(courtesy Appalachian Sports Information) BOONE, N.C. — Six home games, including two in September and three in October, highlight Appalachian State University’s 2010 football schedule, announced on Tuesday by director of athletics Charlie Cobb.For the first time in 19 years, Appalachian opens the season with a Southern Conference matchup when it travels to Chattanooga on Sept. 4. ASU is 5-0 all-time when playing a SoCon game in the season opener but has not done so since topping former conference rival Marshall, 9-3, on Aug. 31, 1991.
Following the opener at UTC, the Mountaineers play back-to-back home games versus Jacksonville (Sept. 11) and North Carolina Central (Sept. 18). Both opponents are familiar to ASU, as the Apps defeated Jacksonville, 56-7, in 2008 and downed N.C. Central, 55-21, last season at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Both are up-and-coming NCAA Division I FCS programs, as JU won the Pioneer League in 2008 and finished 7-4 in 2009 while NCCU will play its first season as a member of the traditionally strong Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2010.
Following an open date on Sept. 25, Appalachian begins conference play in earnest, with home dates versus Elon (Oct. 9), The Citadel (Oct. 16), Furman (Oct. 30) and Wofford (Nov. 13) and road tilts at Samford (Oct. 2), Western Carolina (Oct. 23) and Georgia Southern (Nov. 6).
Appalachian closes the regular season with a huge test at national power Florida on Nov. 20. In all, ASU and UF have combined to win five of the last 10 Division I FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) and FCS (Football Championship Subdivision) national titles with the Mountaineers earning FCS titles in 2005, ‘06 and ‘07 and the Gators claiming Bowl Championship Series crowns in 2006 and ‘08.
“I am pleased that we once again have a football schedule that is fan-friendly and hopefully gives our coaches and student-athletes the opportunity to make a run at a sixth-straight Southern Conference championship and continued postseason success,” Cobb said. “We are committed to doing everything in our power to play an all-Division I schedule while also giving our great fans the opportunity to see six regular-season games at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Obtaining both objectives is a very difficult task and I commend (associate athletics director) Jay Sutton for his hard work in making it happen.”
For the second year in a row, ticket prices will not be raised in 2010 for home games at The Rock, where Appalachian has led FCS in regular-season attendance for each of the last three years, including in 2009 when ASU averaged 25,969 fans per game during a rain-soaked regular season. Complete 2010 ticket information will be available in the coming weeks.
