Ouachita Stories

In conjunction with the Ouachita Tigers football program, the Great American Conference and Harding University, the Ouachita Baptist University Athletics Department has announced that the Oct. 3 Ouachita Homecoming game between the Ouachita Tigers and Harding Bisons will be televised by the American Sports Network (ASN) and the Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.

"We're extremely pleased and honored to be included in this season's ASN Division II Football Showcase schedule," Athletic Director David Sharp said. "This will be a wonderful opportunity for our football program and allow us to showcase our outstanding student-athletes and facilities."

GAC Commissioner Will Prewitt shared Sharp's enthusiasm regarding the exposure this gives the conference's student-athletes and teams.

"We're excited to have a GAC game be a part of this inaugural NCAA Division II schedule on the American Sports Network," Prewitt said. "This partnership will provide great exposure for the division, conference and the schools involved to be a part of this rapidly growing platform."

The matchup between the Tigers and Bisons is the only scheduled game as part of the American Sports Network package that features two teams that qualified for the NCAA Division II Playoffs last season. Kickoff for the Homecoming game will be moved up to 11 a.m. to accommodate broadcasting schedules and will be carried locally on KATV-2. The game also will be made available nationwide to all Sinclair Broadcast affiliates.

"I think every player at any level wants to play on TV," said Head Football Coach Todd Knight. "So to be able to play in a game where family and friends that can't make it to the stadium, that's great for our program, Harding's program and Division II. It's a big game, a rivalry game where we get to show off Cliff Harris Stadium."

Last year, in Searcy, the Bisons scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns to take a lead only to see the Tigers force overtime when quarterback Kiehl Frazier found Brandon Marks in the back of the end zone and Frazier converted a two-point conversion with no time remaining.  In the extra session, a Bison turnover gave the Tigers a chance to win with a field goal. Matthew Ehasz had his first attempt blocked but a false start penalty negated the block. On his second try, Ehasz split the uprights for the win.

To find out specific areas where the ASN Division II Football Showcase game will be broadcast, contact your regional Sinclair affiliate by visiting http://sbgi.net/tv-stations/.

ASN is composed of 162 Sinclair-owned and operated television stations nationwide with 376 channels in 79 markets which combine to reach approximately 43 million households nationwide. ASN also has developed an affiliate network of regional sports networks to increase the per-game potential distribution to more than 60 million households on average. The company, which launched in 2014, produced 250 college events in nine sports and plans to air more than 375 events in 2015-16.