GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College football team has released its 2010 schedule announced TC director of athletics and head coach Frankie DeBusk.

The Pioneers will play an 11-game schedule, which includes five home contests and a seven-game South Atlantic Conference slate. Eight of the 11 teams on the 2010 schedule finished with winning records a year ago, including five with seven or more victories.

Tusculum (3-7 in 2009) returns eight starters each on offense and defense, including quarterback Bo Cordell, the 2009 South Atlantic Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year.

Tusculum will open the season on Aug. 28 when the Pioneers host the University of Charleston. Tusculum and the Golden Eagles have opened the season the previous three years. UC leads the all-time series 2-1, including last year's 31-14 decision in Charleston. The Golden Eagles enjoyed one of its finest seasons in school history, posting a 9-2 record and barely missed advancing to the NCAA Playoffs. In Charleston's only visit to Greeneville, the Pioneers defeated UC 40-0 in the 2008 opener.

The Pioneers will be on the road Sep. 4 as TC travels to the University of Findlay in Ohio. It will be the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between Pioneers and the Oilers. Findlay, NCAA II members of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), posted a 7-4 record last year and finished fifth in the league. Three of their four losses came against nationally-ranked opponents. This will be Tusculum's first-ever game against a GLIAC opponent and its second game ever in the State of Ohio.

On Sep. 11, Tusculum will travel to Cullowhee, N.C. to battle Western Carolina University in the Pioneers only night game of the season. It will be the sixth recorded contest between TC and the Catamounts, but the first meeting since 1949. WCU leads the all-time series 0-4-1. The NCAA FCS Catamounts went 2-9 last year.

Tusculum returns home on Sep. 18 to close out the non-conference portion of its schedule, hosting Urbana University. This will mark the third straight year the two programs have met, with Tusculum winning the two previous encounters, including last year's thrilling 45-35 win at Urbana in the Pioneers' inaugural game in Ohio. The Blue Knights finished last year with an impressive 6-5 record, a five-win improvement from two seasons ago (1-10).

Following an open date, the Pioneers will begin its 12th South Atlantic Conference campaign on Oct. 2 as Tusculum travels cross-mountain rival Mars Hill College. It will be the 27th recorded meeting between the two programs as TC leads the all-time series, 16-8-2. Tusculum posted its seventh straight win over the Lions with last year's 38-28 decision at Pioneer Field. The Lions finished 6-4 last year and tied for third in the SAC.

On Oct. 9, Tusculum returns to Pioneers Field to host Newberry College in its annual homecoming game. Tusculum and Newberry have met 12 previous times on the football field, including last year's thrilling 34-31 TC win at Newberry. The Pioneers lead the all-time series 8-4, including wins in each of the last two seasons. The Scarlet & Gray posted a 6-4 worksheet a year ago and tied for third place in the league.

The Pioneers are back on the road Oct. 16 for a battle at Wingate University. The Bulldogs finished second in the conference in 2009 going 7-3, including a 42-31 win at Tusculum in a nationally-televised game. The Bulldogs lead the all-time series with Tusculum, 9-5 including wins in the last two meetings.

Tusculum is at Lenoir-Rhyne University on Oct. 23 to face the Bears at Moretz Stadium. Lenoir-Rhyne tied for sixth place in the conference last season going 5-6, including a 38-17 win at Tusculum, halting a three-year losing skid to the Pioneers. Tusculum still leads the all-time series with L-R at 9-4.

On Oct. 30, Tusculum returns home to host Brevard College. The Tornados emerged as one of the most improved teams in NCAA II a year ago, posting a 7-4 record. One of those victories was an exciting 27-24 overtime win over the Pioneers. TC leads the series with Brevard, 4-2 as last year's loss ended a three-game winning streak over BC.

The Pioneers travel to Catawba College on Nov. 6 for TC's final round contest of the regular season. The Catawba Indians posted a 4-6 campaign last year, including a 41-27 victory over the Pioneers to improve its series record with TC to 10-4. Eight of the last 10 meetings between Tusculum and Catawba have been decided by eight points or less.

Tusculum will close out the regular season on Nov. 13 as the Pioneers host arch-rival Carson-Newman College for Senior Day. The Eagles captured the SAC Championship last year by going 11-3 and advancing to the national semifinals of the NCAA Playoffs. It will be the 40th recorded meeting in the second oldest collegiate gridiron rivalry in the State of Tennessee. TC and C-N first met in football in 1904, only surpassed by the Tennessee/Vanderbilt series that began in 1896. Carson-Newman leads the all-time series 27-10-2, with TC owning a 3-2 record against the Eagles at Pioneer Field.

The NCAA Division II Playoffs begin on Nov. 20, culminated with the national championship game on Dec. 18 at Florence, Ala. The Pioneers advanced to the second round of the 2008 national playoffs as TC posted a 9-4 record that season.

Season tickets for the 2010 home campaign will go on sale later this summer. Visit the Tusculum athletic web site at www.tusculumpioneers.com for season ticket updates.

- TC -

2010 Tusculum College Football Schedule
Date Opponent Site Time
Sat., Aug. 28 CHARLESTON (W.Va.) GREENEVILLE 1 p.m.
Sat., Sep. 4 at Findlay Findlay, Ohio Noon
Sat., Sep. 11 at Western Carolina Cullowhee, N.C. 6 p.m.
Sat., Sep. 18 URBANA GREENEVILLE 1 p.m.
Sat., Sep. 25 Open Date
Sat., Oct. 2 at Mars Hill* Mars Hill, N.C. 2:30 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 9 NEWBERRY* (Homecoming) GREENEVILLE 2 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 16 at Wingate* Wingate, N.C. 1:30 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 23 at Lenoir-Rhyne* Hickory, N.C. 2 p.m.
Sat., Oct. 30 BREVARD* GREENEVILLE 1:30 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 6 at Catawba* Salisbury, N.C. 1:30 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 13 CARSON-NEWMAN* GREENEVILLE 1:30 p.m.
Sat., Nov. 20 NCAA Division II Playoffs Campus Site TBA
Sat., Nov. 27 NCAA Division II Playoffs Campus Site TBA
Sat., Dec. 4 NCAA Division II Playoffs Campus Site TBA
Sat., Dec. 11 NCAA Division II Playoffs Campus Site TBA
Sat., Dec. 18 at NCAA II Nat'l Championship Florence, Ala. TBA

* South Atlantic Conference Game
All Times Eastern and Subject to Change