West Chester Releases 2016 Football Schedule

WEST CHESTER, Pa. - West Chester University released its 2016 football schedule this week. The Golden Rams will play 11 regular-season games over a 71-day period this fall.

West Chester, the defending PSAC East Division champions, will look to defend their divisional crown and get back to the PSAC Championship Game. The Golden Rams lead off with a non-league affair in Waltham, Mass., against Bentley College on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 12 p.m. Following that tilt, West Chester will face 10 straight PSAC opponents with three of those opponents coming from the Western Division.

The Golden Rams' home opener will be Saturay, Sept. 10 against Slippery Rock in a rematch of the 2015 PSAC Championship Game at Farrell Stadium. That game will kick off at 12 p.m. and will be Hall of Fame Day at West Chester as the school's class of 2016 is introduced to the crowd on hand. It will also be the first game played on brand new turf in Farrell that will be laid down later this spring.

From there, West Chester's alternating home-and-away schedule shifts to Edinboro on Sept. 17 at 12 p.m. for the final non-conference tilt of the regular season until the final week of the season. Family Day is set for Saturday, Sept. 24 when West Chester welcomes Lock Haven to town for a 6 p.m. kickoff. It is the only evening start time at home for the Golden Rams on the 2016 slate. West Chester opens the month of October with another night game at Andre Reed Stadium against Kutztown University at 6:05 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 8, West Chester takes on Shippensburg at 12 p.m. on Community Day at Farrell Stadium. The following weekend, the Golden Rams will travel to arch-rival Bloomsburg for what always seems to be a pivotal conference matchup with the Huskies. That game time has not been released yet.

Homecoming is set for Saturday, Oct. 22 against Cheyney University. The football game will kickoff at 2 p.m. as is the usual start time to accommodate those who attended the parade up on North Campus. The Golden Rams will then travel to East Stroudsburg on Oct. 29 for a 1:05 p.m. kick against the Warriors to close out the 10th month on the calendar.

West Chester's final regular-season home game is set for Saturday, Nov. 5 against Millersville University at 1 p.m. It will be Senior Day as well as Military Appreciation Day at Farrell Stadium. The final weekend of the regular-season is Saturday, Nov. 12 and will see West Chester traveling to Clarion, if the Rams are not in the PSAC Championship Game against the Golden Eagles.

"It always seems like the league gets tougher and tougher every year," West Chester head coach Bill Zwaan said. "This coming fall should be no different."


DATE            OPPONENT                                                                            TIME
9-3                at Bentley                                                                                12 p.m.
9-10                  SLIPPERY ROCK  (Hall of Fame Day)                              12 p.m.
9-17              at Edinboro                                                                              12 p.m.
9-24                  LOCK HAVEN  (Family Day)                                              6 p.m.
10-1              at Kutztown                                                                              6:05 p.m. 
10-8                  SHIPPENSBURG  (Community Day)                                12 p.m.
10-15            at Bloomsburg                                                                         TBA
10-22                CHEYNEY  (Homecoming)                                                2 p.m.
10-29            at East Stroudsburg                                                                 1:05 p.m.
11-5                   MILLERSVILLE  (Military Appreciation Day)                  1 p.m.
11-12             at Clarion (or PSAC Championship Game                             1 p.m.