April 8, 2015
FootballNRG STADIUM TO BECOME PERMANENT HOME OF BATTLE OF THE PINEY WOODS
HOUSTON – Lone Star Sports & Entertainment announced today that NRG Stadium in Houston Texas will become the permanent home for the annual Battle of the Piney Woods matchup between Southland Conference rivals Sam Houston State University and Stephen F. Austin State University as part of a new long-term agreement with the institutions.
This year’s edition, which will be played Saturday, Oct. 3, will be the sixth played in Houston at NRG Stadium. Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, June 1st with more information available by visiting www.battleofthepineywoods.com.
“The Battle of the Piney Woods is one of the great annual events on the Houston sports calendar and we look forward to hosting the game at NRG Stadium for a long time to come. Hosting this rivalry at NRG Stadium brings a great deal of energy and excitement to the game and provides for an exceptional experience for the student athletes and the fans.” said Lone Star Sports & Entertainment Executive Director David Fletcher.
“We are so happy that our partnership has grown into one of the top FCS events of the year. Now to have our game at NRG Stadium on a continuing basis says so much about how our fans have embraced this rivalry,” said Robert Hill Director of Athletics at Stephen F. Austin State University. “I’m excited to see how we can make this game even better.”
“The Battle of the Piney Woods at NRG Stadium, home of the Houston Texans, has expanded Sam Houston State University’s footprint in the greater Houston area in so many positive ways,” said Bobby Williams, Director of Athletics at Sam Houston State University. “The opportunity it provides for media exposure is outstanding not only for Bearkat athletics but the entire University. Each year the event has become bigger and better. We want to say thank you to David Fletcher and the entire staff at Lone Star Sports & Entertainment for all the hard work they do each year to make “The Battle” such a success. It’s an event every Bearkat now has on their calendar. We can’t wait for the 90th renewal of this great rivalry with SFA next fall.”
Lone Star Sports & Entertainment also announced an extension of its partnership with CBS Radio Houston as the radio broadcast home of the game. This year’s 90th meeting will be once again broadcast on SportsRadio 610 (KILT-AM).
Sam Houston State defeated Stephen F. Austin 42-28 last season before a crowd of 26,788 fans at NRG Stadium. The crowd was the largest in the 89-year history of the rivalry.
The Battle of the Piney Woods dates back to 1923, making it the third-oldest college football rivalry in the state of Texas. Sam Houston State holds a 52-35-2 edge in the series following last year’s victory.
Lone Star Sports & Entertainment
Lone Star Sports & Entertainment is an event management company founded in 2003. Since its founding, LSSE has established itself as the leading sports event promoter in Houston. In addition to the sold out AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl and the AdvoCare Texas Kickoff, LSSE has emerged as a premier promoter for international soccer matches, including the 2010 MLS All-Star Game featuring Manchester United, the 2006 FC Barcelona U.S. tour, 2003 and 2008 matches between the United States and Mexico, and the 2005, 2007, 2009 and 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cups. LSSE has also reinvigorated the “Battle of the Piney Woods” rivalry between Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State and has promoted a pair of major concerts featuring country superstars George Strait, Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney.