INDIANAPOLIS – The nationally-ranked IUP football program will be featured on ESPN3 twice this season, with the Crimson Hawks' games against rivals California (Pa.) and Slippery Rock streamed live as part of an NCAA Division II showcase.
The NCAA and ESPN announced the 18-game regular season streaming schedule, with four additional flex games in November to be added later in the fall.
The Crimson Hawks will host Cal on Homecoming this October 7 and travel to Slippery Rock the following Saturday, October 14.
IUP is one of only three schools which will be featured twice during the regular season, joining fellow Division II powers Grand Valley State and Ferris State.
"The collaboration with ESPN provides a continued opportunity to showcase Division II's balanced student-athlete experience," said Terri Steeb Gronau, vice president of Division II. "The student-athletes who will be featured in these games have made incredible achievements on and off the field, and we're excited to share their abilities with a broad national audience on ESPN3."
This marks the third straight season that IUP football will be featured on ESPN3. The Crimson Hawks opened 2016 with a 73-42 win at East Stroudsburg, a game that was shown live on the sports network. IUP also battled Slippery Rock to a narrow 40-39 loss during the 2015 regular season, which was also featured.
IUP is one of 10 teams in the 2017 ESPN-Division II collaboration that appeared in last year's national playoffs, and one of nine that finished the year ranked in the top 25. All 18 predetermined regular season games are conference matchups.
"The quality of Division II football continues to rise," said Steve Mullins, incoming chair of the Division II Football Committee and director of athletics at Arkansas Tech. "We are proud to provide our fans and communities the opportunity to watch some of the most exciting teams across the nation."
About ESPN3
ESPN3 is ESPN's live multiscreen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible on computers, smartphones, tablets and connected devices through the ESPN app. The network is currently available nationwide at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. It is also available at no cost to U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.
Full schedule
Saturday, Sept. 2 — Notre Dame (Ohio) at Shepherd
Saturday, Sept. 2 — East Central at Oklahoma Baptist
Saturday, Sept. 9 — Bowie State at Winston-Salem State
Saturday, Sept. 9 — Albany State (Georgia) at Tuskegee
Saturday, Sept. 16 — Grand Valley State at Michigan Tech
Saturday, Sept. 16 — Tusculum at Limestone
Saturday, Sept. 23 — Mars Hill at Catawba
Saturday, Sept. 23 — Ferris State at Ashland
Saturday, Sept. 30 — West Florida at Florida Tech
Saturday, Sept. 30 — Colorado Mesa at Colorado State-Pueblo
Saturday, Oct. 7 — Southwest Baptist at Truman
Saturday, Oct. 7 — California (Pa.) at IUP
Saturday, Oct. 14 — Findlay at Hillsdale
Saturday, Oct. 14 — IUP at Slippery Rock
Saturday, Oct. 21 — Grand Valley State at Ferris State
Saturday, Oct. 21 — Tarleton State at Texas A&M-Kingsville
Saturday, Oct. 28 — Southern Arkansas at Henderson State
Saturday, Oct. 28 — Azusa Pacific at Central Washington
Saturday, Nov. 4 — To be determined
Saturday, Nov. 11 — To be determined
Follow
For up-to-date game information, visit www.IUPAthletics.com and follow IUP football on Twitter @IUPCrimsonHawk and @IUPfootball.
