Published on May 1, 2019 by Joey Mullins  
SamfordFCS BT

Samford University will open the 2019 college football season in a game against Youngstown State University at the Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff at the historic Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama, on Aug. 24 at 2 p.m. The game is the first of the season in all college football and will be nationally televised by ESPN. The FCS Kickoff is in its sixth year overall. 

"We are thrilled to be selected for the 2019 Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff game to open FCS football nationally," Samford Director of Athletics Martin Newton said. "This is a great platform for us to showcase Samford, the university's mission and the quality of our Bulldog football program to a national audience against a quality opponent."

Samford, who had a narrow loss at Florida State last September, has been to the FCS Playoffs two of the last three seasons under head coach Chris Hatcher. Overall, Samford has made five playoff appearances in school history.

"It is a great honor to be selected to play in next year's Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff game," Hatcher said. "We are excited about the opportunity to play such a quality opponent in Montgomery. It is a great venue that will bring lots of national attention to our team and university."

The 2019 Guardian Credit Union FCS Kickoff will be the fifth meeting between Samford and Youngstown State.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.