The Mercer Bears football team is poised to kick off its highly anticipated 2025 season with a marquee matchup, facing the UC Davis Aggies in the FCS Kickoff Classic. The game, a clash between two top-ranked teams, is scheduled for Saturday, August 23, at 7 p.m. EDT at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama, and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
This season opener presents a significant early test for both programs. The Bears enter the contest ranked No. 11 in the FCS, while the Aggies hold the No. 7 spot, setting the stage for a competitive start to the college football season. For Mercer, the game is an opportunity to build on the momentum of a historic 2024 campaign that saw them clinch their first-ever Southern Conference (SoCon) championship with an impressive 10-2 overall record (7-1 in conference play).
The program, under the guidance of second-year head coach Mike Jacobs, has seen a remarkable ascent since its reinstatement in 2013 after a 72-year hiatus. The Bears made their first FCS playoff appearance in 2023 and followed it up with another trip to the postseason in 2024, solidifying their status as a formidable contender in the FCS landscape. The team will look to experienced quarterback DJ Smith, who returns for his second season as the starter, to lead the offense. Smith’s health and performance will be crucial after his 2024 season was hampered by injuries. In contrast, UC Davis will be led by redshirt freshman quarterback Caden Pinnick, creating an intriguing dynamic of experience versus youth under center.
Following the neutral-site opener, the Bears will return to Macon for their home debut at the 10,200-seat Five Star Stadium on August 30 against Presbyterian. The 2025 schedule features a challenging slate of games that will test the team’s championship aspirations. Key conference matchups include home games against Wofford (Sept. 13), Samford (Oct. 4), and Chattanooga (Nov. 15), and tough road tests against rivals like Furman (Nov. 1) and Western Carolina (Nov. 8).
One of the most notable games on the schedule is a late-season, non-conference battle against an FBS opponent, as the Bears will travel to face Auburn on November 22. This game provides a national platform for the program to measure itself against a Power Five team.
Mercer’s football program has a rich, albeit interrupted, history. The team first took the field in 1891 and participated in Georgia’s first-ever intercollegiate football game against the University of Georgia in 1892. After suspending the program following the 1941 season at the onset of World War II, the university successfully revived it in 2013. The modern era has been marked by steady growth, culminating in recent championship success and national recognition.
As the Bears prepare for their showdown with UC Davis, the team and its fans have high expectations. The FCS Kickoff Classic is more than just the first game of the season; it’s a statement game that could set the tone for another deep postseason run and further cement Mercer’s place among the elite programs in the Football Championship Subdivision.
