The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) Cardinals have added an 11th opponent to their 2022 football schedule, it was announced on Wednesday.
UIW will host the Faulkner Eagles at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium in San Antonio, Texas, on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022. The game will kickoff at 3:00pm ET/2:00pm CT, according to Faulkner University’s official website.
The Faulkner Eagles are a member of the Mid-South Conference in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The Eagles finished the 2021 season 8-2 overall and 5-1 in conference play.
“From a football perspective, it gives our guys the opportunity to go out and compete against an unlikely opponent, a very good unlikely opponent,” Faulkner Head Coach Rob Gray said. “It will be a unique experience for them to potentially play a Top 25 Division I football team. I played at Jacksonville State University and this was always a common theme for us. We normally scheduled a game against a Power 5 opponent and, to most people, they were called money games, but to us players, they were called opportunities. We had an opportunity to do something that nobody believed could be done, except us. We took a lot of pride in showing those teams that we had ability as well. The stadium and the environment will be something that our guys won’t ever forget.”
UIW was set to join the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in 2022, but the Cardinals reneged on the deal and decided to remain in the Southland Conference moving forward. UIW has been a member of the Southland Conference since 2014 when they moved up to the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) from Division II.
The Cardinals are scheduled to open the 2022 season on Saturday, Sept. 3 at home against the Southern Illinois Salukis. The game will kickoff at 7:00pm ET and will be streamed live by ESPN+.