SHIPPENSBURG - The Shippensburg University football team opens its 106th season of college football Saturday by hosting WVIAC-rival Shepherd in the 13th annual Great Valley Classic. Kickoff from Student Association Field at Seth Grove Stadium is set for 1 p.m.

The game is being broadcast live on Shippensburg University's student radio station, WSYC 88.7 FM and on the internet at www.wsyc.org (radio pre-game starts at 12:50 p.m.). A live video stream courtesy of Shippensburg University Television (SUTV) can be accessed on the internet here. The SUTV feed will also be available on Comcast's community-access channel 21 and on campus channel 82. Invica Sports will be televising the game to be shown on tape delay by WJAL-TV at 5 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to arrive early to avoid traffic associated with the Shippensburg Corn Festival that will be occurring throughout the day in downtown Shippensburg. Traffic is recommended to use exit 29 via Interstate 81 and access campus via the intersection at Queen Street. Once on Queen Street, visitors can reach the SU campus by making a left turn onto Richard Avenue or a right turn onto Britton Road and a left turn onto Fogelsonger Road.

Also, fans may tailgate in accordance with Shippensburg Unversity's tailgating policy. That policy can be found here.

A dedication ceremony will be held before the game re-naming the Red Raiders' home venue as “SU Student Association Field at Seth Grove Stadium.” Earlier this year, the natural grass surface was excavated and replaced with Fieldturf©. The crown on the field was removed and additional drainage was installed below the playing surface. The construction marked the first major changes to the playing field since the stadium's construction in 1972.

Game Storyline

Shepherd has won the last five meetings between the two teams dating back to 2005. All of the games during this span have been decided by 14 points or less, including three by a combined total of 11 points. Shippensburg had held a third-quarter lead in each of the last three games of the series, but Shepherd has outscored the Red Raiders by a 33-8 margin in the fourth quarter of those contests.

Overall in the Great Valley Classic, Shepherd has won eight of the 12 games dating back to 1998. The Red Raiders last earned a victory over Shepherd in 2004, when Shippensburg started out an eventual PSAC Western Division championship campaign with a 35-7 victory to start the season.

The Red Raiders finished last season with a 9-3 overall record while winning the PSAC championship and reaching the second round of the NCAA playoffs. The Rams finished with a 6-4 overall record, dropping two of those games by a combined total of three points.

Shippensburg was voted fourth in the 2010 PSAC Eastern Division Preseason Coaches Poll, while Shepherd was voted second in the 2010 WVIAC Preseason Coaches Poll. Both teams are receiving votes in the AFCA Preseason Coaches Poll (Shippensburg - 11, Shepherd - 9).

The head coaches in Saturday's matchup have a combined 45 years of experience between them and have combined for 346 collegiate coaching victories. However, the veteran bench bosses have accrued a combined record of just 21-21 against the opposite school in the matchup.

Complete game notes can be accessed by clicking on the above links.