Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

- FCS FOOTBALL -

2025 Gardner-Webb Football Schedule: Bulldogs will tackle two FBS opponents

Western Carolina, Georgia Tech, Ohio will make for a tough September for GWU

Gardner-Webb football players huddle during a 2024 game.
Gardner-Webb, which finished 4-8 in 2024, will play a 12-game schedule again in 2025.

Year two of the Cris Reisert coaching era at Gardner-Webb is locked and loaded. The OVC-Big South Football Association released its complete conference schedule on Jan. 14 and that completes the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ 2025 calendar.

Gardner-Webb will play a challenging 12-game slate for the second year in a row, facing four non-conference opponents and eight foes from the OVC-Big South.ย 

For the fifth year in a row, GWU will challenge two FBS opponents.

The season opens with a road trip to Western Carolina over Labor Day weekend. The Bulldogs and Catamounts have played five times since 2016, with Gardner-Webb winning the last two meetings in 2019 and 2021. 

Western Carolina flirted with the top 25 much of the 2024 season, placing second in the Southern Conference with a 6-2 record (7-5 overall).

Gardner-Webb will then travel to an ascending ACC program, Georgia Tech on Sept. 6. The Bulldogs nearly knocked off the Yellow Jackets the last time they faced off in 2008. Tech escaped 10-7. Georgia Tech took playoff-bound Georgia to multiple overtimes and advanced to a bowl game this past season, finishing 7-6, 5-3 ACC.

The 2025 Gardner-Webb football home opener at Spangler Stadium will be Sept. 13 against The Citadel from the Southern Conference. This will be the first meeting between these two schools since The Citadel swept a pair of games in 2014 (37-14) and 2016 (31-24). The Bulldogs were 5-7 in 2024.

The final non-conference showdown will be against Ohio, an FBS opponent from the MAC. The Bobcats (11-3) are coming off a conference championship season but will be under new management in 2025. Coach Tim Albin left to take the head job at Charlotte. GWU also played Ohio in 2016, losing 37-21. 

Gardner-Webb will host UT Martin, Southeast Missouri, Charleston Southern and Western Illinois in OVC-Big South play. Conference road games will come against Tennessee Tech, Lindenwood, Eastern Illinois and Tennessee State.

The Charleston Southern match-up will again be designated the North/South BBQ Bowl. It will be played at Gardner-Webb’s Spangler Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 4.

All of GWU’s OVC-Big South games will be streamed on ESPN+.

Gardner-Webb, which won the Big South in 2022 and the Big South/OVC in 2023, finished 4-8 in 2024 in the first year under coach Cris Reisert. The Bulldogs went 3-5 in conference play and showed promise. Reisert and staff have recruited well.

(The OVC-Big South Football Association has rebranded heading into 2025. The first two seasons, the league – a combination of teams from the Ohio Valley Conference and the Big South – went by the moniker Big South/OVC Football Association).

2025 Gardner-Webb Football Schedule

DateOpponentTime/ResultTV/Record
Aug. 30atWestern Carolina
Sept. 6atGeorgia Tech
Sept. 13vsThe Citadel
Sept. 20atOhio
Oct. 4vsCharleston Southern*ESPN+
Oct. 11atEastern Illinois*ESPN+
Oct. 18vsUT Martin*ESPN+
Oct. 25atLindenwood*ESPN+
Nov. 1atTennessee Tech*ESPN+
Nov. 8vsSoutheast Missouri*ESPN+
Nov. 15atTennessee State*ESPN+
Nov. 22vsWestern Illinois*ESPN+
* denotes conference game

Gardner-Webb Future Football Opponents

  • 2026 – Chattanooga (Sept. 16)
  • 2028 – at The Citadel (Sept. 2)
  • 2030 – at Chattanooga (Sept. 14)

More 2025 FCS Football Schedules

2025 Campbell Football Schedule

2025 Elon Football Schedule

2025 North Carolina A&T Football Schedule

2025 Western Carolina Football Schedule

author avatar
Eric Lusk Publisher & Editor
Eric Lusk started NC Football News in 2023. He's an old newspaper guy with a fondness for underdogs, redemption stories and the triple-option offense. He's a proud graduate of Jesse O. Sanderson High School and UNC's School of Journalism. He's thankful for God's mercy, family and second chances.
Advertisement
Advertisement

You May Also Like

Coaching News

News, notes and updates from North Carolinaโ€™s seven Division I FCS programs

College Football

Weโ€™re following commitments and signings for Campbell, Davidson, Elon, Gardner-Webb, NC A&T, NC Central and Western Carolina

- BEST IN STATE -

Tracking the top place-kicking performances from the 2024 FCS season

- FCS FOOTBALL -

Bulldogs add two signal callers, four wideouts from FBS transfer portal

Copyright ยฉ 2025 Saint Sebastian Media | NC Football News | Contact Us: eric@ncfootballnews.com