Big South Releases 2021 Football Schedules

April 21, 2021 by bigsouthsports.com

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – The Big South Conference, which will celebrate its 20th football season this fall with a league-high nine members, announced today its 2021 conference schedule.  The first Big South game will be played on Saturday, Sept. 18, and wraps with four league contests on Saturday, Nov. 20.

Two-time defending champion Monmouth will open the league’s slate on Sept. 18 at Charleston Southern -– marking the earliest Big South conference game in league history.  New member North Carolina A&T will play its first-ever Big South game on Saturday, Oct. 2 at home against the league’s most-recent additon, Robert Morris.  That meeting will also be the Colonials’ conference opener.

Campbell’s first conference contest of the 2021 season will be Saturday, Oct. 9 at Gardner-Webb, while the Runnin’ Bulldogs league lidlifter will be the week prior on Saturday, Oct 2 at Monmouth.  Hampton and Kennesaw State will open Big South play against each other on Saturday, Oct. 9 in Hampton.  Transitional member North Alabama will again not count as a conference opponent in 2021 as the Lions complete their final transition year to FCS Division I.  UNA will play seven of the eight Big South squads.

Other notable contests in 2021 include: original Big South football members Charleston Southern and Gardner-Webb going head-to-head on Saturday, Nov. 13; the first Big South match-up of former MEAC rivals North Carolina A&T and Hampton on Saturday, Oct. 23 at Hampton; and Monmouth visiting Kennesaw State in the season-finale on Saturday, Nov. 20.

Below is the 2021 composite league schedule, which is subject to change.

2021 Big South Schedule (Conference Games Only - does not include non-conference games)

Saturday, Sept. 18
Monmouth at Charleston Southern *

Saturday, Oct. 2
Gardner-Webb at Monmouth *
Robert Morris at North Carolina A&T *
Campbell at North Alabama

Saturday, Oct. 9
Campbell at Gardner-Webb *
Charleston Southern at Robert Morris *
Kennesaw State at Hampton *
North Alabama at North Carolina A&T

Saturday, Oct. 16
Monmouth at Campbell *
Hampton at Charleston Southern *
North Carolina A&T at Kennesaw State *
Robert Morris at North Alabama

Saturday, Oct. 23
Kennesaw State at Campbell *
Robert Morris at Gardner-Webb *
North Carolina A&T at Hampton *
Charleston Southern at North Alabama

Saturday, Oct. 30
Campbell at Charleston Southern *
Gardner-Webb at Kennesaw State *
Hampton at Robert Morris *
Monmouth at North Carolina A&T *

Saturday, Nov. 6
North Carolina A&T at Charleston Southern *
Gardner-Webb at Hampton *
Kennesaw State at Robert Morris *
North Alabama at Monmouth

Saturday, Nov. 13
Hampton at Campbell *
Charleston Southern at Gardner-Webb *
Robert Morris at Monmouth *
Kennesaw State at North Alabama

Saturday, Nov. 20
Campbell at Robert Morris *
Gardner-Webb at North Carolina A&T *
Monmouth at Kennesaw State *
North Alabama at Hampton

* - Big South game
Italicized game - North Alabama games vs. Big South opponent do NOT count as a conference game