Single game tickets for the "Battle of the Piney Woods" presented by YP.com with Stephen F. Austin at Reliant Stadium in Houston also are available Monday.

Tickets may be purchased either online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the Bearkat athletic ticket office located in the Ron Mafrige Field House in the south end zone of Bowers Stadium. Ticket office hours are 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

To avoid lines, fans are urged to order online. For more information, call the ticket office at (936) 294-1729 or fans may email bearkattix@shsu.edu.

Individual game ticket prices are $15 for general admission, $20 for bleacher reserved and $25 for reserved chair back seats. Special pricing is available for groups of 10 or more.

"Preseason football camp has been going well and the enthusiasm in workouts is at an all-time high," Sam Houston head football coach Willie Fritz said. "This is going to be a fun team to watch and, if you haven't gotten your tickets yet, you better hurry because there's going to be some great games."

The home schedule kicks off Thursday night Sept. 1, with 2010 NCAA Division I national playoff participant Western Illinois. Other contests at Bowers Stadium include Central Arkansas Saturday Sept. 17; UTSA Saturday Oct. 3; Nicholls Saturday Oct. 15, Lamar Saturday Oct. 29 and Northwestern State Saturday, Nov. 12.

The UCA contest Sept. 17 is "Parents and Family Weekend". UTSA's inaugural football team visits Oct. 1 for "Boy Scouts Night" and "Greek Night." The Nicholls Colonels are the 2011 Bearkat Homecoming opponent Oct. 15.

When Lamar visits on Oct. 29 it's "Championship Anniversary Celebration" day with players from the 1956, 1961, 1986, 1991 and 2001 conference title teams returning for a special reunion.

And, following the home season finale with Northwestern State on Nov. 12, all season ticket holders will have the opportunity for a post-game autograph session with the Bearkat players.

With 10 offensive and nine defensive starters back from last year's young squad that won six of its last nine games, Sam Houston is picked to be one of the contenders in the 2011 Southland Conference football race.

Fans still have the option of purchasing season tickets to all six games at Bowers Stadium and the "Battle of the Piney Woods" and seeing a savings of $40.

The complete 2011 schedule for games included in season ticket packages: