# Eastern Kentucky Colonels football

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.

## Conference affiliation

* Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1927–1948)
* Ohio Valley Conference (1948–2020)
* ASUN–WAC Challenge (2021)
* ASUN Conference (2022)
* United Athletic Conference (2023–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.
| Season | Coach | Selector | Record | Opponent | Result |
| 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.
| Year | Conference | Head Coach | Overall Record | Conference Record |
| 1954 | Ohio Valley Conference | Glenn Presnell | 8–1–1 | 5–0 |
| 1962 | Ohio Valley Conference | Glenn Presnell | 6–3 | 4–2 |
| 1967 | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 8–1–2 | 5–0–2 |
| 1968 | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 8–2 | 7–0 |
| 1974 | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 8–2 | 6–1 |
| 1976 | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 8–3 | 6–1 |
| 1981 | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 12–2 | 8–0 |
| 1982 | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 13–0 | 7–0 |
| 1983 | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 7–3-1 | 6–1 |
| 1984 | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 8–4 | 6–1 |
| 1986† | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 10–3–1 | 6–1 |
| 1987† | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 9–3 | 5–1 |
| 1988 | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 11–3 | 6–0 |
| 1990† | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 10–2 | 5–1 |
| 1991 | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 12–2 | 7–0 |
| 1993 | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 8–4 | 8–0 |
| 1994 | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 10–3 | 8–0 |
| 1997 | Ohio Valley Conference | Roy Kidd | 8–4 | 7–0 |
| 2007 | Ohio Valley Conference | Danny Hope | 9–3 | 8–0 |
| 2008 | Ohio Valley Conference | Dean Hood | 8–4 | 7–1 |
| 2011† | Ohio Valley Conference | 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.
| Season | Coach | Bowl | Opponent | Result |
| 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 Wells | Opportunity Bowl | Western Carolina | W 49–17 |
| 2021 | Walt Wells | Opportunity Bowl | Jacksonville State | W 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 third all time in the FCS for playoff appearances with 21 total appearances (Montana 26/UNI 22). Below is a list of all playoff appearances.
| Season | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1979 | Semifinals Championship | Nevada Lehigh | W 33–30 $^{2OT}$ W 30–7 |
| 1980 | Semifinals Championship | Lehigh Boise State | W 23–20 L 29–31 |
| 1981 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship | Delaware Boise State Idaho State | W 35–28 W 23–17 L 23–34 |
| 1982 | Quarterfinals Semifinals Championship | Idaho Tennessee State Delaware | W 38–30 W 13–7 W 17–14 |
| 1983 | First Round | Boston University | L 20–24 |
| 1984 | First Round | Middle Tennessee | L 10–27 |
| 1986 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Furman Eastern Illinois Arkansas State | W 23–10 W 24–22 L 10–24 |
| 1987 | First Round Quarterfinals | Western Kentucky Northeast Louisiana | W 40–17 L 32–33 |
| 1988 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | UMass Western Kentucky Georgia Southern | W 28–17 W 41–24 L 17–21 |
| 1989 | First Round | Youngstown State | L 24–28 |
| 1990 | First Round | Furman | L 17–45 |
| 1991 | First Round Quarterfinals Semifinals | Appalachian State Middle Tennessee Marshall | W 14–3 W 23–13 L 7–14 |
| 1992 | First Round | Marshall | L 0–44 |
| 1993 | First Round | Georgia Southern | L 12–14 |
| 1994 | First Round Quarterfinals | Boston University Youngstown State | W 30–23 L 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.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1976 | Quarterfinals | North Dakota State | L, 7–10 |

## Head coaches

| Years | Coach | Record | Conference championships |
| 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-current | Walt Wells | 17–14 | 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 1989–1992
* Most passing yards (game): 464 Bennie Coney against Tennessee Tech 2015
* Most passing yards (season): 2,861 Josh Greco in the 2005 season
* Most passing yards (career): 5,992 Josh Greco 2004–2007
* Most receiving yards (game): 316 Aaron Marsh against Northwood 1967
* Most receiving yards (season): 1,150 Andre Ralston in the 2005 season
* Most receiving yards (career): 3,095 Andre Ralston 2002–2005
* Most completions (season):225 Bennie Coney 2015

## Future non-conference opponents

Announced schedules as of December 27, 2024.
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
| at Louisville | Chattanooga | at Vanderbilt |
| Houston Christian | Dayton | at Chattanooga |
| at Marshall | at Ole Miss | |
| Nicholls | | |