UVA Wise and ETSU agree to football series

WISE — The UVA Wise football program announced Monday that the program would play NCAA Division I FCS member East Tennessee State University in 2021, 2024 and 2027 on the gridiron.

The first ever game between the Cavaliers and Buccaneers is slated for Sept. 11, in Johnson City, Tenn. next fall; all three games of the series will be played at ETSU.

“We are very excited about our upcoming series against ETSU,” stated UVA Wise Head Coach Dane Damron. “These games will allow us to establish the UVA Wise brand in Eastern Tennessee which is a vital recruiting ground for our program.”

UVA Wise began its football program in 1991 while ETSU brought back its football program in 2015. The football contest will be the first meeting between the two schools in any sport since the Cavs traveled to Freedom Hall to face the Bucs in a men’s basketball exhibition on Nov. 18, 2015.

“Coach (Randy) Sanders has taken his program to a high level and we understand what we will be up against,” remarked Damron. “Our players will be enthusiastic about this and it will allow the people of Southwest Virginia to travel and watch us play in a great environment.”

UVA Wise is a member of NCAA Division II and the South Atlantic Conference while NCAA Division I FCS member ETSU competes in the Southern Conference.

For more information about the football program at UVA Wise or any of the 13 athletic programs offered by the college, please visit: www.uvawisecavs.com