It's time.
 
From the last game on old Blackshear Field on Oct. 25, 2014, everything has been pointing to this day.
 
From the demolition to the resurrection, the new Panther Stadium at Blackshear Field has never looked better.
 
Sunday, the new facility opens in grand style as Prairie View A&M and Texas Southern face off in the 32^nd Labor Day Classic football game at 5 p.m. before a sold out crowd in person, a live national television audience on ESPNU, a live national radio audience on HSRN (Sirius XM Ch. 83), and a local radio audience on KPVU 91.3 FM.
 
"It means the world to the university," second-year head coach Willie Simmons said of opening the new 15,000-seat stadium on the national stage. "It gives Prairie View A&M a chance to showcase itself and the great institution that we all know it is before the entire country. It gives a potential student in the state of New York or Washington state to get their first peak at Prairie View A&M. A young man or young woman may be considering attending at HBCU, and hopefully something they see Sunday by watching the game and seeing our university showcased will make want to become a part of this great family."
 
The Panthers and Tigers meet for the 32^nd time in the Classic, with Prairie View trying to make it two in a row over their archrivals in the history-making game. For the first time in the storied classic, the game will be played on the PVAMU campus in the season-opening game for both schools.
 
"It's always an exciting feeling to open the season," Simmons said. "You get a little jealous watching the other games being played this weekend. The majority of college football has already been played, and we're one of the last games on opening weekend. There's a level of excitement as well, knowing that the whole country will be watching. To finally be able to get out there and compete and play at a high level, after everything we've worked on since the start of camp, it is truly an exciting time for us as a coaching staff, as a football team, and as a university."
 
PANTHER WALK AT 2:45 P.M.  Fans are encourage to join Prairie View A&M football for the Panther walk, scheduled for 2:45 p.m. in front of the Athletic Administration Building on the north end zone side of Panther Stadium.

FREE PARK AND RIDE AT WALLER HIGH: Free park and ride is available for Sunday's game. Fans can park at Waller High, with shuttles starting at 2:15 p.m. and running until 5:30 p.m. 

Return trips from the game back to Waller High will begin after halftime and continue until the last pickup at 9 p.m. 
 

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