Cougar Athletics
32 NAIA National Championships
101 GSAC Championships
...and counting

AZUSA, Calif. – Last month’s announcement by Western Washington University that it was immediately dropping its football program created significant ripple affects with universities along the entire west coast, including Azusa Pacific. Not only did the Cougars lose its scheduled Sept. 19 game with WWU off the 2009 slate, but the WWU’s 4 conference foes of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference all lost 2 games with the Vikings from their schedules, thus creating a made scramble up and down the coast for schools to replace games at a late date.

As a result, Azusa Pacific’s originally released 2009 schedule was turned upside down to accommodate the varying needs of several programs, including the Cougars’ themselves, all of which were trying to fill at least a 10-game schedule for this fall.

Through the work of GNAC officials and Azusa Pacific head coach Victor Santa Cruz, the Cougars now have a 2009 schedule that is set and in place.

As originally scheduled, Azusa Pacific will open the season Aug. 29 at Carroll College, return home to host University of San Diego Sept. 5 before visiting University of Wisconsin-La Crosse on Sept. 12.

The first of several schedule adjustments has Azusa Pacific now visiting Central Washington University Sept. 19, in place of previously scheduled visit to Western Washington.

Azusa Pacific will host the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point the following week, Sept. 26, and stay home to host Humboldt State University, Oct. 3, moving that game up 2 weeks. The Cougars now have a bye week on Oct. 10 before visiting Dixie State College on Oct. 17.

Western Oregon University has been added to the schedule and will be Azusa Pacific’s homecoming foe on Oct. 24. Former members of the NAIA, the Wolves are making only their second-ever appearance in Azusa, and their first since 1999.

Azusa Pacific’s final 2 games remain the same, hosting Southern Oregon University and Langston University on Oct. 31 and Nov. 14, respectively.

“I appreciate the efforts of the people in the GNAC, and particularly Jon Carey, the athletic director at Western Oregon, who put together the revised schedules for their conference and were willing to help and accommodate Azusa Pacific in this unusual circumstance,” said Azusa Paicfic head coach Victor Santa Cruz. “This is a terrific schedule, and we’re looking forward to playing the best football teams on the west coast.”

Azusa Pacific now has 6 home games on the regular-season slate, the most home dates for the Cougars since 1996. Click here to view the entire 2009 Azusa Pacific football schedule.