Four weeks to 89th Piney Woods Battle
10/4/2014 5:00:00 PM | Football
The 89th “Battle of the Piney Woods” is four weeks away and ticket sales are on a record pace.
The annual grudge match between Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin stands as Texas' oldest FCS rivalry. For the fifth season in a row, the two meet in Houston at NRG Stadium (home of the NFL Texans) on Saturday, November 1, at 3 p.m.
Everyone who has taken part in the excitement of the past four “Battles” knows the excitement of this special annual event in Houston. From the tailgate party to the solid sea of orange and purple filling NRG's lower bowl, the latest renewal of the series 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 100th time this fall while SMU and TCU fight for the “Iron Skillet” for the 91st time.
YP.com again will team 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 51-35-2 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 regionall as well as national significance.
Each of the past five “Piney Woods” winners has gone on to advance to the NCAA Division I national football playoffs.
Past “Piney Woods” game participants include 67 athletes who have played in the National Football League and 60 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.
TOUCHDOWN CLUB “PINEY WOODS” LUNCHEON
For the third year in a row, the Houston Touchdown Club will host the “Battle of the Piney Woods” luncheon Thursday, Oct. 30 at the J. W. Marriott Hotel in Houston.
Both head coaches – Sam Houston's K. C. Keeler and SFA's Clint Conque -- will be present at the special event which takes place two days before the game.
Houston TV sports personalities Randy McIlvoy & Bob Allen will host the event.
The luncheon is presented by Texas Barge and Boat Inct., Midway Energy Services and CenterPoint Energy and begins at 12 noon. The J. W. Marriott Hotel is located at 5150 Westheimer at Sage.
The two athletic directors from both universities – Bobby Williams from Sam Houston and Robert Hill from Stephen F. Austin – also will speak.
Tickets are $45 each. Tables are $450 (regular table), $600 (bronze sponsorship), $1,000 (silver sponsorship), $1,500 (gold sponsorship) and $2,500 (platinum sponsorship). All tables are 10 seats each.
To pay for tickets, e-mail houtdclub@att.net, or call Neal Farmer at 713-849-9860. You also can use the PayPal access on this front page for this event.
This event was moved from Wednesday, Oct. 29, to accommodate the coaches' travel schedules.
BATTLE OF THE PINEY WOODS TICKET INFORMATION
“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.
