On December 5, head coach Jeff Brohm resigned to become the head coach at Purdue .[ 2] Nick Holt led WKU in the Boca Raton Bowl.[ 3] [ 4]
In a preseason media vote, the Hilltoppers were picked to win the East Division again, receiving 20 of 28 first place votes.[ 5]
Western Kentucky announced its 2017 football schedule on January 26, 2017. The 2017 schedule consists of 6 home and away games in the regular season. The Hilltoppers will host CUSA foes Charlotte , Florida Atlantic , Louisiana Tech , and Middle Tennessee , and will travel to FIU , Marshall , Old Dominion , and UTEP .[ 6]
The Hilltoppers will host two of the four non-conference opponents, Ball State from the Mid-American Conference and Eastern Kentucky from the Ohio Valley Conference and travel to Illinois of the Big Ten Conference and Vanderbilt from the Southeastern Conference .
Date Time Opponent Site TV Result Attendance September 2 6:00 p.m. Eastern Kentucky * FloSports W 31–1718,614 September 9 7:00 p.m. at Illinois * BTN L 7–2041,923 September 16 6:00 p.m. Louisiana Tech Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY Stadium L 22–2316,223 September 23 6:00 p.m. Ball State * Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY Stadium W 33–2117,590 October 7 7:00 p.m. at UTEP CUSA.TV W 15–1420,418 October 14 3:30 p.m. Charlotte Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY FloSports W 45–1416,754 5:00 p.m. at Old Dominion CBSSN W 35–3120,118 October 28 3:30 p.m. Florida Atlantic Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium Bowling Green, KY Stadium L 28–4212,441 November 4 11:00 a.m. at Vanderbilt * ESPNU L 17–3126,350 November 11 5:30 p.m. at Marshall Stadium L 23–3019,516 November 17 7:00 p.m. Middle Tennessee CBSSN W 41–38 3OT 12,612 6:00 p.m. at FIU beIN L 17–4116,199 December 16 2:30 p.m. vs. Georgia State * CBSSN L 17–2719,585 *Non-conference game All times are in Central time
Schedule Source: [ 7]
Total
Colonels
0
0
14
3
17
Hilltoppers
0
17
7
7
31
Total
Hilltoppers
0
0
0
7
7
Fighting Illini
3
10
7
0
20
Total
Bulldogs
3
10
0
10
23
Hilltoppers
8
7
7
0
22
Total
Cardinals
7
0
7
7
21
Hilltoppers
7
10
0
16
33
Total
Hilltoppers
0
8
7
0
15
Miners
0
14
0
0
14
Total
49ers
7
7
0
0
14
Hilltoppers
14
24
0
7
45
Total
Hilltoppers
7
14
0
14
35
Monarchs
7
7
17
0
31
Total
Owls
10
10
0
22
42
Hilltoppers
7
14
7
0
28
Total
Hilltoppers
7
7
3
0
17
Commodores
14
7
7
3
31
Total
Hilltoppers
7
0
3
13
23
Thundering Herd
0
13
17
0
30
Total
Blue Raiders
0
3
0
21 7 7 0
38
Hilltoppers
7
0
3
14 7 7 3
41
Total
Hilltoppers
3
7
7
0
17
Panthers
3
10
21
7
41
edit
Total
Hilltoppers
7
3
0
7
17
Panthers
10
3
7
7
27
^ WKU Football Media Guide retrieved 31 March 2020. ^ "Jeff Brohm to leave WKU for Purdue opening" . USA TODAY . Retrieved September 8, 2017 .^ "With Sanford waiting, WKU focusing on bowl" . The Courier-Journal . Retrieved September 8, 2017 .^ Stephens, Brad. "WKU hires Mike Sanford as head football coach" . Bowling Green Daily News . Retrieved September 8, 2017 . ^ "C-USA repeat? WKU, La Tech preseason picks for title rematch" . USA TODAY . Retrieved September 8, 2017 .^ "Hilltopper Football Announces 2017 Schedule" (Press release). Western Kentucky University Department of Athletics. January 26, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017 .^ "2017 Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Football Schedule" . FB Schedules. Retrieved January 30, 2017 .^ "Western Kentucky University Athletics" . www.wkusports.com . Retrieved September 8, 2017 .
