PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University football team will open its 2024 football season Saturday, Aug. 31, against Ferris State University at Carnie Smith Stadium.
 
The school released its 2024 schedule today (Apr. 2) with the 7 p.m. (CDT) match-up against the Bulldogs in the season debut serving as a key early test for the two-time defending MIAA Champion Gorillas.
 
The Gorillas home slate features a Family Day match-up against Emporia State University on Sept. 14. Pitt State also will play host to MIAA rival Missouri Western State University for the Hall of Fame Game on Oct. 5.
 
The Gorillas will host Fort Hays State University for Homecoming on Oct. 19 and close out the regular season home slate by hosting the University of Central Missouri on Nov. 2.

Pitt State will play a 10-game schedule in 2024 with five home dates and five away competitions. The Gorillas will have an open date on Saturday, September 28, and a bye date on Saturday, November 9. The open date was created when Lincoln University departed the MIAA for the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), but that game was replaced by scheduling Ferris State in the recently created week zero. The bye date is a result of Northeastern State University being granted independent status in January 2024 by the MIAA CEO Council in the sport of football. Pitt State chose to not fill that date with an additional opponent.
 
"We are excited to release our 2024 football schedule," PSU Athletics Director Jim Johnson said. "This is the first time since 2011 that the MIAA has offered a nine-game conference schedule. It's also the first time since 2011 that the Gorillas will play a 10-game schedule. We think this 10-game schedule, with a pair of well-timed off weeks in late September and early November, will be beneficial to our team as they pursue another MIAA Championship and NCAA postseason run.

"We considered other options for a Division II opponent in week four, but none of those options materialized. We had non-Division II opponents available for both weeks four and nine, but because those games would not have any impact on postseason selections, we made the choice to leave both weeks open at this time."

First-year head coach Tom Anthony and his staff welcomed approximately 100 players into spring camp. The Gorillas posted an 11-2 record in 2023, capturing the MIAA Championship and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II national playoffs.

"As always, there is a tremendous amount of excitement in Gorilla Nation surrounding the football program," Johnson said. "We are looking forward to a great crowd to turn out later this month on Friday, April 26, for the annual Spring Game at Carnie Smith Stadium."


2024 Pitt State Football
Football Schedule
 
Date      Opponent                    Location           Time       
Aug.  31  FERRIS STATE                HOME               7 p.m.
Sept.  7  at Missouri Southern *      Joplin, Mo.        TBA
Sept. 14  EMPORIA STATE *             HOME               7 p.m.
          (Family Day)
Sept. 21  at Washburn *               Topeka             TBA
Sept. 28  OPEN
Oct.   5  MISSOURI WESTERN *          HOME               2 p.m.
          (Hall of Fame Game)
Oct.  12  at Nebraska-Kearney *       Kearney, Neb.      TBA
Oct.  19  FORT HAYS STATE *           HOME               2 p.m.
          (Homecoming)
Oct.  26  at Central Oklahoma *       Edmond, Okla.      TBA
Nov.   2  CENTRAL MISSOURI *          HOME               2 p.m.
Nov.   9  BYE
Nov.  16  at Northwest Missouri *     Maryville, Mo.     TBA
NCAA Playoffs
Nov.  23  NCAAs - 1st Round           TBA                TBA
Nov.  30  NCAAs - 2nd Round           TBA                TBA
Dec.   7  NCAAs – Quarterfinals       TBA                TBA
Dec.  14  NCAAs – Semifinals          TBA                TBA
Dec.  21  NCAAs – Nat'l Championship  McKinney, Texas    TBA