BUIES CREEK, N.C. - The Campbell football program (3-8, 2-6 Pioneer Football League in 2009) will open next year on the road against NAIA opponent Virginia Wise, Sept. 4, as the 2010 schedule was announced today (Feb. 24) by head coach Dale Steele. The Camels, who open the home portion of the season on Sept. 11 against Old Dominion, are slated to play a total of six home games in 2010 after playing five games at Barker-Lane Stadium/Ed Gore Field during both the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The times for all home games will be announced at a later date.

The Virginia Wise game marks the first time the Camels will open a season on the road after starting both the 2008 (Birmingham-Southern) and the 2009 seasons (Methodist) at the friendly confines of Barker-Lane Stadium. The game against UVA Wise is the first time the Camels have faced the Highland Cavaliers and the second time the team will venture to the state of Virginia since restarting the program. Last season UVA Wise went 5-6 and 4-2 in the Mid-South East Division.

The Camels open the 2010 home portion of the schedule against a somewhat familiar opponent, Old Dominion, on Sept. 11. The Monarchs, who were the first scholarship program the Camels took on since the program was restarted, defeated CU by a 28-17 margin in Norfolk, Va. during the 2009 season. Last season the Monarchs went 9-2 and ended their first season of football on a six-game winning streak.

The ODU game will mark the start of a long homestand for Campbell with CU also scheduled to host Davidson (Sept. 18) and Georgia State (Sept. 25). The Davidson game will mark the second time in as many seasons that the Camels will open Pioneer Football League play against the Wildcats. Davidson College was able to top CU by a 24-7 margin in 2009 and went 3-7 on the season and 3-5 in league play. Georgia State is a first-year program that will be led into Buies Creek by former Alabama head coach Bill Curry. The Georgia State game will also serve as Parents' Day for the Campbell program.

The Camels will then hit the road to take on PFL reigning champion Butler in Indianapolis on Oct. 2. The Bulldogs went 11-1 in 2009 and defeated Central Connecticut by a 28-23 margin in the Gridiron Classic. CU played Butler tough in Buies Creek in 2009 and had the ball with a chance to take the lead in the final minutes of a 23-16 loss to BU.

After the Camels' bye week on Oct. 9, CU gets back in the action and hosts Drake on Oct. 16. The trip to Buies Creek will be the first for the Bulldogs who have defeated the Camels twice in Des Moines over the last two seasons. Drake went 8-3 overall and 6-2 in Pioneer Football League play last season.

Another challenging PFL game follows with the Camels on road against perennial PFL contender Dayton on Oct. 23. The Camels jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead against the Flyers in 2009 but Dayton rallied for the 35-17 victory. The Flyers went 9-2 last season and finished second in the PFL with a 7-1 record

The Camels then return home for a two-game stop in Buies Creek. CU begins the homestand with a match-up with the newest member of the PFL, Marist, on Oct. 30. The game will be Campbell's Homecoming Game. CU played the Red Foxes tough in a 34-13 loss in Poughkeepsie, N.Y in 2009. Marist went 7-4 last season and finished 5-3 in PFL play.

CU then wraps up the 2010 home slate with a contest against Valparaiso on Nov. 6. The Camels defeated Valpo by a 17-3 score in Valparaiso, Ind. in 2009. The win was CU's first road conference victory in the modern era. Valparaiso went 1-10 last season and 0-8 in league play.

Football then makes a pair of road journeys with conference games at Jacksonville (Nov. 13) and Morehead State (Nov. 20). The Camels were able to defeat the Eagles on Halloween last season by a 31-22 margin. The win was Campbell's first ever PFL victory. Jacksonville went 7-4 last season and sported a 6-2 record in conference play. Morehead State ended the 2009 season with a 3-8 record and a 1-7 record in league play.

2010 Campbell Football Schedule