The Eastern Washington University at Florida football game is back on the schedule.
 
The Eagles will travel to play the Gators on Oct. 1, 2022, at 88,548 seat Steve Spurrier-Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville, Fla., the two schools jointly announced on Wednesday (March 24).

The meeting was originally announced in 2016, but the game on Sept. 7, 2020, was unable to be played because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It will be the first-ever game for the Eagles, a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision, versus the Southeastern Conference.
 
"Florida has been a great partner throughout this process," said EWU Associate Vice President/Director of Athletics Lynn Hickey. "We are glad it worked out to re-schedule the game, because our program was looking forward to the challenge of playing a SEC opponent."
 
At the time it was first announced, the Gators were coached by Jim McElwain, a former Eagle. The Montana native spent 15 years in Cheney, Wash., from 1980-94 first as a player and then as a coach. He received his bachelor's degree in 1984 from EWU and also worked on his master's degree while an Eagle.
 
McElwain departed Florida during the 2017 season, and has been the head coach at Central Michigan since 2019.
 
Eastern is 10-27 all-time versus members of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision, and have lost its last three after a 47-14 loss at Washington in 2019. But prior to that, the Eagles had won three of their last seven.
 
The Eagles have a FBS game at UNLV on Sept. 2, 2021, then will play at Oregon on Sept. 3, 2022, prior to playing Florida. Eastern also has games scheduled versus Fresno State (2023) and Washington (2026 and 2028).
 
Eastern had two FBS opponents on its schedule in 2008 when it opened the season with a 49-24 loss at Texas Tech and then were edged by Colorado the next week 31-24.
 
In the 2020-21 winter/spring season, Eastern is currently 2-1 and ranked No. 12 in the STATS Perform top-25 FCS poll heading into this Saturday's (March 27) home game versus Cal Poly.
 
Florida finished the 2020 fall season 8-4 overall (8-2 in the SEC) after falling to Oklahoma 55-20 in the Cotton Bowl. The Gators were led by senior quarterback Kyle Trask, who could be a first-round draft choice in the NFL Draft this April. Florida finished the 2020 season ranked 13th in the Associated Press top-25 poll after ranking as high as third earlier in the season.
 
 

 
Eastern Versus Members of the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision . . .

 
Since the early 1980's when it began the move to become a member of the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (in 1984), Eastern is now 10-27 all-time versus Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Against current Pac-12 Conference members, EWU is now 2-11 (2-13 including losses to Washington State in 1907 and 1908) with a 49-46 upset of 25th-ranked Oregon State in 2013 and a 45-42 win over Washington State in 2016. Eastern has won three of its last 10 games versus FBS foes. A 35-17 win over Connecticut on Sept. 8, 2001, snapped a five-game losing streak versus FBS foes, then a 20-3 win at Idaho in 2012 snapped a 10-game skid. Here is Eastern's complete list of games versus FBS members since 1983.
 
Year - Opponent - Result
1983 - Cal State-Long Beach - W, 20-17
1985 - at Cal State-Long Beach - W, 30-23
1986 - at Cal State-Long Beach - L, 34-35
1990 - at #10 Houston - L, 21-84
1994 - at Utah State - W, 49-31
1996 - at Boise State - W, 27-21
1996 - at Idaho - L, 27-37
1997 - Idaho - W, 24-21
1998 - at Idaho - L, 14-31
1999 - Idaho - L, 21-48
1999 - at Boise State - L, 7-41
2000 - at Oregon State - L, 19-21
2000 - at Boise State - L, 23-41
2001 - at Connecticut - W, 35-17
2002 - at Arizona State - L, 2-38
2003 - at San Diego State - L, 9-19
2003 - at Idaho - W, 8-5
2004 - at Air Force - L, 20-42
2005 - at San Jose State - L, 21-35
2006 - at Oregon State - L, 17-56
2006 - at #6 West Virginia - L, 3-52
2007 - at Brigham Young - L, 7-42
2008 - at #12 Texas Tech - L, 24-49
2008 - at Colorado - L, 24-31
2009 - at #10 California - L, 7-59
2010 - at Nevada - L, 24-49
2011 - at Washington - L, 27-30
2012 - at Idaho - W, 20-3
2012 - at Washington State - L, 20-24
2013 - at #25 Oregon State - W, 49-46
2013 - at Toledo - L, 21-33
2014 - at Washington (9/6/14) - L, 52-59
2015 - at #7 Oregon (9/5/15) - L, 42-61
2016 - at Wash. St. (9/3/16) - W, 45-42
2017 - at Texas Tech (9/2/17) - L, 10-56
2018 - at Washington State (9/15/18) - L, 24-59
2019 - at Washington (8/31/19) - L, 14-47
2021 - at UNLV (9/2/21)
2022 - at Oregon (9/3/22)
2022 – at Florida (10/1/22)
2023 - at Fresno State (9/9/23)
2026 - at Washington (date either 9/5, 9/12 or 9/19)
2028 - at Washington (date either 9/2, 9/9 or 9/16)