GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum College has released its 2009 football schedule announced Pioneer head coach Frankie DeBusk.

The Pioneers will play an 11-game schedule that features four teams that either won or shared their respective conference titles. Tusculum's first three games will be against teams that won at least seven games in 2008.

Tusculum posted a 9-4 record in 2008 winning four of its last five outings to capture TC's second South Atlantic Conference title in five years. Tusculum also made its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Playoffs, advancing to the Final 16. TC finished the season ranked No. 16 in the AFCA Top 25 Coaches' Poll.

TC opens the 2009 campaign on the road Aug. 29 when the Pioneers take on Charleston (W.Va.). It will be the third meeting between the Pioneers and Golden Eagles. The series is all square (1-1) with TC posting a 40-0 victory in last year's opener. Charleston finished the year with a 7-4 record and finished tied for fourth in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

TC will play the first of five home games on Sep. 5 when the Pioneers host Glenville State. It will be a battle of the "Pioneers" in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Glenville State is coming off a solid 2008 season as the Pioneers won its last five games to go 8-3 and win the WVIAC title.

Tusculum's next two games will see the Pioneers embark on a pair of the longest road trips in school history. On Sep. 12, TC will make the 483-mile trek to Elizabeth City State to face the Vikings. It will be the second meeting between Tusculum and ECSU with the Pioneers holding off a furious late game charge to win 32-30. ECSU opened the season with three straight losses, but rebounded with seven consecutive wins to wins the East Division of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA). The Vikings had its winning streak halted in the CIAA championship game as ECSU posted a 7-4 record.

The following Saturday (Sep. 19), the Pioneers will be at Urbana (1-10 in 2008) in a rematch with the Blue Knights (1-10 in 2008). The 377-mile trip to the Urbana, Ohio campus will be the second meeting between the two programs. Tusculum defeated Urbana 21-0 last season in Greeneville.

The Pioneers open South Atlantic Conference play on Sep. 26 when TC welcomes Wingate. The Bulldogs opened the season with seven straight wins, including a 37-33 victory over Tusculum in last season's league lid-lifter. The Bulldogs stumbled down the stretch losing three of its last four games to finish with an 8-3 record and tying for fourth in the conference. Wingate leads the all-time series 8-5.

Tusculum will host Lenoir-Rhyne on Oct. 3 in the Pioneers only scheduled night game at Pioneer Field in 2009. The Pioneers recorded their third straight win over the Bears (3-8 in 2008) with last year's 48-19 victory in Hickory. Tusculum leads the all-time series 9-3 in a rivalry that started in 1924.

On Oct. 10, the Pioneers travel to Brevard for the seventh meeting between the two schools (TC leads 5-1). Tusculum has won the last three meetings, including last year's 55-42 shootout. BC went 1-9 in 2008.

TC returns home Oct. 17 to take on the Catawba Indians. The Pioneers and Indians have played against each other every season since 1996 (Catawba leads 9-4). The last six meetings have been decided by eight points or less, including last year's thrilling 37-35 win by Catawba. Catawba tied for fourth in the conference as the Indians went 6-4.

The Oct. 24 match-up between Tusculum and Newberry will pit two of the three SAC tri-champions from a