The Rashaan Jordan coaching era will begin for Wingate University football with the renewal of an instate rivalry.
Wingate, which released its 2024 schedule this week, will open the new campaign Saturday, Aug. 31 at UNC Pembroke. The Bulldogs and Braves played nearly every season between 2007 and 2019 in what came to be known as the Battle for 74. This will be the first meeting since the ‘Dogs 48-38 triumph in ’19. Wingate has won the last four games against the Braves and six of the last eight.
Wingate will play an 11-game slate in all, with one bye week (Sept. 7). Jordan takes over the program from long-time coach Joe Reich, who stepped aside to become the school’s new athletics director.
Jordan also has a long history at Wingate, mostly as a defensive coordinator. He served on the coaching staff from 2001-08 and then returned in 2012.
Jordan will face a grueling schedule in his debut as the head of the program.
UNC Pembroke went 7-3 a season ago, going 6-1 over its last seven games. The Braves averaged 45.7 points per contest during that stretch against Mountain East Conference foes.
Wingate will welcome Delta State (Miss.) for its home opener Sept. 14. Delta State went 10-2 and made the D2 post-season from the Gulf South Conference.
South Atlantic Conference play begins for Wingate on Sept. 21. The Bulldogs, who finished 8-3 overall and 7-2 in the league a year ago, will host SAC games against Mars Hill, Barton, Catawba and Newberry. Road games await at Carson-Newman, UVA Wise, Limestone and defending champion Lenoir-Rhyne. (See below for complete schedule with dates).
Wingate was the only team to pin a defeat on Lenoir-Rhyne in the regular season a year ago.
The SAC championship game will be Nov. 16. If Wingate does not make the title game it will host Tusculum on this date.
In all, Wingate will play six teams that had winning records a year ago: UNCP (7-3), Delta State (10-2), Mars Hill (8-2), Barton (6-5), Lenoir-Rhyne (13-2) and Limestone (8-4). Tusculum (6-5), which advanced to the SAC championship in 2023, would make seven. Catawba went 5-6 and showed marked improvement in coach Tyler Haines’ first season.
Wingate will hold a spring scrimmage against Johnson C. Smith, another program on the rise in the North Carolina Division II ranks, on Saturday, April 6 at 1 p.m.
Wingate Bulldogs 2024 Schedule
- Aug. 31 at UNC Pembroke
- Sept. 7 BYE
- Sept. 14 DELTA STATE
- Sept. 21 at Carson-Newman*
- Sept. 28 MARS HILL*
- Oct. 5 at UVA Wise*
- Oct. 12 BARTON*
- Oct. 19 at Limestone*
- Oct. 26 CATAWBA*
- Nov. 2 at Lenoir-Rhyne*
- Nov. 9 NEWBERRY*
- Nov. 16 TUSCULUM (or SAC Championship game)*
- * denotes South Atlantic Conference game
