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College Fanz Announces 2010 NAIA Senior Classic in Salina, Kansas

Fri, Feb 5, 2010 - [Football Senior Classic] - Viewed 1168 times

April 24th, 2010 in Salina, KS

Grand Island, Nebraska – February 3, 2010 -- This April will mark the fourth year in a row that the best NAIA football players in the country will participate in the College Fanz Senior Classic.

The College Fanz Sports Network's Senior Classic will pit 130 former NAIA football players against one another in a showcase of talent and character. The game kicks off Saturday, April 24th at 1:00 p.m. Salina Stadium in Salina, Kansas.

College Fanz has begun taking applications from players to participate in the upcoming game. Players from across the country can click below to fill out an application.

(http://naiafootball.collegefanz.com/form2mail.htm)

"This is truly one of the great small college events and it's all because of the passion people have for it," said Jason Dannelly of College Fanz, the game's founder. "It's a chance to play football one last time, on a national stage in front of friends, family and a ton of fans."

It's astounding. Florida, a national hotbed for high school football, boasted more than 40,000 players last season. Yet for those thousands of high school student-athletes, many who would want to stay close to home and play college football, a mere 200 college spots exist in the state, excluding Division I programs.

The state of Florida lacks a single NCAA Division II or III football program, and only two schools, Weber International University and Edward Waters College, play NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) football.

Ave Maria University, an institution in the Catholic tradition with a generous stretch of land just outside Naples, Fla., hopes to give Florida high school football players a new option to play at the next level in their home state. The school announced Feb. 12 that it will field a team in 2011, playing in the NAIA's Sun Conference with a mix of players from the Sunshine state and around the country.

Arkansas State head football coach Steve Roberts announced Friday that Hugh Freeze, who compiled a 20-5 record the last two seasons at the helm of the Lambuth University football program, has been named the Red Wolves new offensive coordinator and football coach.

Freeze was named San Jose State's offensive coordinator on January 5 of this year, but spent less than two months with the Spartans' program before coming to Arkansas State.

McPherson, Kan. – Interim head coach Joe Bettasso has been named the head football coach at McPherson College. The announcement was made official Wednesday afternoon at a meeting with the current Bulldog football players and coaching staff.

"We are pleased to have Joe assume the head coaching responsibilities," said McPherson athletic director Jenni Richardson. "He is well respected by the players and will have great support staff in place. The team is excited and focused on next season and looks to continue building on the foundation of success that was established with the 2009 season. We look for great things to come in the future."

Rome, Ga. - The Shorter College football team reflected on its success during the 2009 season at the annual team banquet held at the Winthrop-King Centre last Sunday evening.

The Hawks, their coaching staff, families and friends all came together to officially close the book on the fifth season of football on the Hill, all the while recognizing All-Conference performers, All-Academic achievements and every member of the team that helped secure the program's fourth straight winning season.

McPherson, Kan. – The McPherson College Athletics Department announced Tuesday morning that head coach Brian Ward has resigned his post effective Feb. 28. Ward, hired Dec. 8, 2006, has accepted an assistant coaching position at North Dakota State University.

"This is a great opportunity for Brian," said McPherson College athletic director Jenni Richardson. "We wish him the best in his new position. He has built a great foundation for the football program and we look forward to its continued success in the years to come. The search for a new head football coach will be underway immediately."

Ward, the 2009 College Fanz Sports Networks Coach of the Year, amassed a 17-14 career mark at McPherson, including the programs first appearance in the NAIA Football Championship series and a school record nine wins. During his three-year tenure at McPherson, Ward coached seven NAIA All-Americans, bringing the school into the hunt for the KCAC conference championship for the first time since the team finished tied for third in 2003.

(Sioux Falls, S.D.) – The University of Sioux Falls is proud to announce the hiring of Jed Stugart as the Cougars head football coach. Stugart is only the third head coach in the last 27 seasons and 20th head coach in program history.

"After a thorough and extensive search, we have found our guy in Jed Stugart" said athletic director William Sanchez. "In terms of exposure within the different levels of the NCAA and NAIA, Jed will be the most experienced football coach to ever walk the University of Sioux Falls sidelines. With the success that our program has achieved, that speaks volumes," said Sanchez.