Cumberland releases 2024 football schedule

Apr. 13—Cumberland's 2024 football schedule, released Thursday, is full of names familiar to Phoenix fans with one notable exception — the season opener.

Kicking off their campaign, the Phoenix will face off against Missouri Baptist on Aug. 31 in St. Louis. This game will be the first game Cumberland has played a team from outside the Mid-South Conference, Appalachian Athletic Conference or Sun Conference within the NAIA since the Phoenix opened the 2012 season at the Big River Bowl against Kansas Wesleyan.

Following this, on Sept. 7, they'll travel to Barbourville, Ky., to take on Union College. The team will then return to Lebanon for two consecutive home games — the first of five at Nokes-Lasater Field this season. First, the home opener against St. Andrews on Sept. 14 at 1:30 p.m., and then against Florida Memorial on Sept. 21, also at 1:30 p.m. While Union came to N-L last year and is a former MSC rival and the Phoenix have made a couple of trips to St. Andrews, the Florida Memorial game will be just the second meeting between the teams, who first hooked up in 2021.

After a bye week Sept. 28, Cumberland will hit the road again to open up Mid-South Conference play against its oldest modern rival Campbellsville on Oct. 5 at 6 p.m. The Phoenix will return home for two straight games, welcoming Bethel on Oct. 12 for homecoming. CU will host Georgetown on Oct. 19.

Two of the final three games will be on the road as Cumberland will travel to Williamsburg, Ky., on Oct. 26 to face the Cumberlands. Senior Day will be Nov. 2 as Cumberland welcomes Lindsey Wilson to Nokes-Lasater. The Phoenix will finish out the regular season on the road at Faulkner on Nov. 9 with an 11 a.m. kickoff in Montgomery, Ala.

Cumberland posted a 5-5 record in 2023, 2-4 in Mid-South Conference play. The Phoenix finished inside the top 20 in rushing offense and rushing defense in the NAIA with a young team and will look to build upon that this upcoming season.