Official Kickoff Times Set For 2022 Ferris State Football National Championship Title Defense
Big Rapids, Mich. - Official kickoff times have been announced for the 2022 Ferris State University football campaign as the reigning NCAA Division II National Champions get set for their title defense this fall.
The Bulldogs' 2022 gridiron slate features five home games at FSU's Top Taggart Field along with six league contests as part of the current 10-game schedule. FSU was picked as the nation's preseason #1 team earlier this summer by Lindy's Sports and coming off a perfect 14-0 national championship campaign last fall.
Ferris State, which has captured the last three Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) titles and reached the NCAA D2 National Semifinals in four of the past five seasons, will begin the season at home on Thursday, Sept. 1, against Central Washington at Top Taggart Field with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. (ET) under the lights in Big Rapids. The Bulldogs' opening Thursday night matchup against Central Washington in Big Rapids will be a rematch of the 2019 D2 Showcase National Game of the Week won by FSU 62-28 on the road in Ellensburg, Wash. The Wildcats are coming off a strong 2021 performance that saw them post an 8-3 overall record and reach the NCAA D2 Playoffs.
The following week, FSU hits the road for the first time to face perennial D2 playoff contender Lenoir-Rhyne for the first time ever on Sept. 10 in Hickory, N.C., starting at 1 p.m. (ET). The Bears also finished 8-3 overall and advanced to the D2 Playoffs this past fall.
Following a currently scheduled open week on Sept. 17, Ferris State returns home to host Waldorf (Iowa) in its homecoming matchup on Sept. 24 at 3 p.m. (ET) in Big Rapids. The Warriors, who compete at the NAIA level, finished 7-3 overall in 2021 and began the year with their best start ever by winning six of their first seven contests.
The Bulldogs will close out the non-conference portion of the slate on the road against longtime opponent and former GLIAC member Findlay on Oct. 2 starting at 12 p.m. (ET) in Findlay, Ohio. This year will represent the fifth-straight time in which the two foes have continued to meet since UF's departure for the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) prior to the 2017 campaign. The Oilers posted an 8-4 record in 2021 and made an appearance as well in the NCAA D2 Playoffs.
Ferris State begins conference play in a challenging way on the road against Saginaw Valley State on Oct. 8 in University Center with the start time slated for 2 p.m. (ET). SVSU, which is guided by former Bulldog assistant coach Ryan Brady, narrowly missed reaching the D2 Playoffs this past fall and finished with a 7-4 overall record.
The following week, on Oct. 15, the Bulldogs will host archrival Grand Valley State in the Anchor-Bone Classic for a 1 p.m. (ET) showdown at Top Taggart Field. Ferris State has won 10 of the last 12 matchups and beat GVSU twice last year, including a decisive 54-20 win in the second round of the D2 Playoffs.
FSU remains at home on Oct. 22 at 1 p.m. (ET) when the Bulldogs entertain Michigan Tech in Big Rapids for the first time since 2015 before taking on the GLIAC's other Upper Peninsula football squad in Northern Michigan on Oct. 29 at 12 p.m. (ET) inside the Superior Dome in Marquette. The Wildcats are guided by another former FSU assistant in Kyle Nystrom and it will mark the Bulldogs' first visit to the dome since the 2018 season.
The Bulldogs take on yet another former assistant coach and FSU alum in Sparky McEwen when they host Davenport on Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. (ET) before closing out the year in Detroit versus Wayne State on Nov. 12 at 1 p.m. (ET) in the Motor City.
Overall, a total of four returning NCAA Division II Playoff qualifiers highlight FSU's schedule with all four coming in the first six games of the campaign.
Official ticket information and additional promotional dates will be coming soon.
The Bulldogs are expected to return a strong nucleus from their 2021 national championship squad and likely will be a consensus top 10 team in the NCAA Division II preseason polls, which will be announced later this summer.
This past season, along with capturing the D2 National Championship with a perfect 14-0 record, the Bulldogs also claimed a third-straight GLIAC Championship and stretched their regular-season winning streak to 38 consecutive games and counting.
FSU ranks as the country's winningest program over the past seven full seasons in D2 Football and has made seven consecutive postseason playoff appearances. The Bulldogs have won each of the last three GLIAC Championships in unbeaten fashion and reached the national quarterfinals five consecutive years, which is the longest streak in the country. Over the past three seasons of on-field action, the Bulldogs have compiled a 41-2 mark.