COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Six home games in Tucker Stadium, including four crucial Ohio Valley Conference contests, highlight the Tennessee Tech football schedule for 2008. The 12-game schedule also includes six road games, including visits to Football Bowl Subdivision opponents Western Michigan of the Mid-American Conference and Louisville of the Big East Conference.

Tech's schedule was announced jointly today by Head Coach Watson Brown and Director of Athletics Mark Wilson.

"I'm really excited about this schedule, and at the same time it's going to be very tough," said Watson Brown as he heads into his second season as Golden Eagle head coach. "I can't imagine Tech ever having a tougher schedule, and we're going to have a very young team, which will make it even tougher."

Tech's four OVC games in Tucker Stadium are against the four most successful programs this decade - the four visiting teams have combined to win the last seven OVC championships.

"Our home schedule is really good," Brown said. "We start with a good Gardner-Webb team, and we face four OVC teams that have won championships recently.

"I also like that we have three Thursday night contests," he said. "I like Thursday night games. The community really comes out to support us and the students get involved. It should be a great atmosphere for that first game against Gardner-Webb."

Tech's other home games are against Central Methodist plus OVC foes Eastern Kentucky, UT Martin, Jacksonville State and Eastern Illinois

Tech opens the season by hosting Gardner-Webb on Thursday, Aug. 28. The Bulldogs were 5-6 last year, including a win over OVC foe Austin Peay. Tech and GWU split games in 2004 and 2006 in the only two previous meetings.

"They beat us the last time we played," Brown said.

The Golden Eagles then face a stretch of three consecutive road contests, starting with a battle at Louisville on Saturday, Sept. 6, and wrapping up with a trip to Western Michigan on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Sandwiched in between those two FBS games, the Golden Eagles open Ohio Valley Conference play with a game at Southeast Missouri on Saturday, Sept. 13. Tech and SEMO did not meet last year. The Golden Eagles claimed a monumental 32-29 win at SEMO in 2006 in the last meeting with the Redhawks, giving Tech a 9-7 lead in the series.

Tech returns home on Thursday, Sept. 25, to host Central Methodist University, an NAIA opponent from Fayette, Mo. The CMU Eagles are a member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference.

Tech remains at home the next week, hosting defending OVC champ Eastern Kentucky on Saturday, Oct. 4. Tech's other home games are against OVC foes UT Martin (Thursday, Oct. 16), Jacksonville State (Saturday, Nov. 8) and Eastern Illinois (Saturday, Nov. 22).

The remaining road games find Tech playing at Murray State (Saturday, Oct. 11), Austin Peay (Saturday, Oct. 25) and Tennessee State (Saturday, Nov. 1)

"This will be such a young team, with only eight seniors," Brown said. "Out of 100 players, we'll have 25 juniors and seniors and 75 who are freshmen and sophomores. They'll face some really good early tests, with Gardner-Webb and two Bowl Division teams, plus an early conference game at Southeast Missouri.

"It will be tough, but at the same time I think it will be very exciting," he said.

The NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs begin on Saturday, Nov. 29 with first-round games at campus sites. The FCS title game is Friday, Dec. 19, in Chattanooga.

Season tickets for Tech football are on sale, and may be ordered at the Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center or by calling (931) 372-3940.