BATESVILLE, Arkansas - Lyon College head football coach Chris Douglas announced on Friday, the new 2024 Scots football schedule in the new Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference.

"We're excited to get into our 2024 SCAC schedule along with two great non-conference games in Week 1 and Week 3," Douglas said. "The off-season is going great and we are looking forward to getting to the season."

The Scots 2024 football schedule is as follows:
Week 1 - September 7, 2024 - at Grinnell College, Grinnell, Iowa
Week 2 - September 14, 2024 - at McMurry University, Abilene, Texas (SCAC)
Week 3 - September 21, 2024 - vs. Howard Payne University, Batesville, Arkansas
Week 4 - September 28, 2024 - vs. Texas Lutheran University, Batesville, Arkansas (SCAC)
Week 5 - October 5, 2024 - at Centenary University, Shreveport, Louisiana (SCAC)
Week 6 - October 12, 2024 - vs. Austin College, Batesville, Arkansas (SCAC)
Week 7 - October 19, 2024 - vs. Centenary University, Batesville, Arkansas (SCAC)
Week 8 - October 26, 2024 - BYE
Week 9 - November 2, 2024 - at Texas Lutheran University, Sequin, Texas (SCAC)
Week 10 - November 9, 2024 - vs. McMurry University, Batesville, Arkansas (SCAC)
Week 11 - November 16, 2024 - at Austin College, Sherman, Texas (SCAC)

The Scots enter the SCAC as an affiliate member. Lyon College is still in the provisional stages of becoming fully NCAA Division III and won't be eligible for post-season play next season. The conference is scheduled to have an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III playoffs by the 2026 season.

Just over a year ago, the SCAC announced its plans to reinstate football as an officially-sponsored conference sport.

Football was an officially sponsored sport of the conference from 1962 (when the league was formed as the College Athletic Conference) through the 2016 season. Texas Lutheran previously competed in the SCAC in football from 2013 to 2016 before joining the ASC as an affiliate. Texas Lutheran won three conference championships (2013-15) in the four years they were a member of the conference in football.

"I give a lot of credit to the football coaches and athletic directors at Austin College, Centenary, McMurry and Lyon for their willingness to adjust their schedules in order to bring Texas Lutheran aboard a season early," said SCAC commissioner Dwayne Hanberry. "Once TLU expressed an interest in beginning their SCAC football journey in 2024, everyone was very excited to do what we could to accommodate their request."

As a five-member football league, the SCAC will play a double round robin schedule in 2024 with each team playing the other home and away for an eight-game conference schedule. Conference competition will begin the second weekend of the season (September 14).

The conference does not yet qualify for a NCAA Tournament berth, but anticipates meeting the six-team minimum once Schreiner University brings football aboard, either in 2025 or 2026,

Next season's conference football schedule is as follows:

September 14
Centenary @ Texas Lutheran
Lyon @ McMurry
Austin College – Off

September 21
Texas Lutheran @ McMurry
Centenary @ Austin College
Lyon – Off

September 28
Texas Lutheran @ Lyon
McMurry @ Austin College
Centenary – Off

October 5
Austin College @ Texas Lutheran
Lyon @ Centenary
McMurry – Off

October 12
Austin College @ Lyon
McMurry @ Centenary
Texas Lutheran – Off

October 19
Texas Lutheran @ Austin College
Centenary @ Lyon
McMurry – Off

October 26
McMurry @ Texas Lutheran
Austin College @ Centenary
Lyon – Off

November 2
Lyon @ Texas Lutheran
Austin College @ McMurry
Centenary – Off

November 9
Texas Lutheran @ Centenary
McMurry @ Lyon
Austin College – Off

November 16
Lyon @ Austin College
Centenary @ McMurry
Texas Lutheran – Off