Western Carolina and Eastern Kentucky have agreed to a home-and-home football series for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, FBSchedules.com has learned.
The series will kick off on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, when Western Carolina hosts Eastern Kentucky at E.J. Whitmire Stadium in Cullowhee, N.C. That matchup first appeared in December with the release of Western Carolina’s 2026 schedule.
A copy of the contract, obtained from Western Carolina University through a state public records request, confirms that the return game is set for Saturday, Aug. 28, 2027. The Catamounts will travel to Richmond, Ky., to face the Colonels at Roy Kidd Stadium.
The two programs first met in 1988 in Cullowhee, a 32-14 Eastern Kentucky victory. They have played seven times since, most recently in 2023 in Richmond, where Western Carolina earned a 27-24 win. Eastern Kentucky leads the all-time series 5-3.
Western Carolina’s 2026 non-conference slate also features road trips to Campbell on Sept. 5 and Cincinnati on Sept. 12, followed by a home matchup with Presbyterian on Sept. 19.
In 2027, the Catamounts are scheduled to visit East Carolina on Sept. 4, host Campbell on Sept. 18, and travel to North Carolina Central on Sept. 25.
Eastern Kentucky now has four non-conference opponents lined up for 2026. The Colonels will visit Jacksonville State on Sept. 5 before hosting Chattanooga on Sept. 12 and Dayton on Sept. 19.
EKU’s 2027 schedule also includes road games at Vanderbilt on Sept. 4 and Chattanooga on Sept. 18.
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