For the first time in 14 years and only the second time in program history, Faulkner football will travel to face an opponent from the NCAA Division I ranks. The university's athletic department reached an agreement with the University of the Incarnate Word to play a game Oct. 22 in San Antonio, Texas.

"From a football perspective, it gives our guys the opportunity to go out and compete against an unlikely opponent, a very good unlikely opponent. It will be a unique experience for them to potentially play a Top 25 Division I football team," Faulkner Head Coach Rob Gray, said. "I played at Jacksonville State University and this was always a common theme for us. We normally scheduled a game against a Power 5 opponent and, to most people, they were called money games, but to us players, they were called opportunities. We had an opportunity to do something that nobody believed could be done, except us. We took a lot of pride in showing those teams that we had ability as well. The stadium and the environment will be something that our guys won't ever forget."

Members of the Southland Conference, the Cardinals enter the season ranked No. 13 in the NCAA FCS poll after having bowed out of the second round of the playoffs a season ago. The contest with Faulkner becomes the fifth home game of the 2022 season for UIW, which will host the Eagles in between road tilts with Nicholls State and Texas A&M-Commerce.

"To me this will be a great opportunity for our University. I think it does great for us in terms of us getting National Exposure and getting our brand out there," Gray added. "We have great things to offer at our school and hopefully this game will get potential students asking questions about Faulkner University. We get to live out our Christian teachings through football on a national stage."

The game will mark only the second time the Eagles have played against a team from the NCAA. The other occasion came Sept. 6, 2008 when Faulkner traveled to play Samford. A Nov. 10, 2007 game against Southwestern Assemblies of God in Waxahachie, Texas stands as the only other game the Eagles have played in the Lone Star State.
The game, which is Faulkner's first outside the ranks of the NAIA since a Sept. 17, 2011 contest against Huntingdon, will follow an Oct. 15 road date against Lindsey Wilson.

"We are in, what I believe to be, the toughest conference in NAIA Football. From top to bottom, week in to week out, you can't take any days off. We will see the best brand of football in the NAIA. This trip means that we will then see the best brand of football in FCS Football," Gray said. "I asked a few of the players on our leadership committee and gathered their thoughts on how they felt about potentially playing against them and their faces lit up. We owe it to them to say 'yes' to this game. It will be a great experience for them. It will be great for Faulkner University, something our players will be able to talk about for years. We take a lot of pride in how hard we prepare, how hard we practice, and how hard we play. I look forward to lining up against them and seeing our guys go to battle. We look forward to playing UIW, but our main focus right now is Reinhardt. We are even more excited about getting to play them at The Bill."