Kent State Unveils Full 2023 Schedule
3/1/2023 12:41:00 PM | Football
KENT- The 2023 schedule has been set for the first season of the #KentGRIT era for Kent State football.
Kent State will open the season against an old Mid-American Conference foe in the Central Florida Knights. It will be one of the first games of the 2023 college football season, kicking off on Thursday, August 31st. UCF was a member of the MAC from 2002-2005 and this will be the fifth all-time meeting between the teams, having split the first four.
The following week, the Flashes will head to Fayetteville to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks on Saturday, September 9th. It will be the first meeting between the two schools on the gridiron and a re-scheduled contest from the 2020 season.
Central Connecticut State out of the Northeast Conference makes its first trip to Dix Stadium for the 2023 home opener on Saturday, September 16th. The Blue Devils are coming off a 2-9 campaign in 2022.
A trip out to northern California closes out the non-conference with the Flashes traveling to take on the Fresno State Bulldogs on Saturday, September 23rd. It will be the first meeting between the Bulldogs and the Golden Flashes.
The Mid-American Conference season starts the following week as the Flashes host Miami on September 30th. Kent State has won two of the last three against Miami at Dix Stadium including a 48-47 overtime thriller in 2021 that sent Kent State to the MAC title game.
A trip to Athens follows for a tilt with the Ohio Bobcats on Saturday, October 7th. The Flashes have won two straight against the Bobcats including a 34-27 victory in Athens in 2021. Kent State stays on the road the following week, heading to Ypsilanti to face Eastern Michigan on October 14th. Eastern upended the Flashes at the end of last season but Kent State has won their last three trips to EMU.
The final game before MACtion has the Flashes back at home to take on the Buffalo Bulls. The Flashes closed last year with a 30-27 overtime at Buffalo. Kent State has won three of the last four against the Bulls.
MACtion starts with the annual Wagon Wheel rivalry game. Kent State will take the short trip down I-76 on Wednesday, November 1st.The Flashes will look to make it five-straight wins in the rivalry. The rivalry theme continues the following week. The Battle for the Anniversary Award will head to Dix Stadium on Wednesday, November 8th and Kent State will look to run its win streak in the rivalry to six straight.
The schedule flips back to Saturdays for the final two games of the regular season. The Flashes make the trip to Muncie on Saturday, November 18th to take on Ball State. The Cardinals snapped the Flashes' home win streak last November and Kent State will look for its first win in Muncie since 2001. The regular season finale will have Northern Illinois come to town on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 25th. The Flashes knocked off the Huskies in a 52-47 thriller back in 2021 at Dix Stadium.
Season tickets for the 2023 season are now on sale with new a new benefits package for football season ticket holder. Details are available here.
