CHARLESTON, South Carolina — Charleston Southern football will return to the field in 2022 with four home games and a road trip to face an ACC opponent, the Buccaneers announced Wednesday afternoon along with the Big South unveiling its list of league competitions.

TWO AGAINST SOCON

The two non-conference home opponents are both from the same league, the Southern Conference. The 2022 roster kicks off Sept. 3 when the Bucs host West Carolina in the first meeting in program history with the Catamounts. This will be the 32nd consecutive season that Charleston Southern will face at least one new opponent.

The closing of the non-conference schedule comes at the end of the month, as CSU hosts SoCon’s other purple team, an in-state matchup against Furman on Sept. 24. This will only be the second time the two Palmetto State foes have faced off as they kicked off the Denson era in Greenville on Aug. 31, 2019.

HOUSE AGAINST THE GREAT SOUTH

A more compact league schedule, after a few offseason starts, sees each school playing six games in total with the Bucs set to host two. Charleston Southern will welcome Gardner-Webb (October 22) and Robert Morris (November 5) to town.

Last fall’s contest at Gardner-Webb was a 32-24 double-overtime victory for the Buccaneers, as CSU outlasted the Runnin’ Bulldogs in the conference final in the first double-overtime game in the program under the direction of Denson.

Charleston Southern will cap its 2022 home schedule as the schedule swings into November hosting the Robert Morris Colonials. The last time the two programs met in the Holy City was a 27-14 win for the Buccaneers.

ROAD VS ACC

The Bucs will play their first road contest of the 2022 campaign in Raleigh, North Carolina against North Carolina State on Sept. 10 in the first meeting with the Wolfpack in program history. NC State earned a spot in the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl against UCLA, but the game was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns with the Bruins. NCSU finished 9-3 overall and 6-2 in the league and was ranked No. 19 by the AFCA Coaches Poll and No. 20 by The Associated Press in the FBS Final Rankings.

NEXT AWAY MATCHES PART I

The following week, on September 17, Charleston Southern travels to Bluegrass State to meet Eastern Kentucky in another first matchup. The Colonels are members of the newly formed ASUN Football Conference, finishing 7-4 last fall with a 4-2 league record. They capped off their season with a 39-31 double-overtime win over Jacksonville State in the Opportunity Bowl.

COUPLED MATCHES AWAY PART II

After a week off, the Deep South schedule opens with back-to-back road trips for the Buccaneers starting in October. CSU will travel to Buies Creek, North Carolina for the league opener at Campbell on October 8. The Bucs won 27-14 in last season’s draw at home, remaining perfect in the all-time series.

Charleston Southern will then make its longest trip of the year, traveling to Smithfield, Rhode Island on October 15 for a contest at Bryant. The Bulldogs joined the Deep South as football-only associate members for the 2022 season. They compiled a 7-4 record last fall, including 5-2 in the Northeastern Conference, their best league finish in school history and tied for the second most wins ever. This is the first time the two sides will meet on the grill.

FAMILIAR BUT NO MORE LEAGUE ENEMY

The next game on the road will wrap up the month, Oct. 29 bringing the Bucs to Kennesaw, Ga. against Kennesaw State. The Owls, longtime members of the Deep South, switched to ASUN for football from 2022, after winning a league title and a place in the FCS playoffs. KSU reached the second round, falling to No. 7 ETSU by a single point, 32-31, to finish its season with an 11-2 ledger and a national ranking of No. 11/10 by STATS Perform and the AFCA, respectively.

CLOSING OF THE ROAD TIMETABLE

CSU’s final away game of 2022 will be in Greensboro, North Carolina against North Carolina A&T on November 12. The two conference rivals met in the Charleston Southern home finals last fall and the Buccaneers are still seeking their first win in the series that began in 2019. That September 14, 2019 meeting was the first game to home under Denson’s guardianship.

MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW

Kick-off times for all 10 matches as well as ticket information for all four home competitions will be announced as they become available. Stay tuned to the program’s social media platforms for more details.

2022 SOUTH CHARLESTON FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

September 3 – West Carolina

September 10 – in the state of North Carolina

September 17 – in Eastern Kentucky

September 24 – Furman

October 1 – REVIEW

October 8 – at Campbell*

October 15 – at Bryant*

October 22 – Gardner-Webb*

October 29 – in Kennesaw State

November 5 – Robert Morris*

November 12 – at North Carolina A&T*

November 19 – GOODBYE

Bold home games played at Buccaneer Field

* – Game of the Deep South

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