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June 19, 2005
Herd's Sept. 10 Meeting With Kansas State to Begin at 10:30 a.m.
by Grant Traylor
Huntington News Network Sportswriter
Huntington (HNN) – Marshall University's move to Conference USA has paid off even before the program's actual July 1 inception as the athletic department announced television dates for the 2005 season.
In the biggest announcement, the athletic department announced that the Sept. 10, 2005 meeting with Kansas State will begin at 10:30 a.m. making it the earliest football game in Joan C. Edwards Stadium history.
The 10:30 a.m. starting time surpasses an 11 a.m. starting time that was broadcasted on Fox Sports Regional in 1999.
As with the contest in 1999, the time change was put in place to accommodate national television. The game will air on ESPN2 as the first part of a football triple–header on Sept. 10.
In addition to being the earliest game ever for Marshall football, the game will also mark the first time that a Big 12 school has ever visited Marshall University. Marshall defeated Kansas State 27–20 on Sept. 20, 2003 in Manhattan, Kan. The Wildcats were ranked #6 in the nation at that time.
That is the first of four contests that will be broadcasted nationally as part of ESPN2 or CSTV coverage. Marshall's other ESPN2 contest will be on Tues. Nov. 8 as a prime–time match–up when the Thundering Herd host Conference USA power Southern Mississippi.
Marshall will also be seen twice in the first six weeks of the season on College Sports Television (CSTV) who recently signed a six–year deal with Conference USA. The first contest will be Oct. 15 when University of Alabama–Birmingham travels to Huntington for the first time.
Marshall will also be on the following week when they travel to University of Texas–El Paso to take on the Miners. That game is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. EST.
CSTV has not yet released its national schedule concerning the final five weeks of the season. They will release that schedule with a minimum of 12 days notice based on the performance of the teams in affiliation with the league.
Should Marshall fare well in the first season of Conference USA football, the Thundering Herd could very well see their final two contests receiving national attention.
The Nov. 19 contest with East Carolina will definitely have some TV interest with the last contest between the two teams resulting in Marshall's 30–point come–from–behind win in the inaugural GMAC Bowl in 2001.
The following week wraps up the C–USA season as Marshall travels to Memphis with possible Conference title game and bowl eligibility on the line.
Three of Marshall's four current national telecasts will take place in Huntington..
