March 23, 2009

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - A trip to Florence, Ala. to face three-time national champion North Alabama and a trip to Minnesota highlight Carson-Newman's 2009 football schedule released on Monday.

The Eagles open their season at Winona State University in Winona, Minn. on Thursday night August 27. The Warriors were 6-5 in 2008 and play in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, which is also home to defending D-II national champion, Minnesota-Duluth . The game will mark the first time Carson-Newman has played a game in Minnesota.

The Eagles will travel to the University of North Alabama for a Saturday night affair on September 5. UNA took the '08 meeting in Jefferson City, 20-13.

Carson-Newman hosts Campbellville (Ky.) in their home opener on Sept. 10. In the second of two Thursday night games on the schedule. The game begins a rare three-game home stand

A first-ever meeting with the University of North Carolina at Pembroke on Sept. 19 wraps up the Eagles non-conference schedule. The Braves were 9-1 last season.

C-N's South Atlantic Conference opener comes in the form of a Sept. 26 visit from Newberry College.

Rival Catawba visits Mossy Creek for homecoming on Oct. 10. The slate also includes October road games at Mars Hill (Oct. 3), Lenoir-Rhyne (Oct. 17), and Wingate (Oct. 31) on Halloween. C-N will host Brevard on Oct. 24.

The Eagles wrap up their regular season by hosting Tusculum on November 7 at Burke-Tarr Stadium. The NCAA Division II Playoffs begin November 14. The D-II national championship game is Dec. 12 in Florence, Ala.

The Eagles were 7-4 in 2008, winning their 20th South Atlantic Conference title and reaching the NCAA Division II Playoffs.

Quotes from Carson-Newman Head Coach Ken Sparks:
"It's a tough schedule. I'm not sure anyone in the country has tougher back-to-back opening games, and certainly not on the road. Those two will be tough, especially when you consider the travel to Minnesota...We look forward to playing North Alabama again. UNA is a proud program and Braly (Municipal Stadium) has been a tough place for us through the years, but we're looking forward to the challenge...We've been to Massachusetts, Utah, and now Minnesota in the last three years to play games, but a lot of D-II teams just are not willing to play us...With the NAIA game with Campbellsville, we've got 11 games and six home games, and we're excited about that."