Western Kentucky's first season under coach Mike Sanford will officially begin under the lights. The Hilltoppers are set to host in-state foe Eastern Kentucky at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2 to open the 2017 season.
The renewal of the “Battle of the Bluegrass” matchup with Eastern Kentucky will mark the 86th time the two programs have met on the gridiron, dating back to 1914. The Hilltoppers and Colonels last met in 2008, and WKU leads the all-time series 48-34-3.
After a road trip to Illinois (Sept. 9), WKU will host back-to-back night games in the Conference USA opener versus Louisiana Tech (Sept.