Seven Weeks Until 88th Piney Woods Battle
9/10/2013 8:38:00 AM | Football
Everyone who has taken part in the excitement of the past three Stephen F. Austin versus Sam Houston State "Piney Woods" battles at Reliant Stadium knows the excitement of this special annual event in Houston.
From the tailgate party to the solid sea of orange and purple filling Reliant's lower bowl the 88th renewal of Texas' oldest FCS football rivalry will be another day to remember.
The game stands as the third oldest current series at all levels of Texas college football. Baylor and Texas meet for the 99th time this fall while SMU and TCU fight for the "Iron Skillet" for the 90th time.
Kickoff this year is 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2.
YP.com again is teams up with Lone Star Sports and Entertainment to host "The Battle of the Piney Woods".
The Bearkats versus Lumberjacks series dates back to 1923. Sam Houston State holds a 50-35-2 edge in the series. During the 1930s, "The Battle of the Piney Woods" was an annual Thanksgiving Day football event. Prior to 1983, the game was the season finale for both teams.
The Kats vs. Jacks matchup at the home of the NFL's Houston Texans holds national as well as regional significance.
Each of the past four "Piney Woods" winners has gone on to win the Southland Conference title and advance to the NCAA Division I national football playoffs.
Past "Piney Woods" game participants include 66 athletes who have played in the National Football League and 58 NCAA Division I All-Americans.
Since 2007, the winner of the "Battle of the Piney Woods" has earned a 21-pound solid cedar trophy that displays replica pistols from Texas' frontier past. The logos from both universities are engraved on the handle of the pistols above name plates that will display the outcomes of the contest.
The event provides a stage for Sam Houston State and Stephen F. Austin to gain exposure in a city in which more than 65,000 university alumni call home. The Bearkats and Lumberjacks were featured in interviews on all of the city's television, radio and newspaper media throughout the week.
"Battle of the Piney Woods" tickets may be purchased online at www.gobearkats.com or by calling the Sam Houston athletic ticket office at Bowers Stadium at (936) 294-1729.
