NEWPORT, R.I. - A first-time rematch with its 1996 opponent in the ECAC Championship kicks off the 2011 schedule for Salve Regina University football, as announced on its website.

The Seahawks will host Union College in the season-opener on Saturday, September 3, at Gaudet Field in Middletown (noon). It's the first meeting between the two schools since the Dutchmen won, 26-13, in Schenectady, N.Y., during the 1996 ECAC Championship, Salve Regina's first of three appearances in a post-season contest. Two years later, the Seahawks trumped Plymouth State, 36-6, in the 1998 ECAC Championship at Toppa Field. Last year, Union posted a 2-7 record, ending a streak of 29 non-losing seasons.

Coming off its best season in a decade, the Salve Regina University football team received a No. 10 ranking in the final 2010 New England Division III football poll. Salve Regina closed its 2010 season with a 6-0 win over Nichols on Nov. 6, bringing its final record to 6-4 - its best since 2000, when the Seahawks closed the season with a 7-3 mark. The Seahawks rallied back from a 1-4 start to win their final five games, which is the longest win streak for the program in 11 years. The ranking was the first for Salve Regina since Oct. 8, 2001.

Salve Regina's first road contest of 2010 has the Seahawks playing Montclair State for the first time ever, in the season-opener for the Red Hawks (Sat., Sept. 10). The following week the Seahawks return to Gaudet Field to host New England Football Conference (NEFC) Bogan Division member Framingham State. The Rams won 14-3 in Framingham, Mass., in the first meeting between the two football programs last September.

Second-year head coach Bob Chesney has his squad playing at the defending conference champions (Endicott College) on Saturday, September 24.The Gulls had rallied from 19 down in the 4th quarter of last year's meeting to edge the Seahawks in the final minute, 29-28. Salve Regina had won each of the previous two meetings between the schools.

The Seahawks open October at home against Western New England University and own a 13-5 all-time mark against the Golden Bears. Salve Regina has won its last two meetings with UMass Dartmouth and hosts the Corsairs on Saturday, October 8. Three of its final four regular season games are on the road starting with a trip to Milton, Mass., to face Curry College on October 15.

MIT comes to Middletown on October 22 for the final regular season home game for the Seahawks. Road games at Plymouth State and Nichols round out the schedule. Salve Regina faces four consecutive opponents which posted nine or more wins in 2010.

2010 records of 2011 opponents
 2- 7  Union (9/3 HOME @ 12 p.m.)
10- 2  Montclair St. (9/10 Away @ 12 p.m.)
 9- 2  Framingham (9/17 HOME @ 12 p.m.)
 9- 3  Endicott (9/24 Away @ 12 p.m.)
 9- 2  Western New Eng. (10/1 HOME @ 12 p.m.)
 3- 7  UMass Dartmouth (10/8 HOME @ 12 p.m.)
 6- 4  Curry (10/15 Away @ 1 p.m.)
 1- 8  MIT (10/22 HOME @ 12 p.m.)
 6- 4  Plymouth St. (10/29 Away @ 12 p.m.)
 1- 9  Nichols (11/5 Away @ 12 p.m.)

Total won-loss record of this year's opponents in 2010: 56-48