In addition to the season opener, which will air locally on WBKO-TV (local cable channel nine) and be shown in major markets throughout the Southeast including Atlanta, Birmingham, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Lexington, Louisville, Memphis, Nashville, New Orleans and Tampa, the Hilltoppers’ Oct. 14 contest at Missouri State will be shown regionally on FOX Sports Net as part of the Gateway Football Conference’s broadcast package.
“I am very pleased we are able to bring some outstanding road games back to our local market for those fans unable to join our team in person while we are on the road” said Hilltopper Director of Athletics Dr. Wood Selig. “Being selected for the SEC game of the week to kickoff the 2006 football season is a strong statement to the respect WKU football has developed nationally. Such far-reaching visibility and exposure will only help us in our mission to ‘spread the red’ and attract the finest student-athletes to our outstanding football program.”
“Any time we can get our program on television, it does nothing but help,” added head coach David Elson. “It’s always good for our fans who can’t make the trip to be able to watch at home and for parents to be able to see their sons play. We are always excited when we get an opportunity to be on any national, regional or local form of television.”
Additionally, all game times for WKU were announced. The Toppers’ first three home games — against Chattanooga (Sept. 16), Western Illinois (Sept. 30) and Illinois State (Oct. 7) — will kickoff at 6 p.m. (CDT), while the final three contests at L.T. Smith Stadium/Jimmy Feix Field versus Indiana State (Homecoming on Oct. 28), Youngstown State (Nov. 11) and Austin Peay (Nov. 18) are slated to begin at 4 p.m.
The game at Georgia is set for an 11:30 a.m. start, while the “Battle of the Blue Grass” the following week at Eastern Kentucky will kickoff at 5 p.m. The MSU contest on FOX will begin at 3 p.m., with WKU’s game at Southern Illinois starting at 6 p.m. WKU’s final road contest, at Northern Iowa, is scheduled to kickoff at 4:05 p.m.
