2009 GLIAC Football Schedule Announced

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BAY CITY, Mich. - The 2009 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) composite football schedule was announced by the Conference Office today (May 20).  The up-coming season's slate features an opening week of non-conference games, followed by 10 weeks of GLIAC play.

The 2009 GLIAC Football season kicks off on Thursday, Aug. 27 and Saturday, Aug. 29.  There are four games on Thursday, highlighted by a pair of showdowns against the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC).Saturday’s games feature a pair of national powers meeting in Texas and two GLIAC squads facing off in a non-league clash.

Ashland University will travel to Bloomsburg University (Pa.) on Thursday (Aug. 27) for a 6:00 p.m. tilt. These two teams met last season in Ashland (Ohio) with the visitors claiming a 49-42 victory. Both squads went on to earn berths in the NCAA Division II playoffs. Ashland was ranked 15th in the final American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II poll, while the Huskies finished 11th.

Saginaw Valley State University will also be on the road on Thursday (Aug. 27) when the Cardinals travel to face California University (Pa.). These two teams have never met, but SVSU will be facing a Vulcan squad that is coming off an appearance in the D-II semifinals. Cal, ranked sixth in the final AFCA poll of 2008, fell to eventual champion University of Minnesota-Duluth, 45-7, in the semifinals.

The opening Saturday schedule has Grand Valley State University visiting West Texas A & M in a 7:00 p.m. (EDT) bout. The Lakers, who fell to Minnesota-Duluth in the D-II quarterfinals last season, 19-16 in double-overtime, were ranked fourth in the final AFCA poll of 2008. The Buffaloes, ranked 10th in the AFCA poll, lost to Abilene Christian (Texas) in a shootout in the second round of the playoffs, 93-68.

Saturday’s (Aug. 29) slate also features a match-up of GLIAC teams in a non-league game. Tiffin University will visit Top Taggart Field in Big Rapids (Mich.) to face Ferris State University (7:00 p.m.). The two squads will not meet during the GLIAC’s regular season play.
Saturday, Sept. 19 will be the 2009 GLIAC Football “Rivalry Weekend.” That week’s schedule features the 36th annual “Axe Bowl” between Northwood University and Saginaw Valley State, the eighth annual “Anchor Bone Trophy” game between Grand Valley State and Ferris State, and the “Miner’s Cup” game between Northern Michigan University and Michigan Technological University.

GLIAC Football league play will begin on Thursday, Sept. 3 and Saturday, Sept. 5.  The University of Findlay and Tiffin will open conference play on Thursday with a 7:30 p.m. contest in Tiffin (Ohio).

The NCAA Division II playoffs begin on Saturday, November 14th. The Division II championship game will again be played at Braly Municipal Stadium in Florence, Ala., on Saturday, December 12.

The following is the 2009 GLIAC Football composite schedule.  The schedule can also be found on the GLIAC web site at: http://www.gliac.org/sports/fball/2009-10/schedule

Thursday, August 27
Ashland at Bloomsburg (Pa.) 6:00 p.m.
Urbana (Ohio) at Findlay 7:00 p.m.
Saginaw Valley State at California (Pa.) 7:00 p.m.
Kentucky Wesleyan at Indianapolis 7:00 p.m.

Saturday, August 29
Hillsdale at St. Joseph’s (Ind.) 12:00 p.m.
Tiffin at Ferris State (Non-Conf.) 7:00 p.m.
Grand Valley State at West Texas A&M 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 3
Findlay at Tiffin* 7:30 p.m.

September 5
Michigan Tech at Hillsdale* 12:00 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Northwood* 12:00 p.m.
Saginaw Valley State at Wayne State* 12:00 p.m.
Grand Valley State at Indianapolis* 6:00 p.m.
Ashland at Ferris State* 7:00 p.m.

September 12
Ferris State at Findlay* 12:00 p.m.
Hillsdale at Northwood* 12:00 p.m.
Michigan Tech at Ashland* 1:00 p.m.
Tiffin at Northern Michigan* 4:00 p.m.
Wayne State at Indianapolis* 6:00 p.m.
Saginaw Valley State at Grand Valley State* 7:00 p.m.

September 19
Northwood at Saginaw Valley State* 12:00 p.m.
Findlay at Wayne State* 12:00 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Michigan Tech* 1:00 p.m.
Ashland at Tiffin* 1:30 p.m.
Grand Valley State at Ferris State* 7:00 p.m.
Indianapolis at Hillsdale* 7:00 p.m.

September 26
Northwood at Findlay* 12:00 p.m.
Hillsdale at Ashland* 1:00 p.m.
Wayne State at Tiffin* 1:30 p.m.
Ferris State at Northern Michigan* 4:00 p.m.
Saginaw Valley State at Indianapolis* 6:00 p.m.
Grand Valley State at Michigan Tech* 6:00 p.m.

October 3
Indianapolis at Northwood* 12:00 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Saginaw Valley State* 12:00 p.m.
Ashland at Wayne State* 12:00 p.m.
Hillsdale at Findlay* 4:00 p.m.
Michigan Tech at Ferris State*$ 7:00 p.m.
Tiffin at Grand Valley State* 7:00 p.m.

October 10
Findlay at Michigan Tech* 1:00 p.m.
Wayne State at Northern Michigan* 1:00 p.m.
Northwood at Ashland* 1:00 p.m.
Saginaw Valley State at Tiffin* 1:30 p.m.
Indianapolis at Ferris State* 2:00 p.m.
Grand Valley State at Hillsdale* 2:30 p.m.

October 17
Tiffin at Northwood* 12:00 p.m.
Ashland at Saginaw Valley State* 12:00 p.m.
Ferris State at Wayne State* 12:00 p.m.
Hillsdale at Northern Michigan* 1:00 p.m.
Michigan Tech at Indianapolis* 6:00 p.m.
Findlay at Grand Valley State* 7:00 p.m.

October 24
Northern Michigan at Findlay* 12:00 p.m.
Ferris State at Northwood* 12:00 p.m.
Grand Valley State at Ashland* 1:00 p.m.
Saginaw Valley State at Michigan Tech* 1:00 p.m.
Wayne State at Hillsdale* 2:30 p.m.
Tiffin at Indianapolis* 6:00 p.m.

October 31
Findlay at Saginaw Valley State* 12:00 p.m.
Northwood at Wayne State* 12:00 p.m.
Indianapolis at Ashland* 1:00 p.m.
Michigan Tech at Tiffin* 1:30 p.m.
Hillsdale at Ferris State* 2:00 p.m.
Northern Michigan at Grand Valley State* 7:00 p.m.

November 7
Ashland at Findlay* 12:00 p.m.
Ferris State at Saginaw Valley State* 12:00 p.m.
Tiffin at Hillsdale* 1:00 p.m.
Wayne State at Grand Valley State* 1:00 p.m.
Northwood at Michigan Tech* 1:00 p.m.
Indianapolis at Northern Michigan* 1:00 p.m.

November 14
Division II First Round Playoffs, Campus Sites TBA

November 21
Division II Second Round Playoffs, Campus Sites TBA

November 28
Division II Quarterfinals, Campus Sites TBA

December 5-6
Division II Semifinals, Campus Sites TBA

December 12
Division II Finals
Braly Municipal Stadium, Florence, Ala. TBA