BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. -- West Virginia State, in conjunctions with the Mountain East Conference (MEC) league office, has released its 2020 football schedule. The 2020 MEC football schedule is dependent upon the timing of the return of the regular academic and athletic calendar for the upcoming fall semester due to COVID-19. Games, dates, times, and locations are subject to change.

As it stands, West Virginia State (7-4, 7-3 MEC) will kick off its season at home against Shippensburg (4-7, 4-3 PSAC) on Saturday, Sept. 5th. The Yellow Jackets will then travel to Frostburg State (8-3, 7-3 MEC) next to begin their in-conference schedule. WVSU opened the previous season by defeating the Bobcats on the road, 20-17.

WVSU returns home on the following Saturday, Sept. 19, for a matchup with Fairmont State (5-5, 5-5 MEC). The Yellow Jackets needed a game-winning drive to defeat the Falcons, 42-38, on the road last season.

West Virginia State will then host Notre Dame College (12-2, 9-1 MEC) in week four and have to turn around quickly for a road trip to Urbana (7-4, 7-3 MEC) in week five. The Yellow Jackets will have played three of the top six teams from last year's MEC standings before week six.

WVSU plays West Virginia Wesleyan (1-10, 1-9 MEC) on Oct. 10th before traveling to newcomers UNC-Pembroke (4-7) on Oct. 17th. This is the first year that the Braves will be an associate member of the MEC.

West Virginia State has a home game versus Concord (1-10, 1-9 MEC) in week eight and an away game against Glenville State (7-4, 6-4 MEC) in week nine. The game against the Pioneers will be played on Thursday, Oct. 29. It is the only game not slated for a Saturday on West Virginia State's schedule.

In the penultimate week of the regular season, the Yellow Jackets are scheduled to play West Liberty (5-6, 4-6 MEC) at home. They will then wrap up their 2020 schedule with the short trip across town to rivals Charleston (8-3, 7-3 MEC) on Saturday, Nov. 14th.

Wheeling (1-10, 1-9 MEC) will be left off West Virginia State's 2020 schedule to accommodate UNC-Pembroke. The Braves fielded a football team for the first time in 2007 and previously competed as a NCAA Division II Independent. They have made the Division II Playoffs on three occasions with the most recent appearance coming in 2016.

2020 WVSU Football Schedule
Week 1 (Sept. 5) - Shippensburg
Week 2 (Sept. 12) -@ Frostburg St.
Week 3 (Sept. 19) -  Fairmont St.
Week 4 (Sept. 26) - Notre Dame (Ohio)
Week 5 (Oct. 3) - @ Urbana
Week 6 (Oct. 10) - W.Va. Wesleyan
Week 7 (Oct. 17) - @ UNC-Pembroke
Week 8 (Oct. 24) - Concord
Week 9 (Thursday, Oct. 29) - @ Glenville St.
Week 10 (Nov. 7) - West Liberty
Week 11 (Nov. 14) - @ Charleston