RELEASED: May 15, 2001

DANVILLE, KY—The Centre College football team will travel to Innsbruck, Austria, this summer to play the Tyrolean Raiders of the Austrian International Football League. The game is scheduled for June10 and will be played at the stadium where the 1964 Winter Olympics was held. The Raiders are ranked in the top 10 of all professional football teams in Europe. The International League includes teams from Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Spain.

The NCAA has granted ten practices for the Colonels in preparation for the game. This is the first time Centre has conducted spring football since 1972. Head coach Andy Frye thinks this will be beneficial for the team. "It's a great experience for the kids. They get to tour Europe for a week, and we get to play a professional football game in the Olympic Stadium. The spring football practice should help our team in the fall, too. We're getting a chance to look at some of our young players to see what they can do, and we're letting some of our guys play a new position to see how they've adjusted. The best thing though is having your team together and this is great for morale. We've got a chance to have a good team in the fall and what better way to boost morale than traveling together and playing a game together."

The teams of the AIFL are allowed six Americans on the roster. The Raiders feature 1998 NAIA Player of the Year, Jack Williams, a fullback from Azusa Pacific. Another outstanding player is Ben Dieplinger, a wide receiver who played for the Frankfurt Galaxy. The Galaxy were World Bowl Champs in 1999.

Centre will open its season September 8 against Earlham College at home. The Colonels return 30 lettermen including 13 starters.

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