LIONS RELEASE 2010 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

FLORENCE -- The University of North Alabama has released an 11-game football schedule for 2010 that head coach Terry Bowden says will be a challenging one for his second Lion squad.

Bowden led UNA to an 11-2 record last season that included a Gulf South Conference championship and a quarterfinal berth in the NCAA Division II playoffs.

The Lions' 2010 slate includes eight Gulf South Conference games, a non-GSC battle with GSC member Henderson State, and games against non-conference foes Glenville State (W.V.) and Lambuth.

"As tough as the Gulf South Conference schedule is every year, you don't want to go out and make your schedule any tougher than it already is," said Bowden. "But we have some tough non-conference games as well and it is a very good 11-game schedule. We wanted to have ten Division II games and we have that, plus we are facing a Lambuth team that went 12-1 and reached the second round of the NAIA playoffs last year."

UNA will open its schedule at home against Henderson State and Bowden said that is always a plus. "You always want to open at home," he said. "It's just a lot more favorable, with the excitement of your home crowd and the comfort of home. Facing Henderson State will be a tough task right out of the gate, so I'm glad we have them at home. "

The Lions first road game will also be the UNA program's first visit to West Virginia, but it will be a homecoming of sorts for Bowden. His first head coaching experience was at Salem College in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1983-85. The WVIAC was a member of the NAIA at that time but has since moved into Division II. Glenville State is one of the league's perennial powers and is coming off a 7-4 season in 2009.
"I'll get to travel down some familiar country roads to that game," said Bowden. I have a lot of great memories from my time at Salem and Glenville is just down the road."
The Lions other non-conference game will be a trip to Jackson, Tenn., to play Lambuth on Sept. 25.

UNA will have just four home GSC contests, with playoff teams Arkansas Tech and West Alabama coming back to Florence for the second straight year. UNA will also host Southern Arkansas and Valdosta State.  North Alabama's GSC road games will be at West Georgia, Ouachita Baptist, Delta State and Harding.

For the first time 2005 UNA will not have to face GSC powers Delta State and Valdosta State back to back, and for the first time since 1994, West Alabama is no longer UNA's final regular-season opponent. The West Alabama game is now in week 10, and the Lions will close their regular-season at Harding on Nov. 13.

The Division II schedule nationally was moved back one week this year and the Division II Championship Game will now be held on the third Saturday in December instead of the second.

UNA opens its 2010 spring football drills on Feb. 22 and the Lions will hold their annual Purple-White Spring Game on March 13 at Braly Stadium.


UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA 2010 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

DATE DAY OPPONENT SITE TIME
September 4 Sat HENDERSON STATE HOME 6:00
September 11 Sat at Glenville State (W.V.) Glenville, W.V. 12:00
September 18 Sat *SOUTHERN ARKANSAS HOME 6:00
September 25 Sat at Lambuth Jackson, Tenn. 1:00
October 2 Sat *ARKANSAS TECH (Homecoming) HOME 6:00
October 9 Sat *at West Georgia Carrollton, Ga. 1:00
October 14 Thu *VALDOSTA STATE HOME 7:00
October 23 Sat *at Ouachita Baptist Arkadelphia, Ark. 1:00
October 28 Thu *at Delta State Cleveland, Miss. 7:00
November 6 Sat *WEST ALABAMA HOME 6:00
November 13 Sat *at Harding Searcy, Ark. 2:00
November 20 Sat NCAA Playoff First Round
November 27 Sat NCAA Playoff Second Round
December 4 Sat NCAA Playoff Quarterfinal
December 11 Sat NCAA Playoff Semifinal
December 18 Sat NCAA Division II National Championship Game
All Times Are Central Standard
* Gulf South Conference Games
• Game dates and times may change due to television broadcasts

2009 UNIVERSITY OF NORTH ALABAMA FOOTBALL RESULTS