In The News

FOR PLANNING PURPOSES

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

HOUSTON – The Battle of the Piney Woods presented by H-E-B returns to NRG Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. CT.

Media interested in covering the annual rivalry matchup between Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State may request credentials by emailing Chloe Delclos at chloe.delclos@houstontexans.com. The deadline to request credentials is Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 5 p.m. CT. Please indicate whether each member of your organization will need field photo/TV access or press box access.

In 2016 and for the sixth-straight year, the Sam Houston State Bearkats defeated the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 63-28 before a crowd of 27,411 fans at NRG Stadium. The crowd was the largest in the 90-plus-year history of the rivalry, topping the previous year’s record of 26,990.

The Battle of the Piney Woods dates back to 1923, making it the fourth-oldest college football rivalry in the state of Texas. Sam Houston State holds a 54-35-2 edge in the series following last year’s victory.  The teams moved the annual game to Houston’s NRG Stadium in 2010 in a partnership with Lone Star Sports & Entertainment.

For more on this event, click here.

CONTACT:          

Chloe Delclos

(832) 667-2085

chloe.delclos@houstontexans.com

About Lone Star Sports & Entertainment

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment (LSSE) is a third-party event marketing company based in Houston, TX, closely affiliated with the Houston Texans. LSSE utilizes a proven marketing process and unparalleled resources and relationships to achieve break-through commercial results for the events and properties we represent.

The AdvoCare Texas Kickoff will mark the first match-up in the schools’ histories, continuing the tradition of championship caliber opponents facing off at NRG Stadium. This will be Texas A&M’s third time appearing in an opening weekend event (1988 and 1998), and the contest will mark Arizona State’s first time playing in such a game.

The 2015 AdvoCare Texas Kickoff is one of four neutral-site kickoff games in the country. The 2014 installment of the game featured LSU and Wisconsin in front of a record crowd of 71,599 at NRG Stadium.

Close to 60,000 tickets have already been sold for the 2015 matchup, remaining seats range from $65-$260 and may be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 832-667-2390. A limited number of luxury suites are still available, to purchase call 832-667-2160. Tickets are also available at the NRG Stadium box office. For more information, please visit www.AdvoCareTexasKickoff.com.

ESPN Events

ESPN Events, a subsidiary of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; 13 college bowl games, nine college basketball events and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 250-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Boca Raton, Boise, Birmingham, Dallas-Fort Worth, Albuquerque, St. Petersburg and Las Vegas, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.

Collegiate Football

AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl (Houston); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney (Orlando, Fla.); Orlando Kickoff (Florida); Popeyes Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); St. Petersburg Bowl (Florida); The Home Depot College Football Awards (Atlanta) and Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth)

Collegiate Basketball

Armed Forces Classic (Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler, Okinawa, Japan); DIRECTV Wooden Legacy (Orange County, Calif.); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s (Los Angeles); Gildan Charleston Classic (South Carolina); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men’s Classic Presented by Corona (New York City); Jimmy V Women’s Classic Presented by Corona (Hartford/Storrs, Conn.); Orlando Classic (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan) and State Farm Champions Classic (Chicago)

For more information, visit www.espnevents.com or follow on Twitter and Facebook.

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment is an event management company founded in 2003.  Since its founding, LSSE has established itself as the leading sports event promoter in Houston. The sold out AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl and the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff provide an annual economic impact to the city of Houston of $100 million. LSSE has also emerged as a premier promoter for international soccer matches, including the 2010 MLS All-Star Game featuring Manchester United, the 2006 FC Barcelona U.S. tour, 2003 and 2008 matches between the United States and Mexico, and the 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cups. Additionally, LSSE has reinvigorated the “Battle of the Piney Woods” rivalry between Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State and has promoted a pair of major concerts featuring country superstars George Strait and Kenny Chesney.

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Media Contacts: Rachel Margolis Siegal, ESPN PR – 860-766-2798; Rachel.m.siegal@espn.com

Amy Palcic, LSSE – 832-667-2220; amy.palcic@houstontexans.com

H-E-B is teaming up with Lone Star Sports and Entertainment as presenting sponsor of The Battle of the Piney Woods, game officials announced today. H-E-B will become the presenting sponsor for the game for the next three years starting in 2015. The Battle of the Piney Woods is the annual football game between Southland Conference rivals Sam Houston State University and Stephen F. Austin State University played at Houston’s NRG Stadium.

This year’s Battle of the Piney Woods presented by H-E-B, which will be played Saturday, Oct. 3, will be the sixth played in Houston. It was recently announced that NRG Stadium will be the new permanent home for the game with tickets going on sale to the general public for this year’s game June 1st.  For more information on premium seating or hospitality options visit www.battleofthepineywoods.com or call 832-667-2390.

“For 110 years, H-E-B has built a tradition that is truly Texas.  We are proud to join this gridiron classic in its 90^th year and look forward to building a Texas-sized atmosphere for years to come,” said Harlan Hooks, H-E-B Houston vice president of marketing and merchandising.

Sam Houston State defeated Stephen F. Austin 42-28 last season before a crowd of 26,788 fans at NRG Stadium. The crowd was the largest in the 89-year history of the rivalry. The Battle of the Piney Woods dates back to 1923, making it the third-oldest college football rivalry in the state of Texas. Sam Houston State holds a 52-35-2 edge in the series following last year’s victory.

“We are extremely excited to join with H-E-B as a big part of continuing to bring this great rivalry to NRG Stadium,” said Lone Star Sports & Entertainment Executive Director David Fletcher. “The Battle of the Piney Woods is one of the oldest and fiercest rivalries in Texas, and playing the game at a neutral site has made it a must-see event for fans of both schools.”

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment also announced an extension of its partnership with CBS Radio Houston as the radio broadcast home of the game.  This year’s 90^th meeting will be once again broadcast on SportsRadio 610 (KILT-AM).

About H-E-B

H-E-B, with sales of more than $22 billion, operates more than 360 stores in Texas and Mexico. Known for its innovation and community service, H-E-B celebrates its 110^th anniversary throughout 2015. Recognized for its fresh food, quality products, convenient services, and a commitment to environmental responsibility and sustainability, H-E-B strives to provide the best customer experience at everyday low prices. Based in San Antonio, H-E-B employs more than 85,000 Partners and serves millions of customers in more than 150 communities. For more information, visit www.heb.com.

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment

Lone Star Sports & Entertainment is an event management company founded in 2003.  Since its founding, LSSE has established itself as the leading sports event promoter in Houston. The sold out AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl and the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff provide an annual economic impact to the city of Houston of $100 million. LSSE has also emerged as a premier promoter for international soccer matches, including the 2010 MLS All-Star Game featuring Manchester United, the 2006 FC Barcelona U.S. tour, 2003 and 2008 matches between the United States and Mexico, and the 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cups. Additionally, LSSE has reinvigorated the “Battle of the Piney Woods” rivalry between Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State and has promoted a pair of major concerts featuring country superstars George Strait and Kenny Chesney.

CONTACT:           Amy Palcic (832) 667-2220; amy.palcic@houstontexans.com

TWITTER:             @BOTPW

The 2015 AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl will be played on Tuesday, Dec. 29, at 8 p.m. CST (9 p.m. ET). The game will be played at NRG Stadium in Houston, and televised nationally on ESPN.

The 10th annual game will mark the second meeting of a six-year agreement between the Big 12 and SEC to play at NRG Stadium.

Last year’s Texas Bowl saw the Arkansas Razorbacks defeat the Texas Longhorns 31-7. The 2014 game was the most attended non-college football playoff game in the country and set a record for the largest bowl attendance in Houston history.

The AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl has been a tremendous success over its first nine years, both on and off the field, with an average attendance of nearly 60,000 fans per year since inception. The bowl, which contributed an economic impact of over $44 million to the Houston economy in 2014, has donated over $850,000 in financial support to date to DePelchin Children’s Center, Houston’s oldest children’s charity and the bowl’s official charitable beneficiary.

Tickets for the AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl range from $35-$140. For availability and special packages call (832) 667-2390. Suites can be purchased by calling 832-667-2160.  For more information, follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

The AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl is one of 13 bowl games owned and operated by ESPN Events, a subsidiary of ESPN.

ESPN Events ESPN Events, a subsidiary of ESPN, owns and operates a large portfolio of collegiate sporting events worldwide. The roster includes three Labor Day weekend college football games; 13 college bowl games, nine college basketball events and two college award shows, which accounts for approximately 250-plus hours of programming, reaches almost 64 million viewers and attracts over 700,000 attendees each year. With satellite offices in Boca Raton, Boise, Birmingham, Dallas-Fort Worth, Albuquerque, St. Petersburg and Las Vegas, ESPN Events builds relationships with conferences, schools and local communities, as well as providing unique experiences for teams and fans.

ESPN Events also manages the Big 12 Corporate Partner Program.

Collegiate Football

AdvoCare Texas Kickoff (Houston); AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl (Houston); Birmingham Bowl (Alabama); Boca Raton Bowl (Florida); Celebration Bowl (Atlanta); Famous Idaho Potato Bowl (Boise); Gildan New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque); Hawai’i Bowl (Honolulu); Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth); MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney (Orlando, Fla.); Orlando Kickoff (Florida); Popeyes Bahamas Bowl (Nassau); Raycom Media Camellia Bowl (Montgomery, Ala.); Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl (Nevada); St. Petersburg Bowl (Florida); The Home Depot College Football Awards (Atlanta) and Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl (Dallas-Fort Worth)

Collegiate Basketball

Armed Forces Classic (Marine Corps Base Camp Smedley D. Butler, Okinawa, Japan); DIRECTV Wooden Legacy (Orange County, Calif.); College Basketball Awards Presented by Wendy’s (Los Angeles); Gildan Charleston Classic (South Carolina); Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic (Honolulu); Jimmy V Men’s Classic Presented by Corona (New York City); Jimmy V Women’s Classic Presented by Corona (Hartford/Storrs, Conn.); Orlando Classic (Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla.); Puerto Rico Tip-Off (San Juan) and State Farm Champions Classic (Chicago)

For more information, visit www.espnevents.com or follow on Twitter and Facebook.

ESPN Media Contact: Rachel Margolis Siegal at 860-766-2798 or rachel.m.siegal@espn.com

AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl Media Contact: Amy Palcic at 832-667-2220 or amy.palcic@houstontexans.com

ABOUT THE ADVOCARE V100 TEXAS BOWL

The AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl is owned and operated by ESPN Events, a subsidiary of ESPN, and managed locally by Lone Star Sports & Entertainment. The bowl showcases teams from the Big 12 and the SEC, two of the country’s premier conferences. The AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl has been a tremendous success both on and off the field over its first nine years. The bowl generated $50 million in economic impact for the Houston economy. The bowl has provided over $850,000 in donations and millions of dollars in promotional support and publicity to DePelchin Children’s Center, the bowl’s official charitable beneficiary.

Since 2010, the Sam Houston Bearkats and the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks have traveled south to Houston for one of the best FCS rivalry games: The Battle of the Piney Woods. Both institutions will continue to travel to Houston for the foreseeable future as Lone Star Sports and Entertainment came to an agreement with both schools to meet at NRG Stadium permanently.

The Bearkats have dominated the series the past few seasons, having won some high scoring shootouts in NRG Stadium the past three years.

94.

105.

70.

Those are the point totals for the last three games and the first two listed above (2012 and 2013) were decided by only one score. Minus 2011, the average margin of victory is just eight points.

It’s as fun a matchup as this state can produce and given the nature of the upheaval in college football realignment, it’s one of the longest running rivalries in the state of Texas on any level.

The fact that the rivalry has moved inside to an NFL building speaks to the talent that resides on both sides of this rivalry. Currently, there are three former Bearkats/Lumberjacks in the NFL and a few more are on the way.

Former Sam Houston State star QB Josh McCown has played for nine organizations in his 13 year career and over the off-season, he signed with the Cleveland Browns. If McCown does eventually start, he’ll be one of potentially ten starting quarterbacks from the state of Texas (Drew Brees, Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill, Andy Dalton, Matt Stafford, Derek Carr, potentially Nick Foles, potentially Ryan Mallett) and the only NFL starting QB from the Southland Conference.

New England Patriots DB Daxton Swanson is Sam Houston State’s all-time interception leader. He came into the league with the Colts, resided on the 49ers practice squad and is now with the World Champs in New England.

Former SFA star DB Josh Aubrey calls NRG Stadium his home, playing for the Houston Texans. He obviously doesn’t have to go far to see the Battle of the Piney Woods and is thrilled that the rivalry is here to stay.

SFA’s record setting running back Gus Johnson wasn’t drafted but he signed a free agent contract with the Oakland Raiders following the 2015 Draft. Johnson is the school’s all-time leading rusher, was a two time 1st Team All-Southland Conference honoree and earned an FCS All-America honors in 2014.

Johnson was Stephen F. Austin’s only undrafted signee, while Sam Houston had two former Bearkats sign with NFL teams. TE Shane Young signed with the New England Patriots following the draft as well. Young caught a touchdown pass in the 2013 Battle of the Piney Woods. Johnson’s counterpart at RB for SHSU Keshawn Hill signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. Hill, in particular, loved playing in NRG Stadium; he had four touchdowns on only 14 carries in last year’s 42-28 win over Stephen F. Austin.

The Battle of the Piney Woods is a rivalry in every sense of the word and it helps produce next level talent that one day returns to play in the permanent home of the game.

– John Harris, College Football Analyst –