Shortly after Rusty Wright was named the head football coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, he promised to do everything he could to improve the fan experience.
Wright took another step toward meeting that goal Monday when he announced the program's season-opening game with Eastern Illinois has been moved from Saturday, Aug. 31, to the previous Thursday at Finley Stadium.
"Any chance we have to play at home on a Thursday night, especially for the opener, is a huge opportunity," Wright said in a UTC release. "For years, our fans have wanted more Thursday night games, so we now have two this season. I hope to see some big crowds at all six of our home games, but especially those two Thursday night games."
The Mocs will also play at home on Thursday, Oct. 17, against Southern Conference rival East Tennessee State University.
UTC's schedule also includes a week two game at Jacksonville State, followed by a trip to Knoxville to take on Tennessee. Other home games include Sept. 21 against James Madison, homecoming on Sept. 28 vs. Western Carolina and Nov. 2 and 16 vs. SoCon foes Furman and The Citadel, respectively.
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22