FERRIS STATE UNVEILS 2006 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Bulldogs Open Season On The Road First Two Weeks; Home Opener Is Sept. 16

Senior fullback John Vandenberg and the Ferris football team will open the 2006 season with a Sept. 2 non-conference tilt at Kentucky State. The Bulldogs' home opener is Sept. 16 versus Saginaw Valley State.

The Ferris State University football team will face three new opponents as part of its 11-game schedule for the 2006 season as announced recently by FSU Athletics Director Tom Kirinovic.

“Our schedule each year continues to be a challenging one week in and out,” said Ferris State head coach Jeff Pierce, who embarks on his 12th year at FSU this fall and owns the distinction of being the program’s all-time winningest coach. “This season our first two games are on the road so hopefully we can get out of the gate with a good start. We're also excited to be playing against two schools (Kentucky State and Gannon) we've never faced before.

"Our conference (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) has earned the reputation of being one of the best in Division II football as a result of teams achieving success at the national level. I'm of the belief no one game is anymore important than the other," added Pierce.

The 2006 schedule consists of six road games and five home contests, which includes the Sept. 16 home opener at FSU's Top Taggart Field in Big Rapids, Mich.

The Bulldogs will embark on the 2006 gridiron campaign and their 98th year of varsity competition on Saturday, Sept. 2, against the Kentucky State Thorobreds of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). The non-conference contest, which is slated for a 1 p.m. (EDT) start at KSU's Alumni Stadium in Frankfort, Ky., represents the first-ever meeting between the two schools. The season opener is the first of a two-year agreement with KSU as the Thorobreds will serve as the opposition for Ferris' 2007 season opener.

Ferris will have two new opponents on its GLIAC schedule this fall as Gannon (Oct. 14) and Wayne State (Nov. 11) will both visit FSU's Top Taggart Field in Big Rapids, Mich. The Bulldogs will square off against Gannon for the first time ever while Wayne State returns to FSU's schedule following a two-year absence (2003). The two league teams replace Indianapolis and Findlay as Ferris' opponents for the next two seasons as part of the conference's two-year rotating schedule.

Following the season opener, Ferris continues play on the road a week later (Sept. 9) as the Bulldogs open GLIAC play versus the Mercyhurst Lakers at 1:30 p.m. (EDT) in Erie, Pa.

FSU will step on the Top Taggart Field turf for the first time in 2006 on Saturday, Sept. 16, with the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals serving as the opposition in a 7 p.m. (EDT) conference matchup at Top Taggart Field. The traditional Fireworks Night festivities will be held following the contest.

The Bulldogs are back on the road for a pair of conference evening outings against Hillsdale (Sept. 23) and Northern Michigan (Sept. 30) before returning home to entertain Michigan Tech (Oct. 7) a 2 p.m. (EDT) GLIAC tilt. The contest will be held in conjunction with the second annual Breast Cancer Awareness Day as October represents Breast Cancer Awareness month across the nation.

FSU will remain at home the following week (Oct. 14) as Gannon makes its first-ever trip to Big Rapids to go up against the Bulldogs in Ferris' 80th annual Homecoming Game. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. (EDT). An Oct. 21 date against Ashland and a Nov. 4 encounter versus Northwood round out the road portion of the Bulldogs' 2006 schedule. The anticipated matchup against arch-rival and 2005 NCAA Division II National Champion Grand Valley State will be held on Oct. 28 at Top Taggart Field. The 2 p.m. (EDT) contest versus the 2005 GLIAC Champions will mark Ferris' seventh annual Bulldog Hall of Fame Game. The game's winner will be presented with the fifth annual Anchor Bone Trophy, which is sponsored by Huntington Bank.

The regular-season finale will take place Nov. 11 as the Wayne State (Mich.) Warriors tangle with Ferris in a 2 p.m. (EST) league contest.

The Bulldogs have registered a combined 128-146-13 (.469 winning pct.) all-time record against this upcoming season’s opponents. The 2006 season’s opponents accumulated a combined 69-52 (.570) mark for the 2005 campaign.

Ferris State went 3-8 overall this past season, which included an eighth-place tying 3-7 GLIAC ledger.

For single-game ticket information, please contact the FSU Athletics Ticket Office at (231) 591-2888 or charge by phone at 1-800-585-3737 via Star Tickets Plus. Tickets will go on sale around July 1 and also be available for purchase online at www.starticketsplus.com.

2006 Ferris State Football Schedule

Sept. 2 at Kentucky State, 1 p.m.
Sept. 9 at Mercyhurst*, 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 16 Saginaw Valley State* (Fireworks), 7 p.m.
Sept. 23 at Hillsdale*, 7 p.m.
Sept. 30 at Northern Michigan*, 5 p.m.
Oct. 7 Michigan Tech* (Breast Cancer Awareness Day), 2 p.m.
Oct. 14 Gannon* (Homecoming), 2 p.m.
Oct. 21 at Ashland*, 1 p.m.
Oct. 28 Grand Valley State* (Hall of Fame), 2 p.m.
Nov. 4 at Northwood*, 12 p.m.
Nov. 11 Wayne State* (Senior Day), 2 p.m.
All times are Eastern; *Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) game
All home games are in bold and will be played at Top Taggart Field