Network, Kickoff Time Announced For Season-Opening FCS Kickoff
5/29/2025 5:26:00 PM | Football
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The 12th-ranked Mercer football team will battle 11th-ranked UC Davis on ESPN in primetime with the announcement of kickoff times and network designations for both the FCS Kickoff and NCAA Division II Red Tails Classic on Thursday afternoon.
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The FCS Kickoff is scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff on August 23 (Week 0) at the historic Cramton Bowl in downtown Montgomery. Ticket information for the FCS Kickoff will be announced at a later date.
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"We're thrilled to help launch another season of college football in Montgomery, Alabama, in back-to-back weekend games," said FCS executive director Clay Norrell. "We are excited to have both Mercer and Tuskegee return to the historic Cramton Bowl and look forward to welcoming new opponents to these matchups."
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Mercer is making its second appearance, having used a swarming defense to knock off North Alabama, 17-7, in a lightning-altered game that opened the 2023 season. UC Davis is the first California-based school to play in the FCS Kickoff.
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Both teams wrapped up historic 2024 campaigns as national seeds in the FCS Playoffs. The fifth-seeded Aggies (11-3) dropped a tough 35-21 to fourth-seeded South Dakota State, while seventh-seeded Mercer (11-3) fell 31-7 to second-seeded and eventual national champion North Dakota State.
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The FCS Kickoff is scheduled for a 7 p.m. ET kickoff on August 23 (Week 0) at the historic Cramton Bowl in downtown Montgomery. Ticket information for the FCS Kickoff will be announced at a later date.
Â
"We're thrilled to help launch another season of college football in Montgomery, Alabama, in back-to-back weekend games," said FCS executive director Clay Norrell. "We are excited to have both Mercer and Tuskegee return to the historic Cramton Bowl and look forward to welcoming new opponents to these matchups."
Â
Mercer is making its second appearance, having used a swarming defense to knock off North Alabama, 17-7, in a lightning-altered game that opened the 2023 season. UC Davis is the first California-based school to play in the FCS Kickoff.
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Both teams wrapped up historic 2024 campaigns as national seeds in the FCS Playoffs. The fifth-seeded Aggies (11-3) dropped a tough 35-21 to fourth-seeded South Dakota State, while seventh-seeded Mercer (11-3) fell 31-7 to second-seeded and eventual national champion North Dakota State.
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