GRAND ISLAND, NE - Ottawa University and McKendree University will meet on August 29th to kickoff their football seasons in the College Fanz Sports Network "First Down Classic" in Platte City, Mo. The game will mark the first-ever meeting between the Braves and the Bearcats as well as the completion of the first ever double header in the "First Down Classic."

"We are very excited for this game to come," said Jason Dannelly, Director of NAIA Relations for the College Fanz Sports Network. "Not only is it a historic game but it will be an extremely entertaining game between two very well coached programs."

The McKendree Bearcats won their final three games of 2008 and finished 6-4. Head coach Carl Poelker enters his 28th season as a college head coach and 14th season with the Bearcats. During his tenure at McKendree, Poelker has led the Bearcats to a 94-41 overall record and seven NAIA playoff appearances in a span of 12 years. McKendree made five consecutive trips to the NAIA post-season from 2001-05. Under Poelker's leadership, McKendree has amassed 71 victories over the last nine years.

Ottawa University finished 2008 with an 8-2 record under head coach Kent Kessinger. Kessinger enters his sixth season with the Braves as his 2008 squad broke and or set 19 school records. The defense continued to be one of the top in the NAIA with a final ranking of 15th in total defense (280 yards per game). The offense finished as one of the top in the NAIA with a final ranking of eighth in total offense (441.2 yards per game). The Braves' play on the field resulted in 23 student athletes earning All-KCAC honors, nine players earning KCAC Player of the Week honors and three earning All-American recognition.

Ottawa finished 19th in the Victory Sports Network Poll and 20th in the final NAIA Coaches Poll while McKendree received votes or was rated for three weeks of the 2008 season in both polls.

"This game is a measuring stick for two NAIA conferences," said Dannelly. "The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and the Mid-States Football Association have never played in the regular season. A lot of people will look to see how these two teams compare."

Kickoff for the second game of the "First Down Classic" double-header will be at 7:00 p.m. at Platte City's Pirate Stadium. Earlier in the day, Doane College (Neb.) and Avila University (Mo.) will play in the opening game at Pirate Stadium.

College Fanz is the world's largest online college sports community, with students, alumni, and other fans of college sports. Founded by Bill Rasmussen, the innovator who launched ESPN in 1979, College Fanz boasts over 22,000 web pages devoted to more than 1,450 colleges and universities throughout the United States competing in over 225,000 NCAA and NAIA athletic events. Victory Sports Network, the leading voice of NAIA college sports, is now part of the College Fanz Sports Network. Additional information is available at http://www.collegefanz.com/.