ECAC DIII Football Fest Sites Announced for 2017 & 2018
DANBURY, Conn. – The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) announced today the sites of the next two editions of the Division III Football Bowl Championships (DIII Football Fest). The University of Delaware will host the event in 2017, while 2018 will see DIII Football Fest return to the University of Pennsylvania.
Entering its third year, DIII Football Fest features the best ECAC DIII football teams competing in a series of bowl games at a neutral site over a multiple-day span. Since it was first held in 2015, the event has become one of the Conference’s marquee championship events. The ECAC will once again partner with Pack Network to bring viewers a live selection show and full-game broadcasts in 2017 and 2018.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Delaware for 2017 and Penn for 2018. Both campuses boast top-notch facilities that add to the overall experience for our student-athletes. Last year the staff at Penn was phenomenal and we know we’ll have the same type of service with the crew from Delaware,” said ECAC Vice President/CFO John Rollins.
The 2017 event will be held Nov. 17-19 at Tubby Raymond Field at Delaware Stadium on the campus of the University of Delaware. The 22,000-seat stadium is the second largest in the Colonial Athletic Association and one of the largest in the nation in FCS football. In 2002, the Delaware Stadium playing surface was dedicated as Tubby Raymond Field, recognizing Delaware's College Football Hall of Fame head coach who retired following the 2001 season after compiling 300 victories in 36 seasons.
"On behalf of the University of Delaware and the Newark community, we are excited to host the ECAC Division III Football Fest here at Delaware Stadium this coming November," said Delaware Director of Athletics and Recreation Services Chrissi Rawak. "We are honored to be selected to host some of the top football teams and student-athletes in the country for this one-of-a-kind event. We wish all the teams the best as they work towards this goal and invite everyone to come out and support them in what should be another great event and a fun atmosphere at Delaware Stadium.”
In 2018, DIII Football Fest will be back at historic Franklin Field for another epic weekend of football beginning Nov. 16.
“We are excited to host the ECAC Division III Football Bowl Championships in 2018,” said University of Pennsylvania’s Director of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. M. Grace Calhoun. “As an institution with a long history with the ECAC, we are happy to expand our relationship and help provide a memorable experience for the student-athletes, coaches, parents and fans in the nation’s oldest collegiate football stadium, Franklin Field. We look forward to hosting the ECAC again as they add their own indelible chapter to the stadium’s storied history.”
The University of Pennsylvania's historic football stadium has hosted the best in collegiate and professional competition for most of the century. Originally opened in 1895 for the first running of the Penn Relays, the stadium was rebuilt in 1922 in its present form. Franklin Field, deemed by the NCAA as the oldest stadium still operating for football games.
“The ECAC hosted the first DIII Football Fest in 2015 to enhance the postseason experience and the momentum continues to build,” Rollins elaborated. “We are excited to continue relationships with returning partners and explore new sponsorship opportunities, while also working with our membership to ensure that cost of participation will not be a limiting factor. We are fired up to host another first-class event for our student-athletes, coaches, administrators and fans.”
For the latest updates follow @ECACD3FBFEST on Twitter. Use the hashtag #ECACD3FBFEST to join the conversation.
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