Furman University announced on May 7 that its football team will open the 2026 season on Thursday, August 27, facing Anderson at Paladin Stadium with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m.
The matchup marks the first meeting between Furman and Anderson in football. The game will feature former Commerce High School and Paladin teammates Clay Hendrix and Bobby Lamb. Hendrix is currently Furman’s head coach, while Lamb leads Anderson’s program after previously serving as Furman’s head coach from 2002 to 2010 and later coaching at Mercer from 2013 to 2019.
“It’s always exciting to talk about the opening game for football season, especially the Thursday openers, which for us have been terrific environments,” said Clay Hendrix. “Having Furman Hall of Famer Bobby Lamb bring his team and fans from Anderson should be a fun and exciting way to kick off our season.”
Recent history shows success in Thursday home openers for Furman. In its last such game in 2023, the Paladins defeated Tennessee Tech by a score of 45-10 at Paladin Stadium. The previous year saw a similar result with a win over North Greenville.
The early part of Furman’s upcoming schedule includes games against Tennessee on September 5, defending Southern Conference champion Mercer on September 12, South Carolina State—winner of the previous year’s Celebration Bowl—on September 19, and Richmond on September 26. The team expects to return thirty lettermen next season, including ten starters from the end of last year.
One key player is Joshua Stoneking, who was named a consensus All-American defensive end in Football Championship Subdivision play after leading the nation with fourteen-and-a-half sacks and twenty-three tackles for loss last year.
The full schedule lists additional matchups throughout October and November against teams such as Wofford (Family Weekend), Samford (Bicentennial/Homecoming), Western Carolina, The Citadel, Chattanooga, and VMI.
