Football | 9/1/2016 8:00:00 AM

The Shippensburg University football team begins the 2016 season on Saturday as it travels north into Massachusetts to face American International College in a non-conference game at Ronald J. Abdow Field.

The Red Raiders were picked second in the PSAC Eastern Division preseason poll and return 16 starters from last year's team, including the entire offensive line and the entire secondary.

The Yellowjackets were picked in a tie for sixth in the NE-10 preseason poll. The team went 4-7 and had 25 seniors on its roster last season. However, American International led Division II last season with the fewest passing yards allowed per game (132.5) and ranked fourth in Division II for total defense (263.0).

This is the first meeting in history between the two teams.

AIC marks the third different school from the NE-10 that Shippensburg has ever faced. Overall, the Red Raiders are 6-3 all-time vs. NE-10 schools (4-3 vs. LIU Post, 2-0 vs. New Haven).

SHIP is one win away from reaching No. 500 in school history. SU is 499-410-31 dating back to 1891, with 442 of those wins coming since 1926 — the first year that Shippensburg functioned as a four-year school.

Broadcast Information
• Live online video coverage of the game will be provided by American International at aicyellowjackets.tv. SU is unable to travel any members of the sports information staff to the contest.