Prairie View 2003 Football Schedule Includes Three Classics

PRAIRIE VIEW, Tex. - An 11-game football slate, highlighted by three classics and the renewal of an old rivalry, has been announced with the release of Prairie View A&M University's 2003 football schedule. The 2003 schedule, announced by athletics director Charles McClelland, will feature seven games inside the state of Texas. Four of those games will be played on campus while the other three will be played in the cities of Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, respectively.

"It is a great opportunity for Prairie View to showcase itself with the three classics," McClelland said. "The Labor Day Classic promises to be competitive with the changes that we made on the football staff. It is an honor as always to participate in the State Fair Classic. We are also instituting the River City Classic in San Antonio, which is a new classic that affords Prairie View to bring its football program to San Antonio and showcase it in front of our huge alumni base."

Prairie View kicks off the season with back-to-back conference games. The Panthers will open its season in Houston on August 30 against archrival Texas Southern in the 19th annual Labor Day Classic. Following the Labor Day Classic, Prairie View will travel to Baton Rouge, LA on September 6 to face Southern University. The Panthers return to Blackshear Field for the remainder of the month with home match-ups against Paul Quinn College (Sept. 13) and Alabama A&M University (Sept. 27).

The Panthers will start the month of October with three consecutive road contests against Southwestern Athletic Conference opponents. On October 4, the Panthers will travel to Dallas to face Grambling State in the annual State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl. After the classic, Prairie View will depart for Alcorn State, MS to face Alcorn State on October 11, then on October 18, Prairie View returns to Montgomery, AL for the first time in four years to face Alabama State University. Following the three-game road trip, the Panthers will return home on October 25 for homecoming against Texas College. The homecoming battle against Texas College will mark the first time the teams have met since 1961.

"Prairie View is honored to host Texas College for its 2003 homecoming and it is great for both schools. Prairie View looks forward to a long future with the two schools playing each other," McClelland said. Prairie View closes out the home portion of its schedule with a match-up against Mississippi Valley State on November 1. On November 8, the Panthers will travel to San Antonio to face Arkansas-Pine Bluff in the River City Classic at the Alamodome. The team closes out the 2003 regular season with a trip to Hammond, LA for a November 15 battle against Southeastern Louisiana.

"With the additional home games this year, we will be able to showcase the new, exciting style of football back on campus, led by new coach C.L. Whittington," McClelland added.

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