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Football Season Kicks Off Sept. 6 at Wartburg

Home Opener Set for Sept. 13, Homecoming Oct. 18

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (07/02/2025) — The Monmouth College football team will kick off the 2025 season under the lights at perennial power Wartburg on Saturday, September 6. The 10-game schedule, announced on Tuesday, includes a home Turkey Bowl and a Homecoming date against Cornell. This will be the 11th season of Monmouth football under head coach Chad Braun who has an overall record of 76-19 with a 59-4 mark in Midwest Conference play.

Coming off an 8-3 overall season and an 8-1 Midwest Conference mark, the Scots open against Wartburg for the fifth straight season. The 2025 matchup will be a 7 p.m. kickoff at Walston-Hoover stadium in Waverly, Iowa. The Knights won the American Rivers Conference and a NCAA Playoff game last season after going to the semifinals in 2023. Wartburg leads the all-time series 11-2 with five straight wins, including a 38-24 triumph in Monmouth last season.

The Midwest Conference opener and the home opener are set for week 2 as the Scots host Lawrence University at 1 p.m. on September 13. The Scots won at home against the Vikings last September with a 52-2 result. Monmouth leads the all-time series 35-25 and have won 20 in a row dating back to 1999.

The Scots return to Lake Forest in week 3 with a highly anticipated September 20 showdown against the defending MWC champions. This matchup has been near the end of the schedule the last four seasons and has impacted the MWC title race each time. Last season, the Foresters claimed the MWC title with a come-from-behind 35-28 win in week 9. Monmouth leads the all-time series 32-21-2 but the Foresters have won three of the last four.

After the bye week, the Scots stay on the road and play at Grinnell at 1 p.m. on October 4. The Scots went to Rosenbloom Field last season and won 49-7, their 10th straight victory against the Pioneers. Monmouth leads the all-time series 50-21-3 with the last Grinnell win coming in 2012.

Monmouth finally returns home on October 11 for their first game at April Zorn in nearly a month. With Fall Break in full swing the Scots welcome Illinois College for a 1 p.m. kickoff. The Scots beat the Blueboys 44-24 at home last season to avenge a 2023 road loss. The Scots are 8-1 against IC under head coach Chad Braun and 25-5 over the last 30 matchups. The all-time record is 47-14-2 in favor of the Scots.

Homecoming is scheduled for Saturday, October 18 and the Scots will host Cornell College at 2 p.m. This marks Cornell's second straight appearance at April Zorn as they gave Monmouth fits last season in a 38-28 Fighting Scots win. Monmouth leads the all-time series 40-39-1 with 10 straight wins dating back to a Rams victory in 2013.

After two straight home games, the Scots go back on the road to finish October for a week 7 game at Beloit on October 25. Last year the Scots hosted the Buccaneers and won 55-3. The last game at Strong Stadium was in 2023, a 59-3 Monmouth win. The Scots have won 10 straight against Beloit dating back to 2010 and lead the all-time series 40-21.

The Scots stay on the road to start November with a week 8 game in Chicago on November 1. This is the final road game of the 2025 regular season and marks the second straight season the teams play at Stagg Field where Monmouth won 34-21 in September 2024. Chicago leads the all-time series 9-8 but haven't won since 1981 with the Scots taking the last seven matchups.

The Scots return home for a 1 p.m. week 9 kickoff against Ripon College on November 8. The Scots hosted the Red Hawks last year for Senior Day and won 56-13. Ripon leads the all-time series 35-30-3 but Monmouth has won the last seven in this matchup, dating back to a 50-47 Ripon home win in 2012. The Red Hawks last won at April Zorn in 2001.

As is custom, the season ends with the Turkey Bowl as Monmouth hosts Knox at Noon on Saturday, November 15. The Scots have claimed 25 straight Turkey Bowl wins, dating back to 1998. Last year the Scots won in Galesburg 49-0 and lead the all-time series 75-50-10. Knox last came to April Zorn in 2023 and the Scots won 42-7. The November 15 contest will also serve as Senior Day for the Fighting Scots.

The NCAA Playoff selections will come on November 16 and the playoffs begin the weekend of November 21-22. The Cousins Subs Lakefront Bowl will be on Saturday, November 22 in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. The Fighting Scots have represented the Midwest Conference in each of the previous three seasons, going 2-1.

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