INDIANAPOLIS – The UWF-Florida Tech Coastal Classic football game will be broadcast on ESPN3 as part of the 18 game package that will be streamed live as part of an ongoing three-year agreement for the Division II showcase.
For the second time in as many years, the Coastal Classic will be televised to a national audience following last year's inaugural game that saw UWF defeat No. 16 Florida Tech, 42-39, at Blue Wahoos Stadium in Pensacola.
This year's matchup is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 30 at Florida Tech Panther Stadium in Melbourne. Kickoff is at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
UWF returns nearly 90 players and 20 starters from last year's inaugural team that saw the Argonauts go 5-6 overall and 3-5 in Gulf South Conference play.
The showcase's scheduled games will feature 13 of the 15 football-sponsoring conferences in Division II and are selected from a pool of conference nominations. Two conferences have signed separate broadcast agreements and will not be included this season.
Ten teams in the 2017 package appeared in the Division II playoffs, and nine finished the 2016 season ranked in the top 25 of the American Football Coaches Association Division II poll. All 18 games currently scheduled 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."
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.
The Division II football showcase kicks off with two games on Saturday, Sept. 2, on ESPN3.
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 (Pennsylvania) at Indiana (Pennsylvania)
Saturday, Oct. 14 — Findlay at Hillsdale
Saturday, Oct. 14 — Indiana (Pennsylvania) 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
