PITTSBURG — The Pittsburg State University football team will open its 2016 football season Thursday, Sept. 1, against the University of Central Missouri.
 
The school released its 2016 schedule today (Jan. 13) with the marquee match-up against the Mules in the season debut. It marks just the second time since Pitt State joined the NCAA Division II ranks in 1989 that the Gorillas will play a Thursday night home game to open the season.
 
Pitt State will travel to Edmond, Okla., in week two for a Thursday (Sept. 8) meeting against Central Oklahoma, following the Bronchos week one road opener on Thursday, Sept. 1, at St. Charles, Mo., against Lindenwood.
 
"This will be the first time in more than a decade that we've kicked off a season at home on a Thursday night," PSU Athletic Director Jim Johnson said. "We will look to embrace this unique opportunity and give all our stakeholders a tremendous game day experience. This is not something that we necessarily think is ideal but, at the end of the day, it's just not fair to our football coaches and student-athletes to ask them to play at a competitive disadvantage in week two against an opponent that has had a full week's time to prepare for us after opening on Thursday the previous week.
 
"Since the conference expanded to 12 football-playing institutions in 2012 and agreed to play an 11-game conference schedule, almost every MIAA school other than Pitt State has made a conscious decision to play on Thursday nights in week one and even, in many cases, week two. So, as long as the flexibility to play on Thursday night in weeks one and two exists, these type of scheduling scenarios will be in play."
 
The Gorillas home slate features a Family Day match-up against Northeastern State on Sept. 17. Following a pair of road games – against Lindenwood and Washburn – Pitt State will return home to host intrastate rival Fort Hays State for Homecoming on Oct. 8.
 
Two weeks later, the Gorillas entertain Emporia State, on Oct. 22, for the Hall of Fame Game and Pitt State will close out its five-game home schedule on Nov. 5 against Nebraska-Kearney.
 
The 2016 season will mark just the second time since the Gorillas joined the MIAA and NCAA Division II ranks that Pitt State will play a Thursday home opener at Carnie Smith Stadium. The Gorillas hosted Western State College from Alamosa, Colo., in the 2004 season opener and posted a 56-6 victory in that game.
 
The Gorillas also hosted a Thursday night game on Oct. 15, 1998, against UCM in a game televised regionally on Kansas City's Metro Sports. Pitt State posted a 32-14 victory in that contest.
In 1998, the Gorillas played before an estimated 6,750 fans against the Mules and Pitt State averaged an estimated 7,050 fans during its five home games. In the Gorillas record-breaking 2004 season, 6,077 fans attended the home opener. Pitt State averaged 7,602 fans during its five regular season home games, then the Gorillas' attendance swelled to 8,336 fans as the squad hosted three home playoff games en route to reaching the NCAA Division II National Championship Game.
 
"We are excited to release our 2016 football schedule. We always want to make the dates available as soon as we can to allow Gorilla Nation as much time as possible to make scheduling arrangements," Johnson said.
 
 
2016 Pitt State Football
Tentative Football Schedule
 
Date          Opponent                          Location                   Time      
Sept. 1       CENTRAL MISSOURI *                HOME                       TBA
Sept. 8       at Central Oklahoma *             Edmond, Okla.              TBA
Sept. 17      NORTHEASTERN STATE *              HOME                       TBA
              (Family Day)
Sept. 24      at Lindenwood *                   St. Charles, Mo.           TBA
Oct. 1        at Washburn *                     Topeka, Kan.               TBA
Oct. 8        FORT HAYS STATE *                 HOME                       TBA
              (Homecoming)
Oct. 15       at Missouri Western *             St. Joseph, Mo.            TBA
Oct. 22       EMPORIA STATE *                   HOME                       TBA
              (Hall of Fame Game)
Oct. 29       at Northwest Missouri *           Maryville, Mo.             TBA
Nov. 5        NEBRASKA-KEARNEY *                HOME                       TBA
Nov. 12       at Missouri Southern *            Joplin, Mo.                TBA
NCAA Playoffs
Nov. 19       NCAAs - 1st Round                 TBA                        TBA
Nov. 26       NCAAs – 2^nd Round                  TBA                        TBA
Dec. 3        NCAAs – Quarterfinals             TBA                        TBA
Dec. 10       NCAAs – Semifinals                TBA                        TBA
Dec. 17       NCAAs – National Championship     Kansas City, Kan.          TBA
 
* MIAA Game