CHARLOTTE - Gardner-Webb University's September 23 home game against defending national champion Appalachian State will be broadcast on ESPNU via tape delay that same evening.

The game will be the first Big South Conference football contest to air on the ESPN family of networks. Kickoff is set for 6:04 pm ET in Spangler Stadium, and the game will air that same evening at 10:00 pm ET.

"We are honored that ESPNU will be the first ESPN network to televise Big South football," said Burke Magnus, vice president and general manager, ESPNU. "This matchup will be a great addition to our diverse schedule of over 70 college football games."

ESPNU, ESPN's 24-hour television college sports network, was launched in March 2005. The ESPNU schedule featured 477 live events (regular-season and championships) in the network's first year. ESPNU also offers comprehensive studio programming, replays of ABC Sports, ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Regional Television games, plus specials and more.

In addition, the network has a wide-ranging, long-term agreement with the NCAA calling for extensive coverage of numerous NCAA Championships, including sports from each of the three collegiate seasons and has content deals for college football, basketball and other Olympic sports with the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Atlantic 10, BIG EAST, Big South, Big Ten, Mid-American Conference, Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), Southland, Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) and more.

ESPNU has secured distribution agreements with DIRECTV (Channel 609), Echostar's DISH Network (Channel 148), Insight Communications, Mediacom, Verizon, several smaller affiliates and is close to distribution agreements with others.

The GWU-Appalachian State game will mark the first meeting between the two schools in football since 1989, and the first ever in Boiling Springs. Appalachian State will be the first defending national football champion to play in Boiling Springs since Carson Newman (NAIA) in 1991.

Before the date with Appalachian State, Gardner-Webb (2-0) must battle one of the nation's most improved programs this week. The 'Dogs travel to face UT-Martin (1-1) at 2 pm ET on Saturday, Sept. 16, in Martin, Tenn., and will take on a Skyhawk defense that is allowing just 177.5 yards per game. Offensively, UT-Martin features preseason All-America running back Don Chapman on offense (1,300 yards last season).

To inquire about tickets for the GWU-Appalachian State game, please call the Gardner-Webb athletics office at (704) 406-4340.