Official Kickoff Times & Promotional Dates Set For Ferris State Football Home Slate This Fall
Click Here For Full 2023 Schedule
Big Rapids, Mich. - Official kickoff times and home game promotional dates have been announced for the 2023 Ferris State University football campaign as the reigning back-to-back NCAA Division II National Champions get set for another title defense this fall.
The Bulldogs' 2023 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 14-1 national championship campaign last fall.
Ferris State will open the 2023 season at home on Thursday, Aug. 31, against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) member Mercyhurst in Big Rapids during week one action with kickoff for the "Community Night" contest set for 7:30 p.m. (ET). The contest will be followed by a stern test in week two at Ashland on Saturday, Sept. 9, as the two former league foes resume their non-conference series with a 7 p.m. (ET) evening matchup after a hiatus last fall. AU is ranked 10th by Lindy's Sports in the preseason national poll.
Following the trip to Ashland, the Bulldogs make a lengthy trek to Missoula, Mont., to face FCS and Big Sky Conference member Montana for the first-time ever at Washington-Grizzly Stadium on Sept. 16. Game time is still to be announced. The Grizzlies, ranked 10th nationally in the Lindy's Sports FCS Preseason Rankings, have made an FCS/Division I-AA record 26 playoff appearances and claimed 18 Big Sky Championships along with 13 Big Sky runner-up finishes in program history.
The Bulldogs follow the trip to Montana with a current open week before beginning GLIAC play with back-to-back home games against Northern Michigan and Saginaw Valley State on Sept. 30 and Oct. 7, respectively. The matchup versus NMU will represent FSU's annual homecoming contest and kickoff at 3 p.m. (ET). Meanwhile, the Cardinals have battled FSU to a pair of its biggest tests over the past two seasons, falling by five points or less each of the past two years under former Bulldog assistant coach Ryan Brady. The SVSU matchup is slated for 1 p.m. (ET) and will be a "Black Out" with fans encouraged to wear black for the game and the Bulldogs slated to don their black jerseys.
After the two-game home stretch, the Bulldogs then hit the road for a pair of conference games, starting on Oct. 14 with the annual Anchor-Bone Classic at Lubbers Stadium in Allendale. The Bulldogs own a current 11-3 overall mark against GVSU under Annese and have won playoff matchups over the Lakers each of the past two years, including last fall's Super Region Three Championship contest in Allendale. The Lakers were picked second nationally by Lindy's in this year's preseason poll. FSU then heads to Michigan Tech on Oct. 21 for a 1 p.m. (ET) league road tilt at Sherman Field in Houghton.
Two of FSU's final three regular-season games will be at home as FSU entertains American International (Mass.) for the first-time ever in non-league play on Oct. 28 and concludes the regular-season in Big Rapids versus Wayne State in conference play on Nov. 11. Both games will begin at 1 p.m. (ET) with the Oct. 28 matchup serving as "Area Youth Appreciation Day" and the final home game highlighting "Veteran's Appreciation Day".
Between the two games will be FSU's fifth matchup in the past three seasons against fellow West Michigan counterpart Davenport on Nov. 4 in Caledonia with a noon kickoff. The Bulldogs beat the Panthers twice in regular-season play in 2021 before topping DU in the 2022 regular-season along with the opening round of the playoffs.
Overall, the Bulldogs, who have claimed back-to-back national titles, will face nine NCAA Division II opponents along with longtime Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) power Montana this coming season as part of a currently scheduled 10-game regular season slate. The schedule includes both five home games at Top Taggart Field along with five road contests, including a pair of short West Michigan trips to rivals Grand Valley State and Davenport. In total, four of this year's opponents reached the national playoffs last fall, including Montana, which advanced to the second round of the FCS Playoffs. Three others advanced to the D2 Playoffs, including former GLIAC member Ashland along with a pair of current league counterparts which FSU beat en route to the national title in Davenport and GVSU.
The Bulldogs are expected to return a strong nucleus from their 2022 national championship squad and likely will be a consensus top 10 team in the NCAA Division II preseason polls.
Over the past two seasons of action, the Bulldogs own a 28-1 overall record and FSU has reached the NCAA Division II Playoffs eight consecutive years and counting. Ferris State has also reached the NCAA Division II National Semifinals five times in the past six seasons of action and ranks as the country's winningest program over the past eight full seasons in D2 Football. FSU is 55-3 over the last three seasons of on-field action.
Ferris State also holds the GLIAC's best mark and the best overall record of all collegiate programs in Michigan at 115-17 (.871) overall since the arrival of Annese as head coach in 2012.
Below is the 2023 Bulldog Football Home Schedule & Promotions:
Aug. 31 - Mercyhurst
(Community Night) - 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 30 - Northern Michigan*
(Homecoming) - 3 p.m.
Oct. 7 - Saginaw Valley State*
(Black Out) - 1 p.m.
Oct. 28 - American International
(Area Youth Appreciation Day) - 1 p.m.
Nov. 11 - Wayne State*
(Veteran's Appreciation Day) - 1 p.m.
Home games in Bold
* Denotes conference game
Schedule is subject to change & kickoff times will be announced