(Ann Arbor, MI) Head Coach Lonnie Pries is heading into his 4th season at the helm of the Cardinals football team and is looking to build off of the momentum from last year's season. The Cardinals finished their 2015 campaign with five wins which was the most in school history. The Cardinal football program officially released their 2016 schedule which will include eleven games with five of those being played at Cardinal Stadium.
"It is a given that the MSFA will be strongly represented in the national rankings and postseason play. We are very aware that the MSFA is the strongest football conference in the NAIA and are excited for the challenge of playing the best teams in the country." said Coach Pries on the toughness of the Cardinals schedule.
The schedule is highlighted by a trip to New York to square off against NCAA D1 FCS Wagner. This will be the first time in Cardinal history for the team to play a NCAA D1 opponent. The Cardinals will also face five teams that finished the 2015 season ranked in the NAIA top 25 including the national champion and #1 ranked, Marian University.
Coach Pries on how playing a NCAA D1 team will benefit the football program overall. "From a football standpoint we know that this will be a great challenge for us. We also know that a strong opponent like Wagner is the type of competition we want to play to get us ready for conference play. We are very also very excited about the opportunity to travel to New York and have a great team bonding experience for our players."
The Cardinals will kick off their 2016 regular season Saturday, September 3rd on the road against MSFA crossover opponent, St. Ambrose at 12pm. The first home game for Concordia will be September 17th against Siena Heights University, who the Cardinals beat in dramatic comeback fashion on the road last year, 28-27. This was the first time the Cardinals defeated the Saints.
The 2016 homecoming game will be Saturday, September 24th against Trinity International. The Cardinals will be honoring families and having different activities throughout the day on Family Day, October 15th against Taylor and the seniors will be honored on , Saturday, November 5th against Missouri Baptist.
As part of the competitive Mid States Football Association (MSFA), Concordia will face a tough and demanding schedule as they play 5 teams who finished in the Top 25 poll. These teams include #21 St. Ambrose, #17 St. Francis (IL), #11 St. Xavier, #4 St. Francis (IN), and defending national champion, #1 Marian. The Cardinals look to continue their high level of play against these top tier teams as they beat #5 St. Xavier 35-14 last season and were competitive in games against other top ranked teams as well.
"I am most excited about the confidence our players have as we head into the offseason. They know how good our competition is, and are very excited on going into battle and seeing how we measure up." Said Coach Pries on the mindset of the team and their preparation for this upcoming season.
2016 Football Schedule
SEP 3 2pm @ #21 St. Ambrose
SEP 10 TBD @ Wagner (NCAA D1)
SEP 17 1pm Siena Heights
SEP 24 1pm Trinity International (Homecoming)
OCT 1 2pm @ #17 St. Francis (IL)
OCT 8 2pm @ #11 St. Xavier
OCT 15 1pm Taylor (Family Day)
OCT 22 1pm St. Francis (IN)
OCT 29 1pm @ #1 Marian
NOV 5 1pm Missouri Baptist (Senior Day)
NOV 12 2pm @ Lindenwood
NOV 19 TBD NAIA Playoffs
*All game times listed above are EST*
Trevor Travis, a CUAA senior, majoring in Sport and Entertainment Business and a student worker for the Cardinal athletic department contributed to the contents of this article.
