The Eastern football team’s 2022 schedule was released Thursday, and the slate of opponents for the first season of the Chris Wilkerson era is now set.

The Panthers will open the season on the road against Northern Illinois on Sept. 3 and then play their home opener against Chattanooga Sept. 10.

Eastern head to Normal for the Mid-America Classic against rival Illinois State on Sept. 17 and will then begin conference play the following Saturday on the road against Murray State. The Racers will still be competing in the OVC for football for the 2022 season despite being scheduled to leave the conference as a full time member over the summer.

Back-to-back home games follow for the Panthers beginning with a game against Northwestern State on Oct. 8, the first of two scheduled meetings with schools from the Southland Conference.

Next up is the Homecoming Game against Lindenwood, the most recent program to announce its impending membership to the OVC. However, this will count as a nonconference game for both teams.

Eastern then has back-to-back conference games, the first coming against Tennessee State on the road and then a home matchup with Tennessee Tech.

The second Southland game, this time a road contest against McNeese State, comes on Nov. 5. The Panthers will then play their home finale against OVC foe Southeast Missouri Nov. 12 before closing out the season Nov. 19 on the road against Tennessee-Martin, last season’s OVC champion.