FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chargers and Falcons to Play on Friday, Sept. 27.
MANSFIELD, Mass. – An important Northeast-10 Conference football matchup between Bentley and New Haven on Friday, Sept. 27, has been selected to be a part of the NCAA Division II Football Showcase, as announced on Tuesday afternoon. Both teams were picked to finish in the upper-half of the league standings in 2019, according to the NE10 Football Coaches' Poll.
The NCAA announced that 18 regular-season football games will be showcased on ESPN3 or NCAA social media as part of a media agreement intended to promote Division II on several platforms throughout the academic year.
The first 18 games are predetermined, with an additional four flex games to be finalized later in the season and played in November to highlight key matchups.
"We're thrilled to have a huge NE10 game selected to be featured this fall," said NE10 Commissioner Julie Ruppert. "It's a terrific way to showcase not only our conference's outstanding student-athletes, but the Division's as a whole."
The Bentley-New Haven game will take place at Bentley University Football Stadium in Waltham, Mass., with a special kickoff time of 7:05 p.m. Both teams played a tight game during 2018, as the Chargers earned a narrow 31-27 win over the Falcons to remain undefeated at the time.
"It's always exciting to begin a new academic year and the start of the Division II season," said Terri Steeb Gronau, vice president of Division II. "We're looking forward to highlighting the teams that will be featured in the football showcase and promoting the Division II brand on several platforms for fans to see across the country."
CLOSER LOOK
- Games included in the schedule were broadcasts selected from a pool of conference nominations. Of the 16 football-sponsoring conferences in Division II, 15 will be featured in at least one game. One conference declined to participate.
- New Haven is one of the competing teams in this year's showcase and one of the 15 that appeared in the 2018 Division II playoffs. 15 programs begin the 2019 season ranked in the top 25 of the American Football Coaches Association Division II poll (Chargers are receiving votes).
- Now in its second year, the division's media agreement features two distribution models for football and basketball. For football, 11 games will be streamed on ESPN3, available on the ESPN App. Eleven additional football games are part of the hybrid model, and they have the flexibility to be distributed on TV and online. The division will work with the TV partners of the participating conferences and schools on the opportunity to air games on TV. These games also will be distributed online through NCAA social media accounts — specifically, Division II Facebook (facebook.com/ncaadivisionii) and Twitter (@NCAADII) — and through conference and school digital networks.
FULL SCHEDULE
Full schedule (all times eastern)
Thursday, Sept. 5, 8:05 p.m. Harding at Ouachita Baptist (ESPN3)
Thursday, Sept. 5, 8:05 p.m. Fort Hays State at Central Missouri (Hybrid)
Saturday, Sept. 14, 6:05 p.m. Ohio Dominican at Valdosta State (ESPN3)
Saturday, Sept. 14, 7:05 p.m. Ferris State at Central Washington (ESPN3)
Saturday, Sept. 21, 12:05 p.m. Findlay at Ohio Dominican (ESPN3)
Saturday, Sept. 21, 6:05 p.m. Shaw at Chowan (Hybrid)
Friday, Sept. 27, 7:05 p.m. New Haven at Bentley (Hybrid)
Saturday, Sept. 28, 2:35 pm. Central Oklahoma at Northwest Missouri State (Hybrid)
Saturday, Oct. 5, 2:05 p.m. Lindenwood (Missouri) at McKendree (Hybrid)
Saturday, Oct. 5, 3:05 p.m. Minnesota Duluth at Minnesota State Mankato (Hybrid)
Saturday, Oct. 12, 1:05 p.m. Northern Michigan at Michigan Tech (Hybrid)
Saturday, Oct. 12, 7:05 p.m. Midwestern State at Texas A&M-Commerce (ESPN3)
Saturday, Oct. 19, 12:05 p.m. West Chester at Shepherd (Hybrid)
Saturday, Oct. 19, 2:05 p.m. Benedict at Albany State (Georgia) (ESPN3)
Saturday, Oct. 26, 2:05 p.m. West Georgia at West Alabama (ESPN3)
Saturday, Nov. 2, 12:05 p.m. Charleston (West Virginia) at West Virginia State (Hybrid)
Saturday, Nov. 2, 2:05 p.m. Wingate at Lenoir-Rhyne (ESPN3)
Saturday, Nov. 2, 5:05 p.m. Texas A&M-Commerce at West Texas A&M (ESPN3)
Saturday, Nov. 9 To be determined
Saturday, Nov. 16 To be determined
ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 14 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete.
Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.