BOILING SPRINGS – Gardner-Webb football unveiled its 2023 schedule on Tuesday afternoon, an 11-game slate that features five home dates in Spangler Stadium.

Fans can make a $50 deposit for 2023 season tickets today to reserve the right to make a full purchase of seats when available. ( Link )

The reigning Big South Conference champions open the season on September 2 at Appalachian State in Boone, N.C., the first of three games against in-state opponents in September. GWU will also battle Elon (Sept. 9) at home and East Carolina (Sept. 23) on the road.

Head coach Tre Lamb's team will close out non-conference play against a pair of Atlantic Sun Conference schools, taking on Austin Peay in Clarksville, Tenn., (Oct. 14), and hosting Eastern Kentucky (Oct. 21) in a rematch of this past season's NCAA FCS first round playoff battle.

Big South/OVC play begins at Tennessee State on September 16, followed by home games vs. Robert Morris (Oct. 7), UT Martin (Oct. 28) and Charleston Southern (Nov. 18). In addition to the opener in Nashville, Tenn., GWU will play road conference games at Bryant (Nov. 4) and Tennessee Tech (Nov. 11).

Gardner-Webb is coming off a seven-win season that saw the Runnin' Bulldogs win the 2022 Big South Conference title and make their first appearance in the FCS Playoffs. GWU ran past Eastern Kentucky in the opening round before falling at No. 5 William & Mary in the round of 16.

The Runnin' Bulldogs were a perfect 5-0 in Big South play.

In 2023, the Big South Conference and OVC (Ohio Valley Conference) enter into the first season of joint association of the two leagues' football member insitutions. The 10 combined teams will play a six-game conference schedule.

More details of the association's administration, including tiebreakers for the automatic bid, will be announced at a later date.