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ATHENS, Ohio –Happy first week of classes Bobcats! It's finally game week as Ohio football begins its journey to Detroit, while Ohio volleyball opens the season with the 2025 Bobcat Invitational presented By Athens County Convention & Visitors Bureau, while field hockey, cross country and women's golf also kick off their season. Check out everything that's ahead for Ohio Athletics in this week's Paw Prints, presented by Memorial Health System.
FOOTBALL
Aug. 28 / at Rutgers / Piscataway, NJ / SHI Stadium / 6 p.m. ET / BTN / Watch / Live Stats / Listen / Ohio Notes / Rutgers Notes / Digital Guide
The Ohio football team is set to open the 2025 season when it takes on Rutgers on Thursday, Aug. 28, at SHI Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. ET and can be seen on the Big Ten Network with Jason Horowitz, Brock Vereen and Caroline Hendershot on the call. The Bobcats' matchup can also be heard on the Ohio Sports Network from Learfield, presented by Holzer Health System. Veteran Ohio radio personality Marty Bannister is reprising his role as Ohio's play-by-play broadcaster. Bannister will be joined by color analyst Rob Cornelius, who has been a part of the broadcasts for more than two decades.
The Bobcats and the Scarlet Knights have met three times: 1937, 2006 and 2011. Under Don Peden, Ohio snagged a 13-0 win but fell short twice with Frank Solich at the helm. The teams' last matchup featured multiple record-setting Bobcats, with two of the top three single-season receivers—No. 2 La'Von Brazill and No. 3 Donte' Foster— and highly decorated quarterback Tyler Tettleton leading the charge. Tettleton holds the single-season and career passing records for yards, attempts, completions and touchdowns.
After serving as the interim head coach in the weeks between 2024 postseason games, Brian Smith was named Ohio's 30th head coach in program history (Dec. 18, 2024). Heading into his first season at the helm, he boasts a 1-0 record.Smith joined Ohio's staff as the running backs coach in 2022, quickly becoming an associate head coach before the 2023 season. In 2024, he began calling Ohio's plays as the offensive coordinator. Smith's offense in 2024 led the Mid- American Conference in points per game at 29.2, yards per game at 399.8, total yards at 5,198 and rushing yards at 2,758.
Leading Ohio in the quarterback room will be 2024 MAC Championship Game Offensive MVP and Phil Steele preseason All- MAC First Team selection Parker Navarro. Navarro enters 2025 with 21 career games as a Bobcat where he has tallied 2,423 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, 1,054 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns.
Head Coach Greg Schiano enters his 17th season with the Scarlet Knights where he has amassed a program record 94 wins. In 2024 with Rutgers, Schiano led his team to a second consecutive bowl appearance for the first time since 2009. Senior quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis enters his second season with Rutgers after recording 13 starts in his last season. In 2024 with the Scarlet Knights, Kaliakmanis recorded 2,696 passing yards with 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. In 2024, Kaliakmanis was the only quarterback in the Big 10 to attempt every passing attempt for his respective team.
VOLLEYBALL
Aug. 29 / 2025 Bobcat Invitational Presented By Athens County Convention & Visitors Bureau / Bucknell vs. Iowa State / Athens, Ohio / Convocation Center / 3:30 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Free Admission
Aug. 29 / 2025 Bobcat Invitational Presented By Athens County Convention & Visitors Bureau / vs.Bucknell / Athens, Ohio / Convocation Center / 7:30 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Digital Guide / Tickets
Aug. 30 / 2025 Bobcat Invitational Presented By Athens County Convention & Visitors Bureau / Bucknell vs. Eastern Illinois / Athens, Ohio / Convocation Center / 12 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Free Admission
Aug. 30 / 2025 Bobcat Invitational Presented By Athens County Convention & Visitors Bureau / vs. Iowa State / Athens, Ohio / Convocation Center / 5 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Digital Guide / Tickets
Aug. 31 / 2025 Bobcat Invitational Presented By Athens County Convention & Visitors Bureau / Eastern Illinois / Athens, Ohio / Convocation Center / 12 p.m. ET / ESPN+ / Watch / Live Stats / Digital Guide / Tickets
The Ohio volleyball team opens the 2025 season this weekend with the 2025 Bobcat Invitational Presented By Athens County Convention & Visitors Bureau. The three-day event will see Ohio, Iowa State, Eastern Illinois and Bucknell battle it out in the Convo. The weekend begins on Friday, Aug. 29 at 3:30 p.m. when Bucknell and Iowa State take the court to open tournament. Ohio and Bucknell will battle it out on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The weekend continues on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 12 p.m. with Bucknell and Eastern Illinois, before Ohio and Iowa State face off at 5 p.m. The weekend continues on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 12 p.m. with Ohio and Eastern Illinois. All five matches can be seen on ESPN+, while the non-Ohio matches will be free to attend. If you are interested in seeing the Bobcats play, fans can get tickets here.
Bucknell finished 2024 with a 21-5 record and a 13-3 mark in conference play, while this season's squad was selected to place third in the Patriot League. Iowa State finished last season 10-18 overall and 4-13 in the Big 12, while Eastern Illinois finished 2024 9-19 with a 5-13 conference mark and were picked to place ninth in the OVC in this year's preseason poll.
The Bobcats enter 2025 with Kenzie Brinkman leading the Bobcats after being named the interim head coach in May. The Bobcats finished 2024 with a 14-15 record and a 10-8 mark in MAC play.
SOCCER
Aug. 28 / at Oakland / Rochester Hills, Mich. / Oakland Soccer Field / 6 p.m. ET / Live Stats
The Bobcats season continues this week as Ohio soccer (1-3-0) looks to get back on track with one match on the schedule. Ohio heads to Rochester Hills, Mich. on Thursday, Aug. 28 to take on Oakland (1-2-1). First touch is set for 6 p.m. ET at the Oakland Soccer Field. The match will not be streamed.
Oakland is currently 1-2-1 and is coming off a loss at Toledo on Sunday. The Grizzlies earned a win against Mercyhurst and tied Valpo over the first two weeks of the regular season.
Ohio is coming off an 0-2 week that say that Bobcats fall at Pitt before dropping a home matchup with Marshall on Sunday. Sophomore Sania Dearing scored the Bobcats goal on Sunday against Marshall.
CROSS COUNTRY
Aug. 29 / at Thundering Herd Invitational / Huntington, W. Va. / Marshall University Cross Country Course / Women's 5k: 6 p.m. ET, Men's 5k: 6:45 p.m. ET / Meet Information
Ohio men's and women's cross country open the season on Friday, Aug. 29 at the 2025 Thundering Herd Invitational hosted by Marshall. The event is set to take place at the Marshall University Cross Country Course in Huntington, W.Va. The women's 5k is set to being at 6 p.m. ET, with the men's 5k to follow at 6:45 p.m. ET.
The Ohio women's squad looks to improve on last year's second-place finish at MACs and seventh-place finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional and return All-MAC finishers Leila Boussedra and Allie Martin, while the men's squad returns All-MAC finisher Andrew Bracken.The men are looking to improve on last year's fifth-place finish at MACs and 16th NCAA Great Lakes regional finish.
FIELD HOCKEY
Aug. 30 / vs. Michigan State / Louisville, Ky. / Trager Stadium / 11 a.m. ET / Live Stats
Aug. 31 / at Louisville / Louisville, Ky. / Trager Stadium / 1 p.m. ET / ACCNX / Watch / Live Stats
The Ohio field hockey teams opens the 2025 season Aug. 30-31 in Louisville, Ky. Ohio beings the season on Saturday, Aug. 30 against Big Ten opponent Michigan State. First touch is set for 11 a.m. ET at Trager Stadium. The Bobcats wrap up the weekend on Sunday, Aug. 31 at 1 p.m. when they take on host and ACC opponent Louisville. That match can be seen on ACCNX.
Last season Michigan State finished 8-10 overall and 1-7 in Big Ten play. The Bobcats defeated the Spartans last year in double overtime. Meanwhile, Louisville finished last season 8-11 and 1-7 in ACC play and were selected to finish eighth in this year's ACC Preseason Poll.
Ohio finished last season 7-11 and 3-5 in MAC play. The Bobcats return All-MAC First Teams selection Anouk Plaehn and last season's goals and points leader, Sasha Dikotla.
WOMEN'S GOLF
Aug. 31-Sept. 1 / at 2025 A-Ga-Ming Invitational / Kewadin, Mich. / Sundance Golf Course / All Day / Live Results
The Ohio women's golf team opens the 2025-26 season Aug. 31-Sept. 1 at the 2025 A-Ga-Ming Invitational. The two-day event is hosted by Central Michigan at the Sundance Golf Course in Kewdin, Mich. The tournament beings with 36 holes on Sunday, before concluding the tournament with 18 holes on Monday.
Competing in this year's event are Central Michigan, Oakland, Loyola Chicago, Niagara, Detriot Mercy, WMU, Bellarmine, Green bay, BGSU, Ohio, Bradley and Chicago State.
Ohio returns key contributors from last year's team, including junior Zoe Luebbers, senior Mackenzie McRee and junior Morgan Rodgers
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