SAGU Announces 2011 Football Sked

Four Home Games Highlight Schedule

Southwestern's 2011 Homecoming date set for October 22

WAXAHACHIE, Texas -- The upcoming college football schedule for the Southwestern Assemblies of God University kicks off on Labor Day weekend in Kansas and concludes in mid-November, capping a 10-game itinerary for Head Coach Jesse Godding and the Lions.

The Lions are members of the Central States Football League, which is in the NAIA's Division I level of competition. There are over 90 teams in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, which is on a par with the NCAA's Division II in relation to the number of scholarships teams are allowed to give.

Six of the ten teams on the 2011 slate had losing seasons last year. In 2010, however, seven squads on the Lions schedule had below .500 marks the previous campaign, but it didn't translate into success on the gridiron. Several close defeats, coupled with a rash of injuries sent the Lions to a 2-8 ledger.

Quick Season Preview

Three of the first four games will be away from the friendly confines of Lumpkins Stadium.

The season begins on Saturday, September 3, with a road game in Lindsborg, Kansas against Bethany College. The Swedes went 4-6 last season. Lindsborg is in central Kansas, approximately 430 miles north of Waxahachie. SAGU last played the Bethany College in 2006, also in Kansas.

The first home game in the newly expanded Lumpkins Stadium will be on Sept. 10 against Howard Payne University. The Yellow Jackets are from Brownwood, Texas and are members of the NCAA's Division III. The Stingers won last year's meeting, 32-7, in a contest delayed for two hours by a severe lightning storm.

The game is slated for a 6:00pm kickoff, which is preferable due to normal temperatures in the mid 90's.

Austin College, also an NCAA Division III team, will host the Lions the following week (Sept. 17) in Sherman, Texas. The Kangaroos were 4-5 last fall.

SAGU hits the road again the following weekend with a trek to face Haskell Indian Nations University on Sept. 24. The Fighting Indians finished at 2-8 in 2010. The HINU campus is located in Lawrence, Kansas, 462 miles away. Lawrence is only 34 miles west of Kansas City.

Three-of-Four Mid-Season Games in Waxahachie

The Purple Pride, who will don new home jersies this season, then play three-of-the-next-four games in Waxahachie. The final six contests are against teams in the CSFL, starting with Southern Nazarene University on October 1. The Crimson Storm, from Bethany, Oklahoma, posted a 7-4 record last year.

Bacone College (3-8) visits on Oct. 8. The Warriors hail from Muskogee, Oklahoma.

Southwestern takes to the road for a clash with perennial power, Langston University, on Oct. 15. The LU Lions (6-4) are the only conference foe that has never played in Waxahachie. The game is set for 2:00pm in Langston, which is 35 miles north of Oklahoma City.

October 22: Homecoming 2011

The final home game, versus Oklahoma Panhandle State University on Oct. 22, has been chosen as Southwestern's homecoming weekend. Devin Ferguson, the Director of Alumni Relations, confirmed that announcement. It is also the annual setting to recognize outgoing seniors. Kickoff is set for 2:00pm.

The OPSU Aggies (6-5) are in the NCAA's Division II and an associate member of the CSFL. They edged SAGU last season, 35-31, and rallied for a 50-48 double-overtime win two seasons ago at Lumpkins.

Southwestern will be in Alva, Oklahoma the next week, Oct. 29, for a 2pm start against Northwest Oklahoma State University. The defending champion Rangers represented the CSFL in the NAIA playoffs after an 8-3 season. Alva is 320 miles north of Waxahachie, just miles from the Kansas border.

After a bye week on November 5, SAGU wraps up the regular season by traveling (90 miles) east to Tyler, Texas. There, they will tangle with Texas College at 2pm. The Steers (1-9) surprised the Lions with a 27-13 triumph to end the 2010 schedule.

There are five games where the kickoff time has yet to be announced.

SAGU Sports Network to Broadcast Home Games

It is expected that all four home games will be broadcast on the internet by SAGU SPORTS Live. The high definition webcasts are produced by John Cookman, the Director of Southwestern's Media Services.

Southwestern Assemblies of God University 2011 Football

DATE OPPONENT (2010 RECORD), TIME LAST YEAR OFF-DEF
Sept 3 @ Bethany College (4-6), TBA DNP 33.9-37.7
Sept 10 Howard Payne University (2-8), 6PM L 7-32 21.2-38.1
Sept 17 @Austin College (4-5), TBA L 6-28 25.3-26.1
Sept 24 @ Haskell Indian Nations Univ (2-8), TBA W 29-15 10.8-38.1
Oct 1 Southern Nazarene Univ (7-4), TBA L 21-35 41.3-34.1
Oct 8 Bacone College (3-8), TBA L 17-66 24.5-26.6
Oct 15 @Langston University (6-4), 2PM L 27-41 25.6-20.9
Oct 22 Okla Panhandle State Univ (6-5), 2PM
Homecoming		 L 31-35 20.2-25.7
Oct 29 @Northwestern Okla State Univ (8-3), 2PM L 7-44 36.5-25.4
Nov 5 Bye / Off Week -- --
Nov 12 @Texas College (1-9), 2PM L 13-27 13.2-48.1
Key: OFF-DEF is the average number of points scored and yielded last season by that team. DNP - Did not play against them in 2010. TBA - To Be Announced. @ away game.