• Prairie View A&M opens the 2015 season Saturday night against longtime rival Texas Southern in the 31st edition of the Labor Day Classic at 8 p.m. inside BBVA Compass Stadium.  Saturday's contest will be televised live on Root Sports Southwest (Alternate Channel) with live audio on KPVU 91.3 FM.

• Prairie View A&M starts a new era on Saturday night as head coach Willie Simmons makes his head coaching debut. Simmons begins his first season as PVAMU's head coach after a three-year stint as the offensive coordinator at Alcorn State.

• There are tons of storylines surrounding this week's game as the rivalry has been taken up another level. Former PVAMU head coach Heishma Northern is now the defensive coordinator at Texas Southern and the staff has several coaches at TSU with strong ties to Prairie View A&M. Along with the rivalry, the TSU Department of Athletics is led by Prairie View A&M's former athletic director in Dr. Charles McClelland and also has several staff members with strong ties to PVAMU.

• The cupboard will not be bare as six starters are back from one of the most exiciting offensive units in the nation. The Panthers will have to replace NFL free agent signee Jerry Lovelocke at quarterback but he will be surrounded by one of the top backfields in all of FCS in seniors Johnta Hebert and Courtney Brown. 

• The Panthers have a brand new coaching staff with safeties coach Bubba McDowell and quarterbacks coach KJ Black the lone holdovers from the previous staff. Ralph Street is the new defensive coordinator while Alex Jackson will serve as the offensive coordinator.

• Prairie View A&M has only played in BBVA Compass stadium one time (2013) since it opened in 2012. The Panthers defeated TSU 37-13 in the 29th edition of the Labor Day Classic.

• Five players were named to the 2015 All-SWAC Preseason Team while Prairie View A&M was picked third in the SWAC West in the annual SWAC Preseason Poll.