Somewhat hidden in northern Tennessee, college football fans will find the Austin Peay Governors, an FCS program on the rise. At the moment, cheap Austin Peay football tickets are easy to find. However, the Governors are starting to become known more for their prowess on the field than their unique nickname. In a short period of time, the Governors have gone from being just another team to being a serious FCS contender, creating a sudden spike in the demand for last-minute Austin Peay football tickets that will only grow in the years to come.

Out of Nowhere

At the start of the 2010s, APSU was one of the worst college football programs at the FCS level. Between 2010 and 2016, the Governors won a total of eight games, enduring three winless seasons during that span. However, head coach Will Healy started to turn the tide when he led APSU to an 8-4 record in 2017. Two years later, Mark Hudspeth had taken over the program and led the Governors to their first Ohio Valley Conference championship since 1977. Hudspeth also took APSU to the FCS playoffs for the first time, leading the Governors to the quarterfinals. While a few years of success may not completely wipe away years of losing, they are a sign that Austin Peay is a program to watch closely.

Always a Rivalry

Whether they win or lose, APSU’s yearly schedule always includes bitter rivalry games. The biggest rivalry is with Murray State, which is located less than 100 miles from Austin Peay but across state lines in Kentucky. The Governors also battle every year for the Sgt. York Trophy with in-state rivals Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech, and UT-Martin. Between Murray State and the other Tennessee schools, almost half of APSU’s schedule every year is made up of bonafide rivalry games, which leads to intense and entertaining battles for the Governors week after week.