Elon athletics has announced its 2010 Phoenix football schedule, which includes a change of date in the annual Family Weekend. Elon will open the season at Duke University Sept. 4, with the home opener scheduled for Sept. 11 vs. Shaw University. The Family Weekend game will be Oct. 2, with Homecoming set for Oct. 23.
The 11-game schedule features five home games and six tilts away from Rhodes Stadium. Elon is coming off of a 9-3 season (7-1 SoCon) in which it earned its first-ever FCS Playoff berth and finished ranked in the top-10 in both national polls.
“In my opinion, this is the most challenging schedule that we have put together since our arrival four years ago,” said Elon head coach Pete Lembo. “Our non-conference slate kicks off with an ACC opponent that has improved dramatically in the past two seasons. Like playing at Wake Forest this past year, the opportunity to play at Duke is exciting not only for the football program, but also for the university. We also have a very difficult road test as we serve as the home opener for Richmond in the inaugural game in their new stadium.”
Before beginning its eight-game SoCon stretch in week four, the Phoenix will play three non-conference games. The 2010 season gets underway with a Sept. 4 meeting at Duke. Elon’s game with the Blue Devils will be the third for the program against a Football Bowl Subdivision opponent and second against an Atlantic Coast Conference foe. On Sept. 11, the Phoenix hosts the Shaw Bears on what will be Elon’s Hall of Fame day. The final non-conference test will be a rematch of Elon’s FCS Playoff game from a year ago as the Phoenix opens Robins Stadium, the new home of the Richmond Spiders, on Sept. 18.
Added Lembo, “The conference schedule is always challenging in its own right, but this year we will be facing some teams that are likely to be highly ranked early in the conference season so we’ll need to get off to a good start.”
The 2010 SoCon schedule kicks off with the Phoenix visiting Georgia Southern on Sept. 25. The next weekend, Oct. 2, Elon returns to Rhodes Stadium to take on Samford for Family Weekend. On Oct. 9 the Phoenix heads to Boone, N.C. for a game at five-time defending SoCon champ Appalachian State. Following a bye week, Elon returns home for a Homecoming showdown with Wofford on Oct. 23. The next two weeks see the Phoenix on the road as Elon visits Chattanooga on Oct. 30 and The Citadel on Nov. 6. Elon’s last two games will be at home. Furman comes to town on Nov. 13 before the regular-season finale on Nov. 20 against Western Carolina at Rhodes Stadium.
Season tickets are currently available at reduced prices through the end of February. Priority bleacher season tickets can be purchased for $100 each while reserved bleacher and grass seats are available for $70. Elon faculty and staff can purchase priority bleacher tickets for $50 each and reserved bleacher tickets for $35 each. Family Zone tickets are also available. That package includes four tickets (two adult and two youth) for $160.
2010 Elon Football Schedule
Date – Opponent (2009 Record)
Sept. 4 – at Duke (5-7, 3-5 ACC Coastal)
Sept. 11 – vs. Shaw (HOF) (8-2, 6-2 CIAA)
Sept. 18 – at Richmond (11-2, 7-1 CAA)
Sept. 25 – at Georgia Southern* (5-6, 4-4 SoCon)
Oct. 2 – vs. Samford* (FW) (5-6, 3-5 SoCon)
Oct. 9 – at Appalachian State* (11-3, 8-0 SoCon)
Oct. 16 – Bye Week
Oct. 23 – vs. Wofford* (HC) (3-8, 2-6 SoCon)
Oct. 30 – at Chattanooga* (6-5, 4-4 SoCon)
Nov. 6 – at The Citadel* (4-7, 2-6 SoCon)
Nov. 13 – vs. Furman* (6-4, 5-3 SoCon)
Nov. 20 – vs. Western Carolina* (2-9, 1-7 SoCon)
* – Southern Conference game
HOF – Hall of Fame
FW – Family Weekend
HC – Homecoming