BLUEFIELD, WV — AUGUST 22, 2023 — Urban Edge Network (UEN) has announced two featured matchups for its 2023 football kickoff weekend. This season’s broadcast lineup starts on Friday, August 25 with a live broadcast of The Battle of the Bluefields – a storied high school football game that officially kicks off the 2023 Great American Rivalry Series. The Friday night matchup of Bluefield High (WV) vs. Graham High (VA) will be followed by a broadcast of the Bluefield University vs. Florida Memorial University game on Saturday, August 26. With a kickoff scheduled for 1pm ET, Saturday’s collegiate contest will be the first official college football game of the season.
Celebrating its twentieth year, The Great American Rivalry Series showcases the country’s best high school football rivalry games. Since 1911, Bluefield High School (WV)) and Graham (VA) have been competing on the gridiron in an annual border war known as the Battle of the Bluefields. Kicking off at 7:30pm ET this Friday from historic Mitchell Stadium, this year’s rivalry game can be watched on UEN’s HBCU Plus as well as SUVtv.
Mitchell Stadium will also host UEN’s college football season opener as Bluefield University hosts Florida Memorial University. Kicking off at 1pm ET on Saturday, August 26, the first college football game of the year the game will broadcast live on HBCU Plus and The Impact Network. Driven by Nissan, the Bluefield – FMU game broadcast will be delivered to over 70 million homes.
We are thrilled to bring the excitement of these games to the sporting public. This partnership reflects our commitment to showcasing the talent and passion within high school football, while also highlighting the importance of historically black colleges and universities. We are excited to provide a platform that amplifies the spirit and diversity of these athletes, and we invite fans nationwide to witness the thrill of these games,” said Todd F. Brown, CEO of Urban Edge Network, Inc.
Ways to Watch
Friday, August 25: The Battle of the Bluefields as part of the Great American Rivalry Series
- HBCU Plus: https://watch.hbcu-plus.com/ or the HBCU Plus app available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung TV, iOS, and Android
- SUVtv: https://www.thesuvtv.com/gars
Saturday, August 26: Bluefield University vs. Florida Memorial University
- HBCU Plus: https://watch.hbcu-plus.com/ or the HBCU Plus app available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung TV, iOS, and Android
- Impact TV: https://watchimpact.com/directory/
About the Great American Rivalry Series
Each fall for more than a century, high school football has been the centerpiece for families and communities on Friday night. In 2004, the Great American Rivalry Series® was created to celebrate this uniquely American sport and the cultural phenomenon of “Friday Night in America.” The Great American Rivalry Series® shines the spotlight on top high school football rivalries across the nation, where long-standing traditions are valued, expectations are sky high, and followers are passionate and loyal.
About Urban Edge Network and HBCU Plus
Urban Edge Network was curated to level the playing field and provide a platform for diverse voices. As part of the UEN family of brands, HBCU Plus is an ad-supported Black College Sports Network, delivering 24/7 access to live and on-demand Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ games, sporting events, original sports shows, curated films, podcasts, and more. The HBCU Plus app is available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung TV, iOS, and Android.
About Impact Network
Impact Network is an independent, 100% black-founded & operated cable network, providing entertainment & lifestyle content aimed at multicultural audiences with the purpose of enriching, educating, and entertaining. Impact was founded in 2010 by community leaders, serial entrepreneurs & philanthropists Bishop Wayne T. Jackson and Dr. Beverly Y. Jackson. Impact is media with a mission that connects with a coalition of organizations to improve and impact lives within underserved communities in holistic ways. Impact Network’s operations are led by Executive Vice President & GM Royal W. Jackson. The Impact Network can be found in over 70% of US Homes broadcasting via cable & satellite across the United States on Comcast-Xfinity, Frontier, Cox, Time Warner, Spectrum, Charter, Spectrum, ATT-U-verse, Verizon, Fios, Altice, DirecTV, DISH and expanding digitally.
