Rochester, Mn-
In many Minnesota households, the consensus is there seems to still be a small window of summer left before most sports fans tune in to the college football season.
However, in the northwest corner of the state, many gridiron aficionados have already turned an eye south to the state of Alabama and specifically, to the campus of Alabama A&M, where former M-State Fergus Falls quarterback Jared Olsgaard is gaining some attention. Click here for the feature story on former M-State quarterback at WHNT News 19, the local Huntsville, Alabama NBC affiliate.
The Bulldogs compete at the NCAA Division Football Championship subdivision and are coming off of a 4-and-7 season in 2016 but are hoping to build on their 4-and-5 Conference mark. Olsgaard - or "the farmer from Minnesota" - as described by his new head coach, James Spady, threw for almost 2,500 yards in 8 games for M-State in 2016.
If things go Olsgaard's way, he may find himself playing on the artificial surface at 21,000-seat Louis Crews Stadium at A&M, renovated in 2012 as part of a facilities upgrade to keep pace with similar NCAA Division I programs which compete in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). The Bulldogs will open up with the University of Alabama-Birmingham on September 2nd, then travel to SEC-member Vanderbilt on September 9th.
Olsgaard's former M-State squad will take the field in 2017 under first-year head coach Korey Fry, with their opener on Saturday, September 2nd against Mesabi Range College. For MCAC football schedules, standings and more, go to: www.mcacsports.org
About the Minnesota College Athletic Conference
The Minnesota College Athletic Conference is the organizational body for NJCAA-affiliated two-year technical and community college athletic programs in the Minnesota State system. The mission of the Minnesota College Athletic Conference is to advance intercollegiate athletics by providing an engaging and supportive environment for success of our student athletes and competition among member institutions. The MCAC is committed to the guiding principles of encouraging the development and success of student athletes, promoting the integrity, honesty and loyalty to member schools as well as upholding the sustainability of conference athletic programs
Story courtesy of MCAC Sports
Image courtesy of FieldLevel, Inc.