BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Gardner-Webb and Charlotte officials have announced that the football game between the Runnin' Bulldogs and 49ers has been moved to Thursday, August 29.
 
The game is the season opener for both teams and was originally scheduled for Saturday, August 31 but will now be played two days earlier in the Queen City with kickoff time being announced at a later date. Charlotte will be under the direction of first head coach Will Healy, while Carroll McCray enters his seventh season at the helm of the Gardner-Webb football program in 2019.
 
The meeting with the 49ers marks the first time that Gardner-Webb has traveled to the Queen City since 2013 when the Runnin' Bulldogs suffered a 53-51 defeat on October 5.
 
The date change will give Gardner-Webb additional days to prepare for the East Carolina contest on Saturday, September 7. The 'Dogs will travel to Greenville to face the Pirates before welcoming North Carolina Central to Boiling Springs for the 2019 home opener on Saturday, September 14.
 
Gardner-Webb's 2019 slate features five home dates, four of which are Big South Conference games. The 'Dogs will host Hampton to open league play on October 12 and also have home dates with Campbell (October 26), Charleston Southern (November 2) and Big South newcomer North Alabama (November 16).
 
Away from Boiling Springs, in addition to Charlotte and ECU, the Runnin' Bulldogs will take on regional rival Wofford (September 21) before battling in-state foe Western Carolina (October 5) to close out non-conference action. The 'Dogs will travel to three different Big South opponents – Monmouth (October 19), Presbyterian (November 9) and 2018 Big South champion Kennesaw State (November 23).
 
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