Western Kentucky announced a pair of future home-and-home series on Wednesday.
First, the Hilltoppers will host Troy on Oct. 1, 2022 and return the favor on Sept. 23, 2023. The former Sun Belt bunk mates have played a dozen times previously and met on an annual basis from 2007-13. Troy owns a 9-2-1 edge, including scoreboard in their most recent meeting, a 32-26 Trojans win in Bowling Green on Oct. 26, 2013.
Second, WKU will host Cincinnati on Sept. 20, 2025 and visit Cincinnati on Sept. 26, 2026. Despite being just a three-hours-and-change drive apart, the two sides have never met.
“Attractive, regional match-ups are always something we strive for in scheduling, and the addition of Cincinnati and Troy continue that trend for our future football schedules,” WKU AD Todd Stewart said in a statement. “Fan bases from each program will be able to easily travel to these games, whether they are here in Houchens-Smith Stadium or on the road, and they will be exciting, competitive match-ups.”
The Troy games complete WKU’s 2022 and ’23 non-conference schedules. The Hilltoppers open 2022 with a trip to Hawaii before facing Austin Peay at home a week later. They’ll visit Indiana and Auburn in back-to-back weeks before opening Conference USA play. In 2023, WKU hosts South Florida and Houston Baptist to open the year before visiting Alabama and Troy in the next two weeks. Western Kentucky also has a road game at Liberty scheduled for 2025, but no other opponents on the docket other that Cincinnati for 2026.
Troy will also visit Ole Miss in addition to Western Kentucky in 2022, and has a road date with Kansas State lined up two weeks before its home date with WKU.
Cincinnati’s 2025 slate is now complete with the WKU game; the Bearcats open with home games against Miami (Ohio) and Nebraska, then host Boise State after their Sept. 20 visit to Bowling Green. The following year, Cincinnati meets Miami (Ohio) at the Bengals’ Paul Brown Stadium before hosting WKU.