Thursday, March 8, 2007
PC Football Releases 2007 Schedule
CLINTON, S.C. – New Presbyterian College Football Coach Bobby Bentley and PC Director of Athletics Dr. William B. “Bee” Carlton announced PC’s 2007 Blue Hose football schedule on Thursday.
The 2007 season marks PC’s first year of transition into the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision. The schedule will feature many new challenges for the Blue Hose, including eight away football games and 11 consecutive weeks of action without an open date.
The schedule will also feature a Thursday night contest against Samford University in Birmingham, Ala. on Thursday, Sept. 13.
“We are excited to reveal our challenging football schedule for 2007,” noted Carlton. “We were able to schedule three home games in our first NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision season. Thankfully, we also have several away games that will be attractive to our fans and alumni as we begin to build new traditions with our Big South Conference member schools and as we reestablish rivalries with some familiar regional opponents.
“This odd-looking schedule is a one-year anomaly related to our transition into Division I. Next year our schedule will be much different as NCAA Division I FCS scheduling for 2008 allows us to play 12 games. Beginning in 2008, we will have full home and away schedules with all the Big South members. We already have 11 games scheduled in 2008 with six games at home and we believe we will be able to secure a seventh home game as well. After 2008 we are confident that we will be able to generate balanced schedules with at least five home games each season.”
Bentley echoes Carlton’s thoughts, remarking that the Blue Hose coaching staff is looking forward to the challenges that lay ahead for the program.
“In 2007 we will be playing institutions that are established in the Football Championship Subdivision of NCAA Division I Football,” said Bentley. “These teams have name recognition and playing these programs will only help us. My hope and goal is that years from now that this year’s schedule set the foundation for the success of PC football.”
Presbyterian will open it 2007 season with a renewal of an Upstate rivalry, traveling to Greenville, S.C. to face off against perennial national FCS power Furman University at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 1, 2007.
Just one week later the Blue Hose will play their first home game at Bailey Stadium under Bentley’s leadership when they welcome Pikeville College to its Clinton, S.C. campus for a 1:30 p.m. game on Saturday, Sept. 8. The Pikeville contest will be Scotsman Club Day at Bailey Stadium.
Presbyterian will then begin a three-game road swing as they travel to Birmingham, Ala. to take on the Ohio Valley Conference’s Samford University at 7 p.m. Central time on Thursday, Sept. 13. The game with Samford will be the first game of a home and home series between the two institutions as Samford will visit Bailey Stadium in the 2008 season.
The next week PC will travel to Cullowhee, N.C. to take on its second Southern Conference opponent of the season in Western Carolina University. No time has yet been announced for the Saturday, Sept. 22 game between the Catamounts and the Blue Hose, but just as with Samford it will be the first game of a home and home series as WCU will travel to Clinton for a game in 2008.
The Blue Hose will finish the three-game road swing by traveling to North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C. Gametime is set for 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 29 between NCCU and PC.
Presbyterian will celebrate Homecoming on its campus with a 2 p.m. game against local rival North Greenville University on Saturday, Oct. 6.
After the Homecoming game with the Crusaders, PC will play four of its final five games of the season against Big South foes, beginning with a trip to Lexington, Va. to square off against Virginia Military Institute on Saturday, Oct. 13.
Presbyterian will then travel to Palmetto state rival Coastal Carolina University for a game against the Chanticleers and PC alum and CCU head coach David Bennett on Saturday, Oct. 20.
The Blue Hose conclude a second three-game road set the next week with a trip to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. on Saturday, Oct. 27.
Presbyterian opens November with its final home date of the season against Chowan University. It will be Parents’ Day at Bailey Stadium and the game is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 3.
The Blue Hose will play their final game of the 2007 season at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10 against Big South opponent Charleston Southern University in North Charleston, S.C.