Prairie View A&M Releases 2014 Football Schedule

Prairie View A&M Director of Athletics Ashley Robinson has announced the 2014 football schedule which features two classics, a match-up against a Southland Conference power and five games inside the state of Texas, including the final three home games in the history of Blackshear Field.

The 2014 season kicks off in Houston on Sunday, Aug. 31 as the Panthers will host Texas Southern in the 30th annual edition of the Labor Day Classic. The classic returns to Reliant Stadium for the first time since 2012 as the stadium will host the historic classic for the ninth time in series history.

After a bye weekend on Sept. 6, the Panthers will face three consecutive schools from the state of Louisiana as on Sept. 13, as they’ll face McNeese State for the first time since 2001 in Lake Charles, La. The match-up against the Cowboys marks the third consecutive season the Panthers will face a Southland Conference institution.

“Playing regional games was one of the goals I had when I became head coach at Prairie View A&M,” said head coach Heishma Northern. “McNeese State will be formidable foe as they spent a lot of time ranked in the FCS top 25.”

The following weekend on Sept. 20, history will be made as the Panthers will open up their home schedule with a match-up against Southern University at Blackshear Field. The contest against the Jaguars marks the first time since the 1960s that Southern will play on the PVAMU campus.

“Having Southern University come to our campus is huge as the game has the potential to draw a homecoming-type crowd and create a festive atmosphere,” said Robinson. “With this being our final year at Blackshear Field and with the way the SWAC schedule rotated, we want to maximize the opportunities our student-athletes have to play in front of their families and friends.”

Once the affair with Southern is completed, the Panthers will face a trio of new head coaches in three of its next four games. On Sept. 27, the Panthers invade the city of Dallas for the annual State Fair Classic at the Cotton Bowl as they’ll face Grambling State. The month of October kicks off in Jackson, Miss. as Prairie View A&M squares off against Jackson State on Oct. 4. Homecoming 2014 takes place on Saturday, Oct. 11 as the Panthers will host Alabama State at Blackshear Field followed by a road trip to Itta Bena, Miss. for a contest at Mississippi Valley State.

The final contest in the history of Blackshear Field and 2014 home finale is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 25 as the Panthers will host Alcorn State. Prairie View A&M has its second bye weekend of the season to open the month of November on Nov. 1 before wrapping up the 2014 season on the road at Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Nov. 8 and Alabama A&M on Nov. 15.

Courtesy: Prairie View A&M Sports Information