The Eastern Kentucky Colonels football program represents Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in college football, competing at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) level as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC). The school has traditionally had much success on the football field, having won 21 OVC conference titles and two Division I FCS National Championships (then called Division I-AA) in 1979 and 1982, and reaching the finals in 1980 and 1981. Much of the success came during the long tenure of head coach Roy Kidd from 1964 to 2002. In 1990, Eastern honored Kidd by naming the school's football stadium Roy Kidd Stadium. Eastern Kentucky's football team was able to secure 31 consecutive winning seasons before finally posting a losing season record in 2009.

In September 2013, the Lexington Herald-Leader, the daily newspaper of nearby Lexington, reported that EKU was considering moving its program to the top-level Football Bowl Subdivision. However, under NCAA rules, such a move would require that EKU receive an invitation from an existing FBS conference. In the end, no such move was made.

EKU left the OVC for the Atlantic Sun Conference, then officially known as the ASUN Conference, in July 2021. At the time, the ASUN did not sponsor football, but had committed to launching an FCS football league in the near future. During the 2021 season, EKU competed as a de facto associate member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) in a football partnership between the two leagues officially branded as the "ASUN–WAC Challenge". While the ASUN launched its own football league in 2022, it maintained its partnership with the WAC for the 2022 season. Shortly after that season, the two conferences fully merged their football leagues, announcing the new branding of United Athletic Conference in April 2023. In July 2026, the football-only UAC was merged into the WAC, which rebranded as the UAC. EKU was one of five ASUN members, all of which had played in the football-only UAC, to join the all-sports UAC.

Conference affiliation Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1927–1947) Ohio Valley Conference (1948–2020) ASUN–WAC Challenge (2021) ASUN Conference (2022) United Athletic Conference, football-only (2023–2025) United Athletic Conference, all-sports (2026–present)

Championships National championships Eastern Kentucky went to four consecutive national championship games, winning twice in 1979 and 1982 while finishing as runner-up in 1980 and 1981 to Boise State and Idaho State, respectively. 1979 Roy Kidd NCAA I-AA Playoff 11–2 Lehigh W 30–7 1982 Roy Kidd NCAA I-AA Playoff 13–0 Delaware W 17–14

Conference championships Eastern Kentucky has won 22 conference championships, 16 outright and 6 shared. 1954 Ohio Valley Conference Glenn Presnell 8–1–1 5–0 1962 Glenn Presnell 6–3 4–2 1967 Roy Kidd 8–1–2 5–0–2 1968 Roy Kidd 8–2 7–0 1974 Roy Kidd 8–2 6–1 1976 Roy Kidd 8–3 6–1 1981 Roy Kidd 12–2 8–0 1982 Roy Kidd 13–0 7–0 1983 Roy Kidd 7–3-1 6–1 1984 Roy Kidd 8–4 6–1 1986† Roy Kidd 10–3–1 6–1 1987† Roy Kidd 9–3 5–1 1988 Roy Kidd 11–3 6–0 1990† Roy Kidd 10–2 5–1 1991 Roy Kidd 12–2 7–0 1993 Roy Kidd 8–4 8–0 1994 Roy Kidd 10–3 8–0 1997 Roy Kidd 8–4 7–0 2007 Danny Hope 9–3 8–0 2008 Dean Hood 8–4 7–1 2011† Dean Hood 7–5 6–2 2022 Atlantic Sun Walt Wells 7–5 3–2 † Co-champion

Bowl games Eastern Kentucky has participated in six bowl games. Four of these bowl games served as a sort of championship game, whether as a regional championship game or as the NCAA Division I Football Championship. The EKU Colonels played in the inaugural Opportunity Bowl presented by Raising Cane's, and in memory of Dr. Sheila Pressley, on Nov. 21, 2020. Eastern Kentucky University hosted the second annual Opportunity Bowl presented by Dinsmore & Shohl on Nov. 20, 2021. The game was matchup EKU and Jacksonville State University. SeasonCoachBowlOpponentResult 1954 Glenn Presnell Tangerine Bowl Omaha L 7–6 1967 Roy Kidd Grantland Rice Bowl Ball State W 27–13 1980 Roy Kidd Camellia Bowl Boise State L 29–31 1981 Roy Kidd Pioneer Bowl Idaho State L 23–34 1982 Roy Kidd Pioneer Bowl Delaware W 17–14 2020 Walt WellsOpportunity BowlWestern CarolinaW 49–17 2021 Walt WellsOpportunity BowlJacksonville StateW 39–31

Playoff appearances NCAA Division I-AA/FCS Eastern Kentucky University football is considered the first dynasty in FCS football. Including a four-year run to the championship game from 1979 to 1982. During this time period they went 46–7 under legendary coach Roy Kidd. Eastern Kentucky is second all time in the FCS for playoff appearances with 23 total (Montana 28/UNI 22). Below is a list of all playoff appearances. 1979 SemifinalsChampionship NevadaLehigh W 33–30 2OTW 30–7 1980 SemifinalsChampionship LehighBoise State W 23–20L 29–31 1981 QuarterfinalsSemifinalsChampionship DelawareBoise StateIdaho State W 35–28W 23–17L 23–34 1982 QuarterfinalsSemifinalsChampionship IdahoTennessee StateDelaware W 38–30W 13–7W 17–14 1983 First Round Boston University L 20–24 1984 First Round Middle Tennessee L 10–27 1986 First RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinals FurmanEastern IllinoisArkansas State W 23–10W 24–22L 10–24 1987 First RoundQuarterfinals Western KentuckyNortheast Louisiana W 40–17L 32–33 1988 First RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinals UMassWestern KentuckyGeorgia Southern W 28–17W 41–24L 17–21 1989 First Round Youngstown State L 24–28 1990 First Round Furman L 17–45 1991 First RoundQuarterfinalsSemifinals Appalachian StateMiddle TennesseeMarshall W 14–3W 23–13L 7–14 1992 First Round Marshall L 0–44 1993 First Round Georgia Southern L 12–14 1994 First RoundQuarterfinals Boston UniversityYoungstown State W 30–23L 15–18 1995 First Round Montana L 0–48 1997 First Round Western Kentucky L 14–42 2007 First Round Richmond L 14–31 2008 First Round Richmond L 10–38 2011 First Round James Madison L 17–20 2014 First Round Indiana State L 16–36 2022 First Round Gardner–Webb L 41–52 2024 First Round Villanova L 17–22

NCAA Division II The Colonels made one appearance in the Division II playoffs, with a record of 0–1. 1976 Quarterfinals North Dakota State L, 7–10

Head coaches 1909 Jim Park 0–0–4 0 1910–1911 Clyde H. Wilson 2–7–1 0 1912 Charles A. Keith 3–4–1 0 1913–1916 Ben Barnard 8–13–2 0 1919–1921 Clyde McCoy 3–6–1 0 1922–1928 George Hembree 21–29–4 0 1929–1934 Turkey Hughes 8–29–6 0 1935–1946 Rome Rankin 56–24–6 0 1947–1953 Tom Samuels 41–24–2 0 1954–1963 Glenn Presnell 42–49–3 2 1964–2002 Roy Kidd 315–123–8 16 2003–2007 Danny Hope 35–22 1 2008–2015 Dean Hood 55–38 2 2016–2019 Mark Elder 21–24 0 2020–present Walt Wells 35–33 1

Rivalries

Western Kentucky

The Battle of the Bluegrass is the name given to the Eastern Kentucky–Western Kentucky football rivalry. Both schools were formerly members of the Ohio Valley Conference and played against each other regularly until Western Kentucky's transition from the NCAA's FCS to FBS in 2008. The two teams have met 84 times on the football field, with Western Kentucky currently holding a 47–35–3 edge in the all-time series. This rivalry has been known to be particularly competitive with neither team gaining an edge until recent history with Western moving up to the FBS level. It is known as the oldest and most fierce rivalry the commonwealth of Kentucky has, even more so than larger schools of the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville's Governors Cup game because of how many times the teams met, the longevity of the rivalry, and the important conference implications the annual game used to hold.

After a nearly nine year pause, the series resumed again in 2017, when Western Kentucky hosted Eastern Kentucky in a game played at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium, where Western Kentucky won 31–17. After another seven year pause, the teams met again on September 7, 2024, at Western Kentucky, where they won once again 31–0.

Morehead State

The Old Hawg Rifle is the name of the rivalry trophy between the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and the Morehead State Eagles. This rivalry was important because the schools are in such close proximity and are serving the same general Eastern Kentucky region. The gun is an antique, pre-Revolutionary War muzzleloader that is rumored to have once been used in Kentucky's Rowan County War. The rifle has not been actively used in the rivalry since 1962, though the two teams have continued to play against each other since then. The rifle is currently kept on display in the Morehead State student center. The two teams have met 73 times on the football field, with Eastern Kentucky currently holding a 53–16–4 edge in the all-time series. Eastern Kentucky has won 28 out of the last 29 matchups.

Program records

Team records Consecutive winning seasons: 31, 1977–2008 Consecutive wins: 18, 1982–1983 Consecutive National Title appearances: 4, 1979–1982

Individual records Most rushing yards (game): 300 Markus Thomas against Marshall 1989 Most rushing yards (season): 1,998 Elroy Harris in the 1988 season Most rushing yards (career): 5,532 Markus Thomas 1989–1992Most passing yards (game): 464 Bennie Coney against Tennessee Tech 2015Most passing yards (season): 2,861 Josh Greco in the 2005 seasonMost passing yards (career): 12,756 Parker McKinney 2018–2023Most receiving yards (game): 316 Aaron Marsh against Northwood 1967Most receiving yards (season): 1,150 Andre Ralston in the 2005 seasonMost receiving yards (career): 3,095 Andre Ralston 2002–2005Most completions (season):'225 Bennie Coney 2015

Future non-conference opponents Announced schedules as of August 24, 2026.

at Western Carolina at Vanderbilt Western Carolina at Kentucky at Jacksonville State at Chattanooga at Middle Tennessee Chattanooga Southeast Missouri at Cincinnati Dayton Tennessee Tech at Tennessee Tech

References

External links