NSU Releases 2012 Football Schedule

(Photo: Mark W. Sutton Digital Photography)

NORFOLK, Virginia – Norfolk State University released its 2012 football schedule on Wednesday. Highlighting the slate are five home games, another road date with a Big South opponent, and a first-ever game with a team from the Mid-American Conference.

For the second straight year, NSU will play 11 straight games without a bye week before having off the final week of the FCS regular season on Nov. 17. The Spartans navigated that stretch well in 2011, finishing 9-3, winning their first-ever MEAC football title and making their initial FCS playoff appearance.

The Spartans open the season on Sept. 1 against Virginia State in the Virginia Lottery Labor Day Classic at Dick Price Stadium. Kickoff will be 6 p.m. for 50th all-time meeting between the long-time rivals.

The following week, the Spartans travel west across the state of Virginia to meet 2011 Big South Conference runner-up Liberty University. The teams will be meeting for the fifth time in their history and first since 2005, when NSU defeated the Flames 34-17 at Dick Price Stadium. Liberty, which won the first three games between the schools, will return to Dick Price Stadium in 2014. Last season, NSU won 33-3 at another Big South foe, Charleston Southern.

“Playing Liberty will be a challenge for our team, especially facing them in Lynchburg,” said NSU head coach Pete Adrian. “They are always one of the top teams in their conference and we know that will be a competitive game.”

NSU opens MEAC play the following Saturday, Sept. 15, at home against Howard. Kickoff is slated for 4 p.m. Following their MEAC opener, the Spartans play their final non-conference game of the year at MAC power Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, on Sept. 22. This marks NSU’s fifth-ever game against an FBS team and third year in a row playing a team from the highest subdivision. The Bobcats were MAC runners-up and finished 10-4 last season, including a win in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.

“We are excited to continue our streak of playing FBS teams,” said Adrian, who is a native of Brilliant, Ohio. “Ohio had a great year in 2011 and will serve as another stern challenge for our team.”

NSU’s final seven games of the season are against MEAC teams, beginning on Sept. 29 at South Carolina State. Delaware State visits NSU for a 1 p.m. game on Oct. 6 before the Spartans hit the road for consecutive games at Hampton, Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina A&T. The schedule is reversed from last season, when NSU played three straight home games in October.

“It certainly won’t be easy facing those three schools on the road in consecutive weeks, but I think our team will be up for the challenge,” Adrian said.

NSU closes the season with two straight home games – against Savannah State on the Spartans’ homecoming on Nov. 3, and against Morgan State for Senior Day on Nov. 10.

2012 NSU Football Schedule (.pdf)

Date Opponent Location Time/Result Details

9/1/2012 Virginia State (Virginia Lottery Labor Day Classic) Norfolk, Va. 6 p.m.

9/8/2012 Liberty Lynchburg, Va. TBA

9/15/2012 * Howard Norfolk, Va. 4 p.m.

9/22/2012 Ohio Athens, Ohio TBA

9/29/2012 * South Carolina State Orangeburg, S.C. TBA 

10/6/2012 * Delaware State Norfolk, Va. 1 p.m. 

10/13/2012 * Hampton (Battle of the Bay) Hampton, Va. TBA 

10/20/2012 * Bethune-Cookman Daytona Beach, Fla. TBA 

10/27/2012 * North Carolina A&T Greensboro, N.C. TBA 

11/3/2012 * Savannah State (Homecoming) Norfolk, Va. 2 p.m. 

11/10/2012 * Morgan State (Senior Day) Norfolk, Va. 1 p.m. 

By Matt Michalec, Sports Information Director
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