WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J.-   The two-time defending Big South Champion Monmouth University Football team has announced its 2021 schedule, one that features a trio of regional opponents, the team's first game against an opponent out of Conference USA and a full Big South schedule.
 
The Blue & White will open the season on September 4, 2021 when they head to Murfreesboro, Tennessee for the first ever meeting with Middle Tennessee State. It will mark the fifth game for the Hawks against an FBS foe and the first game against an opponent from Conference USA. After three consecutive road contests to start the season the Hawks will host a total of five teams, including non-conference games against Holy Cross and Princeton. Gardner-Webb, North Alabama and Robert Morris will all travel to Kessler Stadium for Big South home games.
 
"We are excited to have a full fall schedule in 2021," said Monmouth Head Coach Kevin Callahan. "Opening with our first-ever C-USA opponent, Middle Tennessee State, will be a challenging task. As is the case every year, the Big South schedule features competitive and well coached teams every week. Our non-conference opponents, Princeton, Fordham and Holy Cross, are regional teams that have been highly successful."
 
Monmouth begins its FCS schedule with back to back road contests, first facing Fordham for the fourth time in school history and the first time since 2017. The Hawks last traveled to the Bronx in 2015 and last faced the Rams a year later winning an overtime contest by going for two. Monmouth will defend its Big South crown on September 18 when it heads down to Charleston, SC to face Charleston Southern. The Hawks are 4-3 all-time against the Bucs and have won four consecutive games in the series.
 
The home opener will feature a team that has won back to back conference titles in Holy Cross. The Hawks and Crusaders last met in the 2019 NCAA FCS Playoff first round with the Hawks moving on to the second round. Monmouth owns a 3-1 record against the Crusaders are 1-1 at home against the defending Patriot League Champions. The Hawks continue their three-game home stand with Big South opponent Gardner-Webb before welcoming in-state Ivy League opponent Princeton to Kessler stadium. Despite being just 40 miles apart, the Tigers and Hawks have only played once before during the 2018 season. Princeton has not played a game since the 2019 regular season finale against Penn.
 
A pair of road games sandwich the Hawks' bye week, starting off with a game against Campbell University on October 16.  The Hawks are 2-0 against the Camels who joined the Big South prior to the 2018 season. Campbell elected to play a four-game FBS only schedule in the fall of 2020 and did not compete for a Big South title in the Spring of 2021. Monmouth will face North Carolina A&T for the first time on October 30 down in Greensboro, NC. The Aggies will begin their first season in the Big South and are coming off a 2019 MEAC Championship and a Celebration Bowl victory.
 
The final three games of the season feature back to back homes games against North Alabama and Robert Morris and the regular season finale against Kennesaw State. The Hawks welcome Lions back to Kessler Stadium after the teams last met in 2019. North Alabama elected to play an abbreviated four-game schedule in 2020 with three of those opponents coming against FBS teams. Monmouth will host Robert Morris in the home season finale, with the two teams playing 20 times previously. The Colonials and Hawks were supposed to meet in the 2021 Spring season but the game was postponed once and then eventually canceled by the Colonials.
 
The 2021 regular season finale with Kennesaw State is one that FCS fans will circle on their calendars. The winner of this game has decided each of the last four Big South titles and the Hawks and the Owls have six playoff appearances between the two since the 2017 season. Monmouth has won two consecutive in the series after KSU had won the previous four games.
 
Monmouth's home games will be at 1 PM except for the Robert Morris contest which will be at 12 PM.  Road game times have not been announced yet. 
 
Monmouth finished the Spring 2021 season ranked 10th, its highest ranking in school history. The Hawks won their second consecutive Big South Championship and nearly pulled off a last minute upset of eventual national champion Sam Houston. The Hawks had 17 players named to All-Big South Conference teams including Offensive Player of the Year Juwon Farri and Offensive Freshman of the Year Tony Muskett.  Coach Callahan, which will coach his 29th season for the Hawks earned his fourth Conference Coach of the Year honor and finished 11th in the voting for the Eddie Robinson Award (FCS Coach of the Year). Monmouth returns 10 starters on offense  and defense for the Fall 2021 season.
 
2021 Monmouth Football Schedule

Date	Opponent (Conference)	Place	2020-21 Rcd	Series Record
9/4	Middle Tennessee State (C-USA)	Murfreesboro, TN	3-6	FIRST MEETING
9/11	Fordham (Patriot)	Bronx, NY	2-1	2-1, Monmouth
9/18	Charleston Southern (Big South)	Charleston, SC	2-2	4-3, Monmouth
9/25	Holy Cross (Patriot League)	West Long Branch, NJ	3-1	3-1, Monmouth
10/2	Gardner-Webb (Big South)	West Long Branch, NJ	2-2	6-1, Monmouth
10/9	Princeton (Ivy)	West Long Branch, NJ	---	1-0, Princeton
10/16	Campbell (Big South)	Buies Creek, NC	0-4	2-0, Monmouth
10/23	OPEN DATE
10/30	NC A&T (Big South)	Greensboro, NC	---	FIRST MEETING
11/6	North Alabama (Big South)	West Long Branch, NJ	0-4	1-0, Monmouth
11/13	Robert Morris (Big South)	West Long Branch, NJ	0-3	10-10, Tied
11/20	Kennesaw State (Big South)	Kennesaw, GA	4-1	4-2, Kennesaw State

Season tickets are available now on MonmouthHawks.com . Individual tickets will go on sale starting July 1, 2021.
 
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