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INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) will host its sixth annual GLVC Football Kickoff event on Friday, July 28, setting the scene for the league’s sixth season on the gridiron.
For the fourth consecutive year, the annual celebration will be held at The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts on the campus of McKendree University in Lebanon, Illinois. This season’s event, which will serve both the league’s media members and passionate fans through several social media outlets, will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT.
Located just outside the gates of McKendree’s Leemon Field, “The Hett,” as it is commonly referred to on campus, has been a perfect setting for the GLVC Football Kickoff this past three seasons. The 2012 and 2013 events were held at the Millennium Student Center on the campus of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
All eight conference teams will be represented by the head coach and two players at the event.
For the first time in league history, two teams will enter the new season as defending champions. GLVC Coach of the Year Robert Clardy is set to field his Southwest Baptist University Bearcats for the third time under his watch. The Bearcats shared the 2016 GLVC title and earned their first-ever bid to the NCAA Division II Playoffs, where they dropped a 63-35 decision to Colorado School of Mines to finish the campaign 10-2 (7-1 GLVC).
Truman State University head coach Gregg Nesbitt returns for his eighth campaign in Kirksville, Missouri, and will have his Bulldogs ready for their fifth season in the GLVC after earning a share of the conference crown last year at 8-3 (7-1 GLVC). In the Bulldogs’ first three years in the GLVC, they tied for second in 2013 and 2014, and fourth in 2015.
McKendree’s Mike Babcock led his Bearcats to five straight wins to end the 2016 campaign 8-3 overall and 6-2 in league play for sole possession of third place. The success in 2016 was on the heels of an 8-2 (6-2 GLVC) mark in 2015.
Four-time GLVC Champion University of Indianapolis will once again be represented at GLVC Football Kickoff by Bob Bartolomeo. Under the direction of the seventh-year head coach, UIndy has compiled a 35-4 record in GLVC play since the league began sponsoring the sport in 2012, and has also garnered NCAA DII playoff bids in three of the last five seasons. The Greyhounds were 6-5 last season and 5-3 in GLVC action, good for fourth in the standings.
Tyler Fenwick is ready for his fifth season at Missouri S&T, having finished fifth in the league a year ago. The Miners were 5-6 overall and 4-4 in GLVC play.
Returning for his third season as the head man at William Jewell College, Shawn Weigel will be in attendance following a 2016 campaign in which the Cardinals placed eighth overall (1-9, 1-7 GLVC).
Two new faces will be seen at GLVC Football Kickoff this year as both Lincoln University and Quincy University will be under the direction of new leadership. After a 5-6 season, including a 3-5 mark in the GLVC, Tom Pajic departed Quincy, leaving the door open for assistant head coach, offensive coordinator and strength and conditioning coach Gary Bass to be elevated to the interim head coach position.
Also in attendance will be Steven Smith, who took over the reins of GLVC associate member Lincoln University last December following a one-win season (1-10, 0-8 GLVC). Smith was previously a four-year offensive coordinator at Albany State, which went undefeated in league play in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in three of the past four seasons.
On July 13, the GLVC will release its list of player attendees, and launch the official GLVC Football Kickoff website as well as the fan-interactive schedule on July 20.
Media members interested in attending the 2017 GLVC Football Kickoff can apply for credentials by contacting GLVC Associate Commissioner Jeff Smith at
jeff@glvc-sports.org.