Eastern Michigan, Marshall schedule football series for 2026, 2028

By Kevin Kelley -

The Eastern Michigan Eagles and Marshall Thundering Herd have scheduled a home-and-home football series for the 2026 and 2028 seasons, FBSchedules.com has learned.

A copy of the football game contract with Marshall University was obtained from Eastern Michigan University via a state Freedom of Information Act request.

In the first game of the series, Eastern Michigan will travel to face Marshall at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, W.Va., on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. Two seasons later, the Eagles will host the Thundering Herd at Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, Mich., on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2028, which will conclude the two-game series.

Eastern Michigan and Marshall first squared off on the gridiron in 1983. The Eagles won that contest, 7-3, in Ypsilanti. The Thundering Herd claimed the next three meetings over the Eagles, most recently in 1998 in Ypsilanti, 26-23, and currently lead the overall series, 3-1.

With the addition of Marshall, Eastern Michigan has tentatively completed its non-conference schedule for the 2026 season, which begins with a home game against the San Jose State Spartans on Sept. 5. EMU then travels to face the Michigan State Spartans on Sept. 12 and before returning home to host the Lindenwood Lions on Sept. 19.

Eastern Michigan’s 2028 schedule currently includes a game on the road against the Indiana Hoosiers on Sept. 9.

The addition of Eastern Michigan completes the non-conference schedule for Marshall for both the 2026 and 2028 seasons. Marshall is slated to open the 2026 campaign at the Penn State Nittany Lions on Sept. 5. The Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders visit Huntington on Sept. 12 before Marshall travels to take on the Missouri State Bears on Sept. 19.

Marshall’s 2028 slate also includes a season-opening road tilt against the Wisconsin Badgers on Sept. 2 followed by back-to-back home games versus the Ohio Bobcats on Sept. 9 and Central Connecticut Blue Devils on Sept. 16.

Football Schedules

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Comments (3)

Northern Illinois vs Georgia Southern & Bowling Green vs Louisiana would make excellent MAC-Sun Belt match up in future.

This is a slid matchup—a good G5 game. I know why G5 schools schedule P4 schools—$$$–but it sucks when you know going into a season, you’re going to be 0-1

The money is always a factor but unless you’re talking about the top power schools, the other power/g5 matchups have potential upset opportunities.

Those games are a great way to get more broadcast network exposure, boost to the resume for CFP auto-bid opportunities, in addition to getting paid. Added bonus if it’s an already established reguoanl or in-state rival.