at O’Brien Field in Charleston, Ill., on Thursday, Aug. 26, 2027.
Both contests will be played during Week Zero (i.e. the weekend prior to Labor Day weekend), which officially becomes the new first playing week for FCS teams next season. This change was made due to the NCAA allowing FCS teams to play 12-game schedules each season, which also begins in 2026.
Eastern Illinois and Murray State have met 39 times on the gridiron in a series that began in 1986. In their most recent matchup in 2022, Eastern Illinois defeated Murray State, 35-21, to take a one-game lead in the overall series, 20-19.
Eastern Illinois has been a member of the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) since the 1996 season, which is currently partnered with the Big South Conference and referred to as the OVC-Big South Football Association. Murray State departed the OVC following the 2022 season and currently competes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC).
Following the 2026 season-opener against Murray State, Eastern Illinois is scheduled to visit the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Thursday, Sept. 3. The Panthers then return home to host the Indiana State Sycamores on Sept. 12 before concluding non-conference play at the Illinois State Redbirds on Sept. 19.
The remainder of Murray State’s 2026 non-conference schedule includes road games against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on Sept. 5 and the Oklahoma State Cowboys on Sept. 19, with a home tilt against the Valparaiso Beacons sandwiched in-between on Sept. 12.
Football Schedules
