WEST CHESTER, Pa. – West Chester University, the PSAC Eastern Division Champions, play host to PSAC West champ, Slippery Rock University, Saturday in the 36th Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship game. Kickoff is set for 12:10 p.m. inside John A. Farrell Stadium.
It marks the first time since 2008 that West Chester has played for the conference crown. That year was the first season in which the "State Game" was re-instated by the PSAC. Each divisional champion was declared a co-champion of the conference from 1988 thru 2007. Today marks the 15th time in school history that West Chester has played in the State Game. The Golden Rams are 6-8 in their previous 14 appearances. WCU's 15 appearances in the State Game, and its six victories, are both conference highs. Today also marks the sixth time that West Chester and Slippery Rock will square off for the conference crown. That too, is a conference best for like opponents in the finals.
The Golden Rams reached today's championship game by wrapping up the PSAC Eastern Division title for the 23rd time in school history last weekend. Their 41-27 win over East Stroudsburg, coupled with Kutztown's win over Shippensburg, handed West Chester the East title.
West Chester has lost the last six times it has appeared in the State Game. The Golden Rams last won the PSAC championship game in 1971. West Chester has won the PSAC Championship a conference-record 18 times.
ABOUT SLIPPERY ROCK ...No. 9 Slippery Rock looks to become the first team in the PSAC to repeat as league champion since the State Game was reinstated in 2008. The Rock are the first team to reach the final three years in a row and will be looking to bounce back after being eliminated by West Chester in the NCAA playoffs last fall. The Golden Rams dropped two early games this year but rallied back to win the Eastern Division with a 7-3 overall record.
This week's PSAC Championship game against West Chester will be the 1,000th documented football game in Slippery Rock program history. The first documented football games at The Rock took place in 1898. SRU head coach George Mihalik will have been involved in 465 SRU games as a player, assistant coach and head coach with Saturday's game as his 309th game as head coach. He will have been involved in 30.9 percent of the programs game as a head coach and will have been on the field or sideline for 46.5 percent of all games played at The Rock.
Slippery Rock has won at least a share of the PSAC-West title 15 times, including eight times under George Mihalik. The Rock have claimed the outright PSAC Championship 10 times and are looking to become the first team in the PSAC to repeat as champion since the league brought the title game back in 2008. SRU is making its fourth appearance in the league title game since the reinstatement and is 5-4 all-time in PSAC title games with wins from 1972-74 over West Chester, a victory over East Stroudsburg in 1962 and last year's win over Bloomsburg. The title game was played 1960-87 and has been played each year since 2008.
LIVE INTERNET COVERAGE•
Live Video Stream (ESPN3)•
Live Stats•
Live Audio | Provided by WCHE 1520 AM, West Chester, PA
TICKETS (May be purchased on game day at stadium)• Reserved Purple Chair Back - $11
• Reserved Bleacher - $10
• Adult General Admission - $8
• Senior Citizens and Children Ages 6-18 - $5
• Current West Chester University and Slippery Rock University Students - FREE with valid ID
PARKING AND TAILGATING• Parking cost is $5 per vehicle
• Tailgating is allowed in lower lot (Q)
LIVE TELEVISION LISTINGS• ESPN 3 (Accessible on line to more than 99 million households at WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One).
• ESPN College Extra (Live TV available to AT&T Uverse, DirecTV, Bright House Networks, Cox, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS and select NCTC subscribers).
• WPHL 17 (17 over-the-air, Comcast Philadelphia 17, Comcast Delco 7, Comcast Lancaster 7, Service Electric 4, Verizon Fios 17, Dish Network 17, DirecTV 17) - Philadelphia/Lehigh Valley/South Jersey/Harrisburg/Lancaster/Pottsville.
• WHP 21.2 (21.1 over-the-air, Comcast 19, Armstrong 15, Blue Ridge 133, Nittany 99, Verizon 21, DirecTV 22) - Harrisburg/Lancaster/York/Carlisle/Lebanon.
• WPNT 22 (22 over-the-air, Comcast SD 10/HD 812, Comcast Clarion SD 12/HD 812, Armstrong SD 22/HD 108, Atlantic Broadband SD 8/HD 707, Citizens SD 12/HD 812, Time Warner SD 22/HD 1022, Verizon SD 10/ HD 510, Consolidated SD 10/HD 710, DirecTV 22, Dish Network 22) - Pittsburgh.
• WJAC 6.2 (6.2 over-the-air, Comcast 110-187-202-248, Armstrong 410, Atlantic Broadband 110, Windstream 16, Laurel Highland 15) - Johnstown/Altoona/State College.
- WETM 18.2 (18.2 over-the-air, Time Warner 11, Blue Ridge 8, Haefele 204) Elmira, N.Y. & Mansfield, Pa.
• BLUE RIDGE CABLE NETWORK (BRC 113, BRC 11, BRC 13) Poconos, Eastern and Northern Pa.
REPLAY LISTINGS - THURSDAY, NOV. 19 - 7 p.m.• THE COMCAST NETWORK TCN/CSN+ (Eastern Pa. 6-8-16/HD846, Central and Western Pa. 9, Northeast Pa., 10/846, Pittsburgh 188 & 210, Maryland CSN+ 8-16-21-191/HD856, Virginia CSN+ 8-10-18-21-191/HD856, DirecTV 643, Dish Network, Washington D.C. CSN+ 21/HD856, Delaware 8-22/HD846, New Jersey 8-35-82/HD846, Verizon Fios 334) Pa., N.J., Del., Md., Va.
WEST CHESTER FOOTBALL GAME NOTES(PSAC Championship Game)West Chester vs. Slippery Rock – Saturday, Nov. 14, 2015 - West Chester defeated East Stroudsburg, 41-27. That win, coupled with Kutztown's victory over Shippensburg, gave the Golden Rams the PSAC Eastern Division crown for the 23rd time overall and propelled them into the State Game for the first time since 2008.
- West Chester is making its 15th appearance in the "State Game" – the most of any school in the PSAC. The Golden Rams are 6-8 in their previous 14 appearances.
- West Chester's six victories in the "State Game" are the most of any school in PSAC history. West Chester's 18 PSAC Championships is also the most of any school in PSAC history.
- West Chester is playing Slippery Rock for the sixth time in "State Game" history – that is the most match ups between like opponents in state game history.
- Since the State Game was re-instated in 2008, the home team is undefeated – a seven-game winning streak by the hosts entering Saturday. Also, seven different teams have won the State Game since 2008.
- Slippery Rock is the defending champions, after beating Bloomsburg at home last season. This marks Slippery Rock's third straight appearance in the "State Game".
- WCU Sr., DE Andrew Cohen has 11.5 sacks on the season and 31.5 sacks for his career. He ranks second in PSAC history in sacks and needs 1.5 more to tie the all-time record of 33 sacks by Clarion's Julian Howsare (2011-14).
WEST CHESTER IN THE STATE GAME (1960-1987; 2008-present)1960 vs. Lock Haven W, 35-6
1961 vs. Slippery Rock W, 21-0
1963 vs. Slippery Rock W, 36-7
1966 vs. Clarion L, 26-28
1967 vs. Clarion W, 27-7
1969 vs. Clarion W, 41-34
1970 vs. Edinboro L, 6-14
1971 vs. Edinboro W, 35-14
1972 vs. Slippery Rock L, 27-29
1973 vs. Slippery Rock L, 14-28
1974 vs. Slippery Rock L, 7-20
1986 vs. Indiana (Pa.) L, 6-20
1987 vs. Indiana (Pa.) L, 9-21
2008 vs. California (Pa.) L, 36-47
WEST CHESTER PSAC CHAMPIONS – (6)Co-Champion with West Division winner(1989, 1992, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2007)
WEST CHESTER PSAC CHAMPIONS – STATE GAME WINNER (6)Won the conference championship outright by winning the championship game(1960, 1961, 1963, 1967, 1969, 1971)
WEST CHESTER PSAC CHAMPIONS – (5)Saylor Point System(1952, 1953, 1954, 1956, 1959)
WEST CHESTER PSAC CHAMPIONS – (1)Sportswriters' Selection(1950)
WEST CHESTER PSAC EASTERN DIVISION CHAMPIONS – (23)^ Indicates Co-Champion(1960, 1961, 1963, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974,
^1984, 1986, 1987,
^1989, 1992, ^1994, 1999, 2004, 2007, 2008,
^2013, 2015)
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