Ashland University's return to official intercollegiate football action in the fall of 2021 will be a renewal in more ways than one.
The 2020 Eagle season, which would have been the program's last in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Ashland's football team will scrimmage against itself and three other teams this spring in preparation for a 2021 campaign which will be its first in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference – setting up old and new rivalries alike.
The new season will open 73 miles northeast of campus at Notre Dame College on Sept. 4 at 1 p.m.. Ashland won't have another road game for another four weeks, as the Eagles will finish the non-Great Midwest portion of the schedule at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field vs. Ferris State on Sept. 11 at 7 p.m., with a Week 3 bye, and a home game vs. Quincy on Sept. 25 at 1 p.m.
The Eagles' first-ever Great Midwest game will be Oct. 2 at Walsh, and their first home Great Midwest contest will be Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. vs. Ohio Dominican. After a trip to Tiffin on Oct. 16, Ashland's 97
th Homecoming game will be Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. vs. Lake Erie.
Ashland's 2021 regular season will conclude with the renewal of the Traveling Trophy rivalry with Hillsdale at home on Oct. 30 at 1 p.m., and trips to Findlay on Nov. 6 and Kentucky Wesleyan on Nov. 13. The Oilers (48) and Chargers (45) are the two programs Ashland has played the most all-time.
"Notre Dame and Ferris State are both teams that have been successful in the postseason," said Ashland head coach
Lee Owens. "Those are two teams that will test us early. Then, to play a team from the GLVC, and then to move into the GMAC. I like how the schedule is put together.
"I like the renewing of the old rivalries. We are so familiar with the teams, and we are looking forward to playing them on a regular basis."
Ashland will do in the fall of 2021 what it would have done in the fall of 2020 – commemorate 100 years of football. More information on activities surrounding a century of gridiron on campus will be announced later.
In lieu of the usual spring schedule which ends with the Purple & Gold Spring Game, the Eagles will practice, do three intersquad scrimmages on March 13, 20 and 27, then play spring games at home vs. Wayne State (April 3) and Saginaw Valley State (April 10), and at Dayton (April 17).
None of those spring games will count for historical purposes.
2021 ASHLAND UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
DATE OPPONENT TIME HISTORY
Sept. 4 at Notre Dame 1 p.m. Ashland, 1-0
SEPT. 11 FERRIS STATE 7 P.M. Ashland, 16-12
Sept. 18 Open
SEPT. 25 QUINCY 1 P.M. First-ever meeting
Oct. 2 at Walsh* TBA Ashland, 6-0
OCT. 9 OHIO DOMINICAN* 7 P.M. Ashland, 5-4
Oct. 16 at Tiffin* TBA Ashland, 7-1
OCT. 23 LAKE ERIE (HOMECOMING)* 1 P.M. Ashland, 6-1
OCT. 30 HILLSDALE* 1 P.M. Hillsdale, 25-19
Nov. 6 at Findlay* TBA Ashland, 28-16-4
Nov. 13 at Kentucky Wesleyan* TBA Ashland, 1-0
BOLD CAPS DENOTE HOME GAMES AT JACK MILLER STADIUM/MARTINELLI FIELD
*-- Denotes Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) games
AU
FB/DS
