For the fourth straight year, a Lone Star Conference football team will be featured in a nationally televised game as Abilene Christian hosts Northwest Missouri State on Thursday, August 27.

      The Wildcats and Bearcats will open the season at Shotwell Stadium in Abilene, Texas.  Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on the CBS College Sports network.

      The package - the fourth since Division II and CBS College Sports established their partnership to give Division II schools live TV exposure for their football and basketball programs (in addition to live post-season coverage in those and other sports) - is the first to feature both premium-game match-ups and "conference rotation games" that league commissioners help select.

      ACU and NWMSU played twice last year.  In the season opener, the Wildcats rallied from a 21-7 deficit to knock off the Bearcats, 44-27, and end their 18-game home winning streak.  NWMSU, last year's national runner-up, won the next encounter 45-36 to end ACU's perfect season in the quarterfinals.

      "These marquee match-ups are appropriate to lead off the 2009 live TV package," said Division II Vice President Mike Racy. "Our partnership with CBS College Sports is established enough now that we can begin to mix in some of these selected out-of-conference match-ups to go along with compelling conference contests from leagues that have yet to have a live-televised football game."

The 2009 Division II/CBS College Sports Football Schedule:
Thursday, August 27 - Northwest Missouri State at Abilene Christian
Thursday, September 3 - Central Washington at Minnesota Duluth
Thursday, September 24 - Wingate at Tusculum
Thursday, October 15 - Virginia Union at Virginia State
Thursday, October 22 - North Alabama at Valdosta State
Thursday, November 5 - Shepherd at Glenville State