CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – A seven-game home slate highlights Austin Peay State University's 2024 football schedule presented Tuesday in conjunction with the United Athletic Conference's conference schedule release.

The Governors enter the final weekend of the 2023 season a win away from clinching the outright United Athletic Conference title and automatic bid. They face Central Arkansas in a 1 p.m. Saturday game at Fortera Stadium, seeking to accomplish those goals. Coincidentally, Austin Peay opens its 2024 UAC title defense against the Bears in a Sept. 14 game at Estes Stadium in Conway, Arkansas.

Before that conference opener, Austin Peay opens the 2024 season on Aug. 31 at Louisville in the first-ever meeting between the Govs and Cardinals on the football field. Louisville is enjoying an impressive 2023 campaign, entering this weekend ranked No. 9 in the FBS polls and second in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings.

The following week, the Governors open their seven-game 2024 home slate – their largest home schedule since 1986. Austin Peay hosts Southern Illinois, their 2023 season-opening foe, in the Sept. 7 affair at Fortera Stadium. It will be the Salukis' first trip to Clarksville since the 1991 season.

After the UAC opener against the Bears, Austin Peay hosts its first of two back-to-back home game sets. First is a Sept. 21 matchup against Southwestern Athletic Conference foe Alabama A&M, a return foe from APSU's 2022 schedule. Then, UAC opponent Southern Utah visits Clarksville for a Sept. 28 tilt.

The UAC's newest football member awaits in Week 6 when Austin Peay meets West Georgia for the first time on Oct. 5 in Carrolton, Georgia. Austin Peay follows up that trip with its off week – a.k.a. its "Opportunity Week."

After Opportunity Week, Austin Peay plays five consecutive UAC contests, beginning with back-to-back home games. The Govs host rival Eastern Kentucky, Oct. 19, and then host the 2024 Homecoming Game against Tarleton State – another first-time foe – Oct. 26.

November dawns with a UAC outing at North Alabama, Nov. 2, before Abilene Christian – the Govs' fourth first-time foe – visits Fortera Stadium Nov. 9 in the annual Military Appreciation Day. The Govs close their UAC schedule the following week with a first-ever trip to Utah Tech, Nov. 15.

Austin Peay closes the 2024 regular season with what promises to be a key nonconference battle when I-24 foe Chattanooga visits Fortera Stadium, Nov. 22. It will be the Mocs' third-ever trip to Clarksville and first since the 2014 season.

Tickets for Saturday's regular-season finale are available for purchase online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling the Austin Peay Ticket Office at 931-221-7329 (PEAY).

Information regarding 2024 season ticket plans will be available at a later date.

The Schedule, Notably

First Time Foes: Austin Peay has four first-time foes on the 2024 schedule: Louisville, West Georgia, Tarleton State, and Abilene Christian. The Govs went 4-0 this season and are 7-2 during the Scotty Walden era against first-time opponents.

Seven-Game Slate: The Govs seven-game home slate ties the mark of the 1986 campaign. That season, Austin Peay faced UT Martin, Kentucky State, Middle Tennessee, Youngstown State, Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky, and Murray State. The schedule featured a pair of three-game homestands before closing with Murray State. The Govs were 4-3 at home that season.

ACC-tion: Austin Peay's trip to Louisville will be its first outing against a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference since its Fall 2019 trip to Pittsburgh during the COVID-19 season.

Scouting The Field

Louisville Cardinals
Aug. 31 | L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium | Louisville, Kentucky

• This season: 9-1 overall (6-0 home), 6-1 ACC (2nd)
• First-ever meeting between the football programs.
• Louisville defeated Murray State, 56-0, this season.

Southern Illinois Salukis
Sept. 7 | Fortera Stadium | Clarksville

• This season: 6-4 overall (4-2 road), 3-4 MVFC (8th)
• Southern Illinois leads the series, 6-2
• Govs last defeated the Salukis during the 1939 season in Carbondale
• Return of 2022 season-opening meeting in Carbondale, which SIU won 49-23

Central Arkansas Bears
Sept. 14 | Estes Stadium | Conway, Arkansas

• This season: 7-3 (5-1 home), 4-1 UAC (2nd)
• Central Arkansas leads the series, 4-0
• Sixth meeting since 2019
• This will be the second time APSU has traveled to Estes Stadium

Alabama A&M Bulldogs
Sept. 21 | Fortera Stadium | Clarksville

• This season: 4-6 overall (1-3 road), 2-5 SWAC (East 3rd)
• Return of 2021 meeting in Normal, which was the first meeting between the football teams.
• Austin Peay won that meeting, 28-3

Southern Utah Thunderbirds
Sept. 28 | Fortera Stadium | Clarksville

• This season: 5-5 overall (2-3 road), 3-2 UAC (4th)
• Will be the second meeting all-time between the Govs and Thunderbirds.
• Austin Peay won this season's meeting 48-45 in double overtime at Cedar City, Utah.

West Georgia Wolves
Oct. 5 | University Stadium | Carrollton, Georgia

• This season: 6-4 overall (4-1 home), 5-3 Gulf South Conference (Division II)
• First-ever meeting between the football programs.
• The 2024 season will be UWG's first season as a Division I member.

Eastern Kentucky Colonels
Oct. 19 | Fortera Stadium | Clarksville

• This season: 4-6 overall (2-4 road), 3-2 UAC (4th)
• Govs and Colonels met for the 55th time this season.
• Eastern Kentucky leads the series, 47-8
• APSU has won four of the last six meetings in the series, all since 2017.

Tarleton State Texans
Oct. 26 | Fortera Stadium | Clarksville

• Homecoming 2024
• This season: 8-3 overall (4-2 road), 4-2 UAC (3rd)
• First-ever meeting between the football programs.
• Austin Peay, which is not located in Texas, played its first Texas-based program in 2023, defeating Stephen F. Austin, 22-20, in Nacogdoches.

North Alabama Lions
Nov. 2 | Braly Stadium | Florence, Ala.

• This season: 3-7 overall (2-3 home), 1-5 UAC (8th)
• North Alabama leads the series, 13-8.
• Austin Peay has won the last two meetings (2022 & 2023) and five of the last seven dating back to 1974.

Abilene Christian Wildcats
Nov. 9 | Fortera Stadium | Clarksville

• Military Appreciation Day
• This season: 5-5 overall (2-3 road), 3-3 UAC (6th)
• First-ever meeting between the football programs.
• Austin Peay has won six straight Military Appreciation Day games after beating Utah Tech, 30-17, Saturday.

Utah Tech Trailblazers
Nov. 16 | Greater Zion Stadium | St. George, Utah

• This season: 2-8 overall (1-2 home), 1-4 UAC (7th)
• Austin Peay won the first-ever meeting between the football programs, 30-17, Nov. 11.
• The Govs are 2-0 against Utah-based teams.

Chattanooga Mocs
Nov. 23 | Fortera Stadium | Clarksville

• This season: 7-3 overall (4-1 road), 6-2 SoCon (2nd)
• Chattanooga leads the series, 6-1.
• Return of the Govs season-opening trip to Chattanooga in 2021, which APSU won 30-20.