Lehigh announces 2018 football schedule, spring practice dates
3/9/2018 2:08:00 PM | Football, Tickets
2018 Football Schedule
BETHLEHEM, Pa.  – Five home games and Lehigh's first matchup against an FBS school since 2003, highlight the 2018 Lehigh football schedule, announced Friday. The Mountain Hawks will travel to Annapolis, Md. on September 15 to take on Navy. Teams from the Northeast Conference and Colonial Athletic Association will visit Goodman Stadium this fall along with three key Patriot League contests for the two-time defending league champions.
Â
For the sixth time in seven years, the Mountain Hawks will kick off their season at Goodman Stadium. Lehigh will welcome Saint Francis (Pa.) to Bethlehem to open the season on September 1 before hosting Villanova the following week. The Red Flash and Wildcats both finished 5-6 last season but one of Villanova's five victories included a 38-35 win over Lehigh at Goodman Stadium. Â Saint Francis won the NEC in 2016 and played Villanova in an opening round game after the Wildcats earned an at-large playoff berth.
Â
"It's important for us to have the opportunity to play our first two games at home," said Lehigh head coach Andy Coen, who begins his 13th season. "We need to play better at the beginning of our schedule, which is something that we didn't do a very good job of last year. It's very important for us to start stronger than we have in the past couple years. It's going to be a challenge, but I think with the returners we have in our program and the group of young student athletes that are going to be playing with us as freshmen, it will be exciting to see these guys play develop during the early part of the season."
Â
The Mountain Hawks will then head to Navy on September 15 for their first meeting with the Midshipmen since 1987 and first game against an FBS opponent since a 35-17 loss at Connecticut in 2003. Lehigh won the most recent meeting against Navy, which is a fellow Patriot League member in most other sports, in 1987, but the Midshipmen lead the all-time series 15-6. The Midshipmen are fresh off a 7-6 season that concluded with a 49-7 win over Virginia in the Military Bowl.
Â
"It's a very challenging schedule," Coen said. "We always try to put together a strong schedule and we've certainly done that with this one. We open with Saint Francis, which has been a strong program out of the NEC and we'll get another crack at a very strong CAA team in Villanova.
Â
"Obviously everyone's very excited about the Navy game, our first FBS opponent since 2003," Coen continued. We're looking forward to the opportunity to compete against the Naval Academy and I'm sure that's something our alumni and fans will be looking forward to as well."
Â
Following its big matchup against Navy, the Mountain Hawks will close out the non-league portion of their schedule with two road games against Ivy League opponents. Lehigh will travel to Philadelphia on September 22 to take on Penn in its final game before its bye week. After the bye week, the Mountain Hawks will visit New Jersey to face Princeton on October 6. Penn finished 6-4 in 2017 including a 65-47 shootout win at Goodman Stadium. The Tigers finished one game behind the Quakers with a 5-5 mark. Lehigh beat Princeton 42-28 in their last matchup in 2016.
Â
Patriot League play begins on October 13 when the Mountain Hawks host Fordham. Last year's game, won 45-35 by the Rams in the Bronx is Lehigh's only loss in Patriot League over the last two seasons.
Â
The Mountain Hawks will then hit the road for their next two games as they will visit Georgetown on October 20 and Holy Cross on October 27. Lehigh has won 17 straight games against the Hoyas, who are looking to bounce back from a 1-10 season; and have won three straight against the Crusaders, who have brought in a new coaching staff and are looking to bounce back from a 4-7 campaign in 2017.
Â
Lehigh will not have to leave the Lehigh Valley for its final three regular season games in November. The Mountain Hawks will host Bucknell on November 3 and then will host Colgate on November 10 in the home finale, in a contest that matches last year's Patriot League Co-Champions against one another. Lehigh has won the last three games against Bucknell and the last two against Colgate, including a 41-38 triumph last year in Hamilton, N.Y. that gave the Mountain Hawks the tiebreaker for the Patriot League's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.
Â
"These November games are always important so it will be nice to have them at home," Coen said. "These games always seem to determine the Patriot League Championship, which is obviously our goal every year. We've been able to accomplish that over the last two seasons and we want continue to be in that same situation and I really feel we have the ability to do this but it's going to be important to see throughout the course of the season, how our young players develop because we're going to need them."
The regular season will conclude with the 154th edition of The Rivalry on November 17 in Easton. The Mountain Hawks have won the last three meetings against the Leopards, including a 38-31 triumph last season in a game that clinched the Patriot League championship, and eight of the last ten games in the series.
Â
Lehigh football season ticket renewals will begin in early April along with the release of ticket information for the Navy game.
Â
Coming off a 5-1 conference season, including the program's 12th Patriot League championship and second straight playoff appearance, Lehigh is currently in the midst of offseason workouts and will begin its spring practice segment on Tuesday, March 20.
Â
Over the last several years, the Mountain Hawks have opened spring practice on a Friday, but this year Lehigh has moved its start day up to Tuesday, March 20. Lehigh's spring practice segment will culminate with practice No. 15, the annual Brown and White Spring game, on Saturday, April 21. Lehigh's tentative spring practice schedule is listed below.
Â
2018 Lehigh Football Spring Practice Schedule (Subject to change)
Tuesday, March 20 – 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, March 22 – 4:45 p.m.
Saturday, March 24 – 9:45 a.m.
Tuesday, March 27 – 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, March 29 – 4:45 p.m.
Friday, March 30 – 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 3 – 4:45 p.m.
Friday, April 6 – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 7 – 9:45 a.m.
Monday, April 9 – 4:45 p.m.
Wednesday, April 11 – 4:45 p.m.
Saturday, April 14 – 9:45 a.m.
Tuesday, April 17 – 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, April 19 – 4:45 p.m.
Saturday, April 21 – Spring Game^ - 11 a.m.
Â
^inside Goodman Stadium
Â
BETHLEHEM, Pa.  – Five home games and Lehigh's first matchup against an FBS school since 2003, highlight the 2018 Lehigh football schedule, announced Friday. The Mountain Hawks will travel to Annapolis, Md. on September 15 to take on Navy. Teams from the Northeast Conference and Colonial Athletic Association will visit Goodman Stadium this fall along with three key Patriot League contests for the two-time defending league champions.
Â
For the sixth time in seven years, the Mountain Hawks will kick off their season at Goodman Stadium. Lehigh will welcome Saint Francis (Pa.) to Bethlehem to open the season on September 1 before hosting Villanova the following week. The Red Flash and Wildcats both finished 5-6 last season but one of Villanova's five victories included a 38-35 win over Lehigh at Goodman Stadium. Â Saint Francis won the NEC in 2016 and played Villanova in an opening round game after the Wildcats earned an at-large playoff berth.
Â
"It's important for us to have the opportunity to play our first two games at home," said Lehigh head coach Andy Coen, who begins his 13th season. "We need to play better at the beginning of our schedule, which is something that we didn't do a very good job of last year. It's very important for us to start stronger than we have in the past couple years. It's going to be a challenge, but I think with the returners we have in our program and the group of young student athletes that are going to be playing with us as freshmen, it will be exciting to see these guys play develop during the early part of the season."
Â
The Mountain Hawks will then head to Navy on September 15 for their first meeting with the Midshipmen since 1987 and first game against an FBS opponent since a 35-17 loss at Connecticut in 2003. Lehigh won the most recent meeting against Navy, which is a fellow Patriot League member in most other sports, in 1987, but the Midshipmen lead the all-time series 15-6. The Midshipmen are fresh off a 7-6 season that concluded with a 49-7 win over Virginia in the Military Bowl.
Â
"It's a very challenging schedule," Coen said. "We always try to put together a strong schedule and we've certainly done that with this one. We open with Saint Francis, which has been a strong program out of the NEC and we'll get another crack at a very strong CAA team in Villanova.
Â
"Obviously everyone's very excited about the Navy game, our first FBS opponent since 2003," Coen continued. We're looking forward to the opportunity to compete against the Naval Academy and I'm sure that's something our alumni and fans will be looking forward to as well."
Â
Following its big matchup against Navy, the Mountain Hawks will close out the non-league portion of their schedule with two road games against Ivy League opponents. Lehigh will travel to Philadelphia on September 22 to take on Penn in its final game before its bye week. After the bye week, the Mountain Hawks will visit New Jersey to face Princeton on October 6. Penn finished 6-4 in 2017 including a 65-47 shootout win at Goodman Stadium. The Tigers finished one game behind the Quakers with a 5-5 mark. Lehigh beat Princeton 42-28 in their last matchup in 2016.
Â
Patriot League play begins on October 13 when the Mountain Hawks host Fordham. Last year's game, won 45-35 by the Rams in the Bronx is Lehigh's only loss in Patriot League over the last two seasons.
Â
The Mountain Hawks will then hit the road for their next two games as they will visit Georgetown on October 20 and Holy Cross on October 27. Lehigh has won 17 straight games against the Hoyas, who are looking to bounce back from a 1-10 season; and have won three straight against the Crusaders, who have brought in a new coaching staff and are looking to bounce back from a 4-7 campaign in 2017.
Â
Lehigh will not have to leave the Lehigh Valley for its final three regular season games in November. The Mountain Hawks will host Bucknell on November 3 and then will host Colgate on November 10 in the home finale, in a contest that matches last year's Patriot League Co-Champions against one another. Lehigh has won the last three games against Bucknell and the last two against Colgate, including a 41-38 triumph last year in Hamilton, N.Y. that gave the Mountain Hawks the tiebreaker for the Patriot League's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs.
Â
"These November games are always important so it will be nice to have them at home," Coen said. "These games always seem to determine the Patriot League Championship, which is obviously our goal every year. We've been able to accomplish that over the last two seasons and we want continue to be in that same situation and I really feel we have the ability to do this but it's going to be important to see throughout the course of the season, how our young players develop because we're going to need them."
The regular season will conclude with the 154th edition of The Rivalry on November 17 in Easton. The Mountain Hawks have won the last three meetings against the Leopards, including a 38-31 triumph last season in a game that clinched the Patriot League championship, and eight of the last ten games in the series.
Â
Lehigh football season ticket renewals will begin in early April along with the release of ticket information for the Navy game.
Â
Coming off a 5-1 conference season, including the program's 12th Patriot League championship and second straight playoff appearance, Lehigh is currently in the midst of offseason workouts and will begin its spring practice segment on Tuesday, March 20.
Â
Over the last several years, the Mountain Hawks have opened spring practice on a Friday, but this year Lehigh has moved its start day up to Tuesday, March 20. Lehigh's spring practice segment will culminate with practice No. 15, the annual Brown and White Spring game, on Saturday, April 21. Lehigh's tentative spring practice schedule is listed below.
Â
2018 Lehigh Football Spring Practice Schedule (Subject to change)
Tuesday, March 20 – 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, March 22 – 4:45 p.m.
Saturday, March 24 – 9:45 a.m.
Tuesday, March 27 – 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, March 29 – 4:45 p.m.
Friday, March 30 – 4:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 3 – 4:45 p.m.
Friday, April 6 – 4:30 p.m.
Saturday, April 7 – 9:45 a.m.
Monday, April 9 – 4:45 p.m.
Wednesday, April 11 – 4:45 p.m.
Saturday, April 14 – 9:45 a.m.
Tuesday, April 17 – 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, April 19 – 4:45 p.m.
Saturday, April 21 – Spring Game^ - 11 a.m.
Â
^inside Goodman Stadium
Â
2025 Brown & Flight - Episode 1
Thursday, September 18
Lehigh Sports Central: Football
Wednesday, August 27
2025 Lehigh Football Season Preview: Special Teams
Thursday, August 21
2025 Lehigh Football Season Preview: Defense
Thursday, August 21
