Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc., Ingles Markets and the Southern Conference announced Thursday the Ingles SoCon Game of the Week football broadcast package on select Nexstar affiliates for the 2021 season. The schedule kicks off with a doubleheader on Saturday, Sept. 4, with games on the following seven Saturdays to complete the nine-game run on Nexstar stations.
Furman hosts North Carolina A&T on Sept.
4 at 2 p.m. to open the Nexstar package, with Western Carolina welcoming Eastern Kentucky at 6 p.m. that day in the second half of the doubleheader.
The Citadel hosts local rival Charleston Southern on Nexstar stations on Sept. 11 at 2 p.m. before Samford visits Western Carolina at 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 18 to open league play.
Defending SoCon champion VMI will make its fall 2021 Nexstar debut on Sept 25 when it hosts Wofford at 1:30 p.m., while the Keydets will make it consecutive appearances when they visit archrival The Citadel on Oct. 2 in the Military Classic of the South at 2 p.m.
ETSU will make its seasonal Nexstar debut on Oct. 9 when it welcomes The Citadel at 4:30 p.m. The Bucs then visit preseason SoCon favorite Chattanooga on Oct. 16 at 1:30 p.m. as the Mocs host a Nexstar game for the first time ever.
Mercer hosts Wofford on Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. in the final game of the package.
Each game in the Nexstar package will air concurrently on ESPN+.
WSPA Sports Director Pete Yanity will handle play-by-play duties, with former Wofford All-American offensive lineman Jared Singleton serving as analyst.
“We are pleased to be partnering with Nexstar again to provide additional television exposure for our football programs in various markets in our footprint,” SoCon Commissioner Jim Schaus said. “We are excited to be able to expand our overall coverage this year. This coverage is vital to our member schools and the conference overall.”
Nexstar affiliates with the opportunity to air games are: ECBD (Charleston), WGHP (Greensboro/High Point), WJHL (Johnson City), WMYT (Charlotte), WWCW (Lynchburg/Roanoke), WYCW (Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville), and new for this season, WBTW in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Although not a Nexstar station, WMUB (Macon), Mercer University Broadcasting, will also air select contests.
Nexstar football broadcast schedule (all times Eastern)
Sept. 4 – North Carolina A&T at Furman, 2 p.m.
Sept. 4 – Eastern Kentucky at Western Carolina, 6 p.m.
Sept. 11 – Charleston Southern at The Citadel, 2 p.m.
Sept. 18 – Samford at Western Carolina, 2:30 p.m.
Sept. 25 – Wofford at VMI, 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 2 – VMI at The Citadel, 2 p.m.
Oct. 9 – The Citadel at ETSU, 4:30 p.m.
Oct. 16 – ETSU at Chattanooga, 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 23 – Wofford at Mercer, 6 p.m.