GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum College football program has released its 2015 schedule announced Frankie DeBusk, Director of Athletics and Head Football Coach. (2015 Schedule)

The Pioneers will play an 11-game regular-season schedule and will host five home games at the Niswonger Sports Complex and Pioneer Field. Tusculum is coming off a 6-5 campaign where the Pioneers finished third in the South Atlantic Conference. TC won five of its final six games, including four of those being come-from-behind victories in the final quarter.

Tusculum will kick-off the gridiron campaign on Sept. 5th when they travel to the University of Virginia's College at Wise. The Pioneers renew the long-time rivalry against the Cavaliers for the first time since 1998. UVa-Wise leads the all-time series 5-3 with TC claiming a 30-7 win in the 1998 season finale.

The Pioneers will host NCAA Division II Playoff participant Virginia State University on Sept. 12th in the inaugural meeting with the Trojans. VSU has captured back-to-back CIAA North Division titles and won last year's CIAA Championship game. The Trojans went 10-3 and advanced to the first round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs.

Tusculum will open South Atlantic Conference play on Sep. 19th when they host four-time defending league champion Lenoir-Rhyne University. The Bears posted a perfect regular season in 2014 going 11-0 before being upset in the second round of the NCAA Playoffs by Valdosta State University. Tusculum leads the all-time series with the Bears 10-8, but L-R has won the last three meetings.

The Pioneers travel to Newberry College on Sept. 26th to take on the Wolves. Newberry went 5-6 last season and tied for fourth place in the conference. Tusculum rallied from an 11-point deficit to post a 16-14 victory over the Wolves at Pioneer Field. It will be the 18th meeting in series that Tusculum owns a 9-8 edge in.

On Oct. 3rd, the Pioneers will be at Brevard College for a conference clash with the Tornados. BC finished eighth in the league with a 1-10 overall record, including a 49-10 setback at Tusculum. TC is 8-4 against Brevard in a series that began in 1940.

Tusculum hosts Wingate University for Homecoming on Oct. 10th. The Bulldogs posted a 6-4 record and tied for fourth in the conference standings. Tusculum snapped a five-game losing streak to the Bulldogs with last year's thrilling 14-10 come-from-behind victory at Wingate.

North Greenville University's schedule-alliance with the SAC is over, but the Pioneers and Crusaders will meet on the gridiron for a seventh time in a continuation of the series on Oct. 17. NGU kicked a last-second field goal in a 38-35 victory at Pioneer Field last fall to even the series at 6-6. The Crusaders finished with a 7-5 record and won the NCCAA Victory Bowl over Shorter University.

On Oct. 24th, the Pioneers travel to Gaffney, South Carolina for the inaugural meeting with Limestone College. Limestone is beginning a four-year schedule-alliance agreement with the South Atlantic Conference. The Saints posted a 2-9 record in their first gridiron campaign in 2014.

Cross-mountain rival Mars Hill University travels across Sam's Gap to face the Pioneers on Oct. 31st. The Lions finished with a 4-6 record and tied for fourth place in the SAC. Tusculum scored 15 points in the final two minutes en route to a 38-35 win at Mars Hill in the season finale for both teams. TC leads the series 18-10-2.

Tusculum will close out the regular season on Nov. 14 against arch-rival Carson-Newman University. It will be the 45th recorded meeting between the Pioneers and Eagles and it will mark the ninth time the teams have met in the season finale. The renewal of the second oldest collegiate football rivalry in the State of Tennessee will take place in Jefferson City. The Eagles are coming off of a 7-3 campaign as C-N finished runner-up in the league.

The 2015 NCAA Division II Playoffs will begin Nov. 21st and will culminate with the DII National Championship Game on Dec. 19 and will be held in Kansas City, Missouri.

Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn., is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference.

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