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Kickoff Time, TV Arrangements Set for ASU-Montana

July 12, 2012. The Southern Conference and ESPN announced on Wednesday that Appalachian State University football’s highly anticipated 2012 home opener versus fellow NCAA Division I FCS power Montana will kick off at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 8 and be televised nationally on ESPN GamePlan and ESPN3.

The telecast will be produced as part of the SoCon’s live broadcast agreement with ESPN. ESPN GamePlan is the network’s nationwide pay-per-view platform and ESPN3 is available online in 73 million homes via computers, tablets, smart phones and Xbox gaming consoles. 

The Appalachian State-Montana duel opens a two-game home-and-home series between perhaps the nation’s most recognizable and successful Division I FCS programs. Since 2005, ASU and UM are the nation’s winningest FCS programs with 79 and 76 victories, respectively. Additionally, the Mountaineers and Grizzlies have combined for five national championships (all since 1995), 10 FCS championship-game appearances and 40 postseason berths. Appalachian is scheduled to return the trip to Montana in 2013.

The tradition-laden programs have met twice before, in the semifinals of the 2000 NCAA Division I-AA playoffs and the 2009 NCAA Division I Football Championship in Missoula, Mont. Montana won both games in nail-biting fashion, defeating the Mountaineers 19-16 in overtime in 2000 and turning the Apps away from the three yard line twice in the waning seconds of a 24-17 triumph in 2009. The 2009 thriller was televised live on ESPN and was the highest-rated FCS game ever according to data compiled by the Nielsen Company and the NCAA.

Appalachian State’s five remaining 2012 regular-season home games will kick off at 3:30 p.m. The Mountaineers’ Nov. 10 regular-season finale versus Furman may be selected for broadcast on ESPN3 but the 3:30 p.m. kickoff time would not be affected.

For more information, visit www.GoASU.com.