The Southern Conference on Wednesday revealed for the first time its revamped spring football schedule for a modified 2021 season.
The league has declared that it will open its Feb. 20, 2021 with a four-game slate.
Chattanooga will host Virginia Military Institute, East Tennessee State University will host Samford, Furman will host Western Carolina and Wofford will get Mercer in the opening slate of contests.
Since The Citadel elected to have a four-game fall schedule, the Bulldogs were not granted a waiver for a 12-game season, per sources with direct knowledge.
They are not scheduled to play longstanding rival Furman on the SoCon's official schedule, and the Paladins are forfeit-winners of the contest after a random drawing among SoCon teams.
“After electing to play four games this fall, The Citadel was permitted to schedule only seven contests in the spring to remain within the NCAA's 11-game regular season maximum,” Furman said in a release. “The SoCon Council of Presidents approved a plan for the Bulldogs to compete in seven league games with one no-contest against a randomly selected league opponent. Furman was selected as that opponent in a blind draw. The no-contest is a game not played and will be considered a forfeit in the conference standings only, per NCAA policies.”
With Furman being awarded the forfet due to The Citadel game not being played, the Paladins are seeking one out-of-conference contest to complete their spring schedule.
After posting an 7-1 league mark in 2019 and advancing into the FCS Playoffs, Wofford returns as defending champions under coach Josh Conklin, the former Pittsburgh defensive coordinator. The Terriers also host ETSU (March 6), The Citadel (March 20) and VMI (April 3).
The Paladins were a playoff team in 2019, losing in the first round at Austin Peay. They play three of their first four games at home, and close the regular season on April 17 at home against Wofford.
FCS leadership proposed and had approved by the NCAA an 16-game playoff that has been scheduled to begin April 24, 2021, and conclude either May 15 or 16 in Frisco, Texas.