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Football Govs to open 2011 at BIG EAST power Cincinnati

APSU vs Cincinnati (Austin Peay Sports Information)
APSU vs Cincinnati (Austin Peay Sports Information)

The Southeastern Conference, the Big Ten, Conference USA and the Mid-America Conference…Now add the BIG EAST to conference opponents Austin Peay State University will be playing in future football seasons.

In fact, Austin Peay not only will open the 2011 football season at Cincinnati (first week of September, exact date and time still to be determined), but they as well will be playing a Bearcats team that won the BIG EAST Conference in 2009 and played in the Sugar Bowl.

“It’s kind of like what Southern Miss said a few years ago, ‘go anywhere and play anybody,” APSU coach Rick Christophel said. “It is exciting to get Cincinnati on our schedule, especially considering they have been in the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) the last few years. It’s another place I have been fortunate enough coach (1983) at and they really have done a great job of improving the facilities along with the talent level to be in the BIG EAST Conference.

“We played them a few times while we (UAB) were in Conference USA together and they are a tough, physical football team.”

This will be the fourth time Austin Peay has played Cincinnati. The first time came in 1985 when the Emory Hale-coached Governors fell to the Bearcats, 31-9. They played again in 1987, with the Govs falling 42-10.

The following season, under Paul Brewster, the Govs lost a 52-7 decision and in 1993, under Roy Gregory, the Govs fell, 42-10, at Nippert Stadium.

Many stadium and facility upgrades have occurred since the last time the two teams have played. In fact, often times during the 1980s and 1990s the Bearcats played many home games at old Riverfront Stadium, the former home of both the Cincinnati Reds baseball team and the Cincinnati Bengals football team.

“We are looking forward to it,” Christophel said. “We look forward to playing in a big-time college atmosphere. Hopefully, we can give them a pretty good contest. “

This is the third time in the last eight months Austin Peay has announced it will be playing a Bowl Championship Series (BCS) opponent. In fact, last October it was announced APSU would play its first BCS opponent in history this fall when the Governors face Big 10-power Wisconsin, Sept. 25, in Madison, Wis. Last month it was announced the Governors will play at Vanderbilt, Aug. 31, 2013, that season’s opener.

In addition, to the BCS conference schools, the Governors also are to play longtime rival Middle Tennessee during the season’s second week (Sept. 11) in Murfreesboro. APSU has not played a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team since the Governors lost at Troy, 41-3, in the 2002 season. APSU has not played a FBS program as a scholarship program since it lost to Arkansas State in 1996.

The Governors also are set to play Memphis, tentatively scheduled for Sept. 17th, 2011, and will travel to Ohio in 2013.

“We are playing teams that played in bowls either last year or in recent years,” Christophel said. “That’s the fun part about it, what we are going to get to play against and what we will have to do to get to that level.

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