BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—A game against Arkansas in Little Rock, a trip to Atlanta to play Georgia State and the always-tough Southern Conference slate highlight the 2013 Samford football schedule, released by the school on Monday.
 
Samford opens the season by travelling to Atlanta to take on the Georgia State Panthers in the Georgia Dome on either Thursday, Aug. 29 or Friday, Aug. 30. The meeting will be the first-ever between the Bulldogs and Panthers.
 
The Bulldogs will then take on a Southeastern Conference school for the third-straight season when they travel to Little Rock, Ark., on Sept. 7 to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks at War Memorial Stadium. The game will mark the first-ever contest between Samford and Arkansas.
 
“Obviously, it will be a big challenge for us to open the season at Georgia State,” Samford head coach Pat Sullivan said. “It will be a treat for our players and fans to go over and play in the Georgia Dome. And then to follow that up by going to Little Rock to play an SEC team in Arkansas will be a tremendous challenge.”
 
After an open week, Samford will play its next three games at home. The Bulldogs' home opener will be played on Sept. 21, when they play host to Southeastern Louisiana at Seibert Stadium. The game will mark the third all-time meeting between Samford and Southeastern Louisiana. The series is tied at 1-1, with the most recent meeting coming in 1965.
 
Samford will open Southern Conference play on Sept. 28, when the Bulldogs play host to Western Carolina, which will be a part of Family Weekend on the Samford campus. Samford will wrap up the three-game homestand by playing host to the Georgia Southern Eagles, who are coming off three-straight appearances in the semifinals of the Division I-FCS playoffs, on Oct. 5.
 
“In conference play, each week is a challenge, and we know we have to bring our A game each week,” Sullivan said. “We will look forward to that challenge again this season.”
 
Samford will then play its next four games on the road. The Bulldogs will open the road swing with a game at Appalachian State on Oct. 12. After another open week, Samford will play at Wofford on Oct. 26, followed by games at The Citadel on Nov. 2 and Furman on Nov. 9.
 
The Bulldogs will close out the regular season with a pair of home games. Samford will play host to Chattanooga for the team's 2013 Homecoming game on Nov. 16. The Bulldogs will then play host to Elon on Nov. 23 to wrap up the 2013 regular season.
 
Ticket information for the 2013 season will be released later this spring and all details will then be available online at www.samfordsports.com/tickets or by phone at (205) 726-DOGS.
 
 
2013 SAMFORD FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
 
DATE                         OPPONENT                         
Aug. 29 or 30             at Georgia State                     
Sept. 7                        at Arkansas#                          
Sept. 14                      OPEN
Sept. 21                      Southeastern Louisiana
Sept. 28                      Western Carolina (Family Weekend)*                 
Oct. 5                          Georgia Southern*                 
Oct. 12                        at Appalachian State*            
Oct. 19                        OPEN
Oct. 26                        at Wofford*                           
Nov. 2                         at The Citadel*                      
Nov. 9                         at Furman*                             
Nov. 16                       Chattanooga (Homecoming)*                        
Nov. 23                       Elon*                                                                         
 
*-Southern Conference Game
#-Little Rock, Ark.