Mercer will play football this fall. First two opponents set, both of them road games

Mercer football will have a season despite the Southern Conference canceling all in-conference football games, and the Bears have already scheduled their first two opponents.

Jacksonville State University announced on Monday that it would be taking on Mercer on Oct. 10. It will be the first time the teams have ever met in football.

Mercer will take on Army on Oct. 24, according to a schedule released by Army on Monday. The Bears last played Army in 1933. Mercer lost 19-6 on the road at West Point.

The Bears can schedule up to four games this fall after the Southern Conference announced Aug. 13 that the league was canceling all conference sports for the fall of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Both games that are currently scheduled will be on the road.

On Aug. 13 Mercer released a statement from Athletic Director Jim Cole that said the school would look to pursue opponents to play this fall. It is unclear if the school will fill all four allotted games.

The school declined to comment about the games against Army and Jacksonville State. The Bears are in their first season under head coach Drew Cronic.

Fellow SoCon teams The Citadel, Western Carolina and Chattanooga have all scheduled at least one game for the fall.

The Citadel, located in Charleston, South Carolina, has all four of its games scheduled: road games at USF, Clemson and Army, and a home game against Eastern Kentucky.