Belton, TX – The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor football team will face a brand new opponent and take on three playoff teams during the non-conference portion of the schedule during the 2012 season. The Cru released its 2012 varsity schedule today.
UMHB will kick off the 2012 season at home with a 6:00 PM kickoff against new opponent Kean (NJ) University on September 8
th. Following that game, UMHB will embark on the first, regular season, three-game road swing in program history. The Cru will travel to Dover, Delaware to face Wesley College in the first regular season meeting between teams that faced off in the postseason six times in the last seven years. UMHB will then play a night game at Trinity University on September 22
nd before opening American Southwest Conference play at Sul Ross State with a 1:00 PM kickoff in Alpine on September 29
th. The Cru will play just four home games this season. In addition to the season opener against Kean, UMHB will also play host to ASC rivals Texas Lutheran University (October 6
th), Hardin-Simmons University (October 20
th) and Mississippi College (November 10
th). The schedule also includes ASC road games at Louisiana College (October 13
th), Howard Payne University (October 27
th) and East Texas Baptist University (November 3
rd). Kean University, Wesley College and Trinity University all advanced to the NCAA Division III National Championships last season. Trinity fell in the opening round, Kean advanced to the Second Round before losing to Salisbury and Wesley College qualified for the NCAA Division III National Semifinals after knocking off UMHB in the quarterfinals last year.
The 2012 season will also be the UMHB football team's last season playing its home games at Belton High School's Tiger Field. The Cru will move into the brand new, on-campus Crusader Stadium for the 2013 football season. Construction on the new stadium began this March.
The Cru finished the 2011 season with a 12-1 overall record and an 8-0 mark in ASC play. The Cru posted just the third undefeated regular season in school history and tied a new school record with 12 consecutive victories. UMHB won the ASC championship for the ninth time in the last ten seasons and advanced to the NCAA Division III National Championships for the tenth time in the last 11 years. The Cru advanced to the National Quarterfinals before falling to Wesley College 27-24.
