April 15, 2008

UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. - The reigning CAA Football Champion Richmond Spiders will appear on television five times during the 2008 season as the conference has unveiled another wide-ranging TV package. For the second-consecutive season the Spiders get five TV games, including match-ups with Delaware, Massachusetts and James Madison, who all reached the 2007 NCAA Playoffs.

"The ability to play on TV gives the University of Richmond a national stage in which to represent our conference, the university and gives recognition to our deserving players," said first-year head coach Mike London. "We are privileged and excited to be on television and it's great for our fans that can't see us play in person."

A 3:30 p.m. tilt on Sept. 27 at CAA South rival Villanova kicks off Richmond's TV slate on CN8 (The Comcast Network), which is the first of three road contests to be broadcast live. The Spiders' game at UMass on Oct. 18 - a match-up of the two teams that shared the 2007 CAA Football crown - is also a 3:30 p.m. game on CN8. The regular-season finale versus William & Mary in Williamsburg is set for noon on Comcast SportsNet.

A pair of home games, which could carry postseason and conference-title implications - versus James Madison on Oct. 25 and versus Delaware on Nov. 15 - will also air on the Comcast family of networks. The match-up with JMU is set for noon on Comcast SportsNet, with the UD game slated for 3:30 p.m. on CN8.

The Spiders have also announced that the remaining three home contests not part of the CAA Football television package will kick off at 3 p.m. - Towson, Maine and Georgetown.

"Next year's schedule will be challenging, but one we look forward to playing," said London. "Our team will have to work very hard to defend the CAA Football title, in what I believe is the premier FCS conference in the nation."

Richmond's season-opener at Elon is slated for a 7 p.m. start. The VMI game will kick off at 1 p.m., while start times at Virginia and Hofstra have yet to be announced.