Bearcats start season with night game opening

The Northwest Missouri State Bearcat football team will open the season against Minnesota State on Thursday, August 29th at 6 p.m. at Bearcat Stadium. The two teams last faced each other in 2012, when the Mavericks won.

Bearcat fans can watch the game on themiaanetwork.com or listen on KXCV. Tickets can be purchased at bearcatsports.com.

The Bearcats begin the season ranked 22nd in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coaches Poll. They will begin the season against an opponent also ranked 13th: the Mankato Mavericks. Other schools in the MIAA include Central Missouri (ranked 2nd) and Pittsburg State (ranked 6th).

Two Northwestern seniors, Jake Fisher and Cahleel Smith, were named to D2Football.com’s Elite 100 watch list. The Bearcats enter the season with the fourth-longest active winning streak of any college football team, as the program has posted 28 consecutive winning seasons.

Northwest finished third in the MIAA preseason media and coaches polls as it faces another challenging conference schedule.