The first Roanoke College football practice in over 80 years is a little over two months away and last week the Maroons announced their 2024 schedule. It’s a “club” schedule of five games with three scheduled for Salem Stadium.
All five games are tentatively scheduled for 2 pm on Sunday afternoon, beginning with a home game against the Hampden-Sydney jayvee team on September 8th. Two road games follow, with a trip to Shenandoah University to play the Hornets’ jayvee team on September 22nd in Winchester followed by a game at Bridgewater College against the Eagles on October 6th. The schedule concludes with two more home games as Fork Union visits on Sunday, October 20th, and the season concludes with the George Mason Club Team on November 3rd.
“If you look at our schedule we play a week and are open a week,” said head coach Bryan Stinespring. “That was by design so we can go back and learn and grow from each game. Having both home and road contests is important from a logistics standpoint and the most important aspect of this fall schedule is our development.”
Stinespring has a staff of eight assistants along with strength coach Scott Bennett and trainer Keith Doolin. The team has brand new equipment and uniforms and will be stationed in the C. Homer Bast Center, which is currently being renovated to accommodate the team.
“If the Bast Center was ready we could practice tomorrow,” said Stinespring. “Everything seems to be going well and on pace, but you can’t really tell until you actually see it when it’s finished.”
Stinespring has 60 players committed to the team with a couple more who have been offered a spot. Most of the players come from the greater Roanoke Valley area, the Richmond area and Northern Virginia.
“I’d say 80 percent of the players are from our own backyard,” he said. “We had four transfers come in for second semester and we’re pretty much done recruiting for this year. We’ve already turned our attention to next year’s class.”
Roanoke will play a full Old Dominion Athletic Conference schedule in the fall of 2025, hitting the ground running after this year’s club schedule. The first practice is scheduled for August 16 on Alumni Field, which is the field inside the C. Homer Bast track.
“If the players were here we could start practice tomorrow,” said Stinespring. “We’re waiting for a blocking sled, but other than that we have everything we need.”
