MADISON — There will be some history made Saturday at Toyota Field. Only this time it won’t be baseball.
Are you ready for some football?
Saturday’s game between the University of North Alabama Lions and the Jacksonville State University Gamecocks is a historical meeting on several levels.
It is the 50th meeting between the two cross-state and ASUN Conference rivals.
It also marks the first collegiate football game played at Toyota Field and in the city of Madison.
And, it will be a first in that both teams’ offenses will be going in the same direction – toward the first base dugout on the converted baseball field.
“It is going to be a different environment playing in a minor league stadium, and it is going to be a neat environment and it is something we have to adjust to with going in one direction and other stuff,” said Jacksonville State head coach Rich Rodriguez. “I have never done it before, and my first thought was if we are going to be on the same sideline as them. I have seen some of that in bowl games that are playing in baseball stadiums, but that is not the case here.
“Our guys went up there to look at the stadium and they say the grass is going to be in great shape.”
The diamond of the Rocket City Trash Pandas has been flipped to a gridiron, but the left-field fence doesn’t allow enough clearance beyond the endzone. Hence, both teams going the same direction.
“The logistics of the game will be a little different, but they’ll be the same for both teams so we’ll have to make some adjustments,” said UNA head coach Chris Willis.
Rodriguez likened it to a practice environment.
“Going in one direction is a bit different, but most coaches and teams are used to doing that in practice for scrimmaging,” he said. “We will go up there Friday and walk through it, but it is the same for both teams, so it shouldn’t be a factor.”
Gates will open at 3 p.m., and kickoff for this unique sporting environment is scheduled for 6 p.m.
“We’re expecting a great atmosphere,” Willis said. “This is a battle between two state schools with great traditions and this game means a lot to both of us.”
Presented by MartinFed, this game is the result of a partnership among UNA, Toyota Field, the Rocket City Trash Pandas, the City of Madison and the Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“We have to be focused and know that we will get their best shot, and we have to play well,” Rodriguez said. “I am excited for our guys with the preparation this week, and it is going to be a great crowd and environment up there.”
Jacksonville State brings a 5-1 record into the contest and UNA is 1-4. The two schools are members of the ASUN Conference.
Over the last 49 meetings, there have been regular season battles for conference championships, NCAA playoff meetings, upsets and history-making contests. From 1992 to 1995, the two schools combined to win four straight NCAA Division II National Championships, with JSU taking top honors in 1992, followed by North Alabama winning three straight from 1993-95.
For game information, click here.
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