Aggies to play five home games in upcoming season

A historic matchup with Cal to open the season, a regional visit to San Jose State, five home games and another challenging Great West Conference schedule, highlight the 2010 UC Davis football schedule announced on Friday.

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The defending Great West champion Aggies will face another difficult schedule, starting with four road games over the first five weeks. They will then turn and play four of their last six games at Aggie Stadium.

Season tickets, beginning at just $15, are on sale now through UC Davis Athletics Marketing and Promotions at (530) 752-8962. Additionally, the opportunity to purchase tickets to the Aggies’ game at Cal on Sept. 4 is also available with a qualifying season-ticket plan.

Fans who purchase season-ticket plans for at least $50 will have the opportunity to purchase tickets for “premium” seating in the UC Davis section at the Cal game for just $40 each. Revenue from those ticket sales will benefit UC Davis Athletics. Remaining UC Davis tickets for the game at Cal, if available, will go on sale to the general public and for group sales in late spring or early summer.

The home season begins with a visit from Portland State (Sept. 11) and continues with dates against South Dakota (Oct. 9, Homecoming), South Alabama (Oct. 23, Parents Weekend), Southern Utah (Oct. 30) and the 57th annual Causeway Classic (Nov. 20) against Sacramento State.

With the exception of the opener against Portland State which will be at 6 p.m., all home games - including the Homecoming game against South Dakota - will be played at 2 p.m., a slight change from 1 p.m. which had served as the afternoon kickoff time in recent years.

Besides Cal, other road games include a rivalry renewal with the University of San Diego (Sept. 18), playoff participant Weber State (Sept. 25), San Jose State (Oct. 2), North Dakota (Nov. 6) and the “Battle for the Golden Horseshoe” against Cal Poly (Nov. 13).

“Each and every year the schedules seems to get more and more challenging but I think our program is moving forward too,” said Aggie coach Bob Biggs. “We’re very excited with the last three recruiting classes. We continue to want to play as challenging a schedule as we can.”
One of the season’s big highlights will be the opener at Cal on Sept. 4, the first matchup between the University of California insitutions since 1939. The Golden Bears hold an 8-0 series advantage against the Aggies with all the games played from 1932-39. Cal represents the second Pac-10 Conference foe for UC Davis since it began its transition to its current NCAA Division I status. UC Davis upset Stanford 20-17 in 2005.

“I think the visibility of us playing another UC school (is great),” said Biggs. “There are only three of us playing football in the UC system with UCLA, Cal and ourselves. Much like the Stanford game in 2005, because everybody knows somebody that went to Cal or UC Davis or Stanford, I just think it adds to the excitement.”

UC Davis will also face Western Athletic Conference foe San Jose State for the third time in the four seasons and are playing two NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams for the second straight year. The Aggies lost a narrow 13-10 game at Spartan Stadium in 2008 after San Jose State scored in the final seconds.

South Alabama, which started football in 2009 and will eventually play at the FBS level, is the only first-time opponent on UC Davis’ schedule. The Jaguars will be members of the Sun Belt Conference when they become bowl-eligible in 2013.

UC Davis will renew series with both San Diego and Weber State in 2010. The Aggies faced the Toreros in season-finales for three straight years ending in 2008 - winning two of them - and beat Weber State 31-29 in Ogden, Utah, in 2004 in their only other meeting. The Wildcats are coming off two straight berths in the NCAA FCS playoffs.

UC Davis, which was 6-5 last year, won the Great West Conference for the second time after finishing 3-1. This year’s league slate will also mark the Aggies’ first visit to face North Dakota since the programs faced each other in the NCAA semifinals when both were members of Div. II. UND won that game, 14-2.

A pair of rivalry games finish out the regular season at Cal Poly and home against Sacramento State. UC Davis snapped a three-game losing streak to the Mustangs with a 23-10 win at Aggie Stadium last November and will be looking for revenge against the Hornets who have won the past two games in the storied Causeway Classic.

UC Davis will be looking for its first playoff berth since its Div. II era. Next season, the FCS will expand its playoff bracket from 16 to 20 teams.

Season tickets for the upcoming 2010 campaign are currently on sale. Youths, 17 and under, can sit on the grass berms behind each end zone for just $15 for the entire season with various plans available for other stadium locations.

2010 UC DAVIS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 4 at Cal, 2 pm
Sept. 11 PORTLAND STATE, 6 pm
Sept. 18 at Univ. of San Diego, 6:05 pm
Sept. 25 at Weber State, TBA
Oct. 2 at San Jose State, TBA
Oct. 9 SOUTH DAKOTA, 2 pm
Oct. 23 SOUTH ALABAMA, 2 pm
Oct. 30 SOUTHERN UTAH, 2 pm
Nov. 6 at North Dakota*, TBA
Nov. 13 at Cal Poly*, TBA
Nov. 20 SACRAMENTO STATE, 2 pm

Home games in CAPS

By UC Davis Sports Information