The schedule for the Kent State football team’s 2024-25 season was released Tuesday, and the Flashes will have their plate full to start the season.
In the first week of the season, KSU will play Pitt away from home.
Kickoff will be at Acrisure Stadium Aug. 31.
Pitt is coming off of a 3-9 season, in which the Panthers lost five of their last six games.
Historically, the Flashes are winless against Pitt — the team is 0-7.
The last matchup occurred in 2003, and Kent State has never allowed less than 27 points against Pitt. The most points the Flashes have ever scored against Pitt is 23.
Kent State will be able to regroup in an FCS matchup in week two when the team takes on Saint Francis University.
It will be the home opener at Dix Stadium for KSU and kick off Sept. 7.
SFU almost reached .500 but fell short in a 4-6 season.
Following the matchup against the Red Flash, KSU will take on some of the most prominent programs in the country in back-to-back weeks.
On Sept. 14, KSU will travel to Knoxville to take on the Tennessee Volunteers.
Last season, UT was ranked as the No. 17 team in the AP Top 25 poll with its 9-4 season.
Tennessee is also coming off a 35-0 shutout in its Citrus Bowl victory against Iowa.
Kent State has never played Tennessee before.
In the following week, KSU will continue to stay on the road and will travel to Beaver Stadium in University Park to take on Penn State.
Last season, PSU rode its 10-3 record to the No. 13 spot on the AP Top 25 poll. Despite its impressive regular season, the Nittany Lions dropped its bowl game against Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl.
KSU is winless against Penn State, going 0-6. Kent State has been shutout twice by PSU, and the most recent matchup in 2018 went Penn State’s way in a 63-10 loss.
In the next week, the team will get back to MACtion.
Eastern Michigan will be the first Mid-American Conference opponent the Flashes will face in the season.
Kent State took the loss against EMU last season 28-14 but will get another chance this season Sept. 28 in KSU’s second home game.
Kent State leads the all-time series 19-16 and has won six of the last nine matchups.
The team will also seek revenge on its next two opponents, Ball State and Bowling Green.
Last season, KSU lost these matchups 34-3 and 49-19.
The next team up, Western Michigan, is one team Kent State did not play last season.
The teams haven’t played since 2021, when WMU collected a 64-31 victory. The Broncos have won the last three matchups.
On Nov. 6, the Flashes will welcome Ohio University to town.
OU was victorious for the first time in three seasons last time out in a 42-17 game.
The Bobcats may have overturned the streak, but OU has won seven of the last nine matchups against the Flashes.
To close out the season, the Flashes will play three consecutive mid-week games against MAC opponents.
The first opponent the team is facing is Miami of Ohio (sometime between Nov. 13-19).
Miami got the best of Kent State in a 23-3 victory — winning its fourth game out of the last five matchups against the Flashes.
The battle for the wagon wheel will be played Nov. 19.
Akron has custody of the trophy after a heartbreaking 31-27 loss last season, but Kent has had control of the rivalry in recent matchups, as the team has won four of the previous five matchups.
Kent will take on the University at Buffalo in the last week of the season.
Buffalo defeated the Flashes in the homecoming game last season 24-6.
Kent State will look forward to the second year of Kenni Burns as head coach and the Kent GRIT mentality.
KSU will attempt to improve after a 1-11 2023 season.
John Hilber is assistant sports editor. Contact him at [email protected].
