Shreveport- The Centenary football program has released its 2024 regular-season schedule as the Gents will play their first official NCAA season in over a half-century this fall.
The Gents, led by head coach and Shreveport native Byron Dawson, will face the Hendrix College Warriors at home on Saturday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. at Mayo Field in their season opener.
"We are excited about our updated and finalized schedule," said Dawson. Sept. 7 will be a great day for the team, college and the city. We will play a battle-tested and well-coached Hendrix squad. Our focus will be one day and one play at a time mindset leading up to the game."
Centenary made its historic return to the gridiron last fall in exhibition play for the first time since the 1940's and finished the season 8-1. The Gents outscored their nine opponents, 375-113, and recorded three shutouts as they finished off an impressive exhibition season with a 27-10 victory over the Lyon College Scots in Batesville, Ark. Centenary opened the season with seven-straight wins before falling to the Arkansas Baptist College Buffaloes on Nov. 4 in Little Rock, Ark.
The Gents are scheduled to play 10 regular-season games – five at home and five on the road. Centenary will play a pair of exhibition games to prep for the regular season, on Aug. 24 with a scrimmage at home against Millsaps College and on Aug. 31 against Louisiana Community Christian.
"On our schedule we have several well-coached and established programs in conference and non-conference play. We face a great challenge ahead of us, and we must focus on the process of growing as a program and laying the foundation for future Gents. Our Director of Athletics and Recreation David Orr and his staff have done an amazing job of providing us with great leadership and guidance in this process."
Centenary will be tested in the month of September with three-straight road games – Sept. 14 at Texas Lutheran University in Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference play, Sept. 21 at Austin College in a conference contest, and finally at East Texas Baptist University on Sept. 28 in Marshall, Texas.
The October schedule is more favorable as the Gents will play three of their four games at home, starting with an Oct. 5 date against Lyon College. Centenary then faces McMurry University at Mayo Field on Oct. 12, faces Lyon on the road on Oct. 19, and finishes the month at home against Austin College on Oct. 26 for Homecoming.
Centenary will have a bye week on Nov. 2 and then play its final home game of the season on Nov. 9 against TLU in conference play. The Gents will finish the regular season at McMurry on Nov. 16 in Abilene, Texas.
Centenary's previous football history began with the Gents' first game in the fall of 1894 and ended in November of 1941, with a brief attempted revival in 1947 and again in the 1960s. More than a half-century later, the sport is back on campus.
A ribbon-cutting event was held on May 9 to celebrate the completion of a new 4,700 square-foot fieldhouse and practice field. The fieldhouse contains locker rooms for Centenary's football team along with its women's soccer and softball teams. The facility, which also includes coaches' offices, looks out over the new 76,500 square foot turf practice field. Adjacent to the Gold Dome and to Mayo Field, home of Centenary's football, lacrosse, and soccer teams, the field house and practice field are the latest addition to Centenary's revitalized athletic complex located on Kings Highway.
"We are grateful for the love and support from the Centenary community," said Dawson. This new sports complex is a testament to the many who have supported Centenary athletics for years. Our players, coaches, and staff take pride in knowing we have the chance to represent this great college in SCAC play in 2024."
The ribbon-cutting event also served as the official re-launch of Centenary's "C Club," Centenary's athletic booster club. For more information or to donate, visit gocentenary.com/gocentenary/C_Club.
Season Tickets will go on sale on May 31. CheckGoCentenary.com soon for pricing and details.
*All dates and times are subject to change.*
See the complete Gents' season schedule here: https://www.gocentenary.com/sports/fball/2024-25/schedule
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