Football | 9/1/2015 9:13:00 AM

Rock Hill, S.C.----The South Atlantic Conference will be featured on the American Sports Network (ASN) Saturday, Oct. 17, as the Wingate at Lenoir-Rhyne football game will air regionally on ASN.  Kick-off is slated for 12 noon.
 
"On behalf of the South Atlantic Conference, I would like to thank the NCAA and Josh Looney for this opportunity," SAC Commissioner Patrick Britz says.  "This TV game will allow the league to showcase two of its finest member institutions and provide a chance for the college football fans in the region to watch a great contest."
 
Wingate topped the SAC charts with four defensive touchdowns and 11 fumble recoveries last season. The Bulldogs boasted one of the top defensive backfields in the league during the 2014 season, accounting for a SAC-best 16 interceptions. Wingate finished tied for fourth in in 2014 league standings.
 
Wingate senior linebacker Eric Mapoles (Snellville, Ga.) is one of the anchors of the Wingate defense, as he posted 72 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks last year. He was the only player in Division II to earn his League's All-Conference distinction, AFCA Good Works Team membership and Academic All-America® honors following the 2014 campaign.
"We are honored to be included on the American Sports Network (ASN) football broadcast schedule for this season," Wingate head coach Joe Reich says. "We believe this is a great opportunity to spread the word about Wingate University and the South Atlantic Conference."

Lenoir-Rhyne comes into the season ranked number 10 in the American Football Coaches' Association top 25 poll.  The Bears' ground attack set the NCAA single-season record with 416.3 yards per game last season and returns B-back Michael Patrick, who rushed for 788 yards and nine touchdowns a season ago. Lenoir-Rhyne led the South Atlantic Conference in 18 statistical categories in 2014; the Bears were picked to win their fifth-straight SAC title in league's 2015 preseason coaches' poll.

The game is part of NCAA Division II's Regional Game of the Week on American Sports Network. In addition to the ASN coverage, Bulldog fans in the Charlotte area can view the game on WCCB in Charlotte.

SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP, INC.
 
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is the largest and one of the most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country with 162 television stations, airing 376 channels in 79 markets. Sinclair boasts affiliations with all the major networks. The Company regularly uses its website as a key source of Company information; it can be accessed at www.sbgi.net.
 
AMERICAN SPORTS NETWORK
 
ASN is composed of 162 Sinclair-owned and operated television stations nationwide with 376 channels in 79 markets (many in the NCHC footprint), which combine to reach approximately 43 million households nationwide. ASN has also developed an affiliate network of regional sports networks to increase the per-game potential distribution to more than 60 million households on average. Launched in 2014-15, the company produced 250 college events in nine sports and plans to air more than 375 events in 2015-16.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, consistently ranked as a top 10 "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,000 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 37 minors and career concentrations, numerous pre-professional programs, master's degrees in business, accounting, education, physician assistant studies and sport management and doctorates in pharmacy, physical therapy and education.
 
With a 15 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past nine years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing colleges in the 2000's with 77 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate's 77 Academic All-America® honorees are number one during this millennium. Wingate's 86 lifetime Academic All-America® picks are tops among all SAC schools. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.