Wildcats Ready For UAC Media Day

ABILENE - The United Athletic Conference will host its Preseason Media Day on Tuesday, July 23.

Texas Live! in Arlington will host the event for the second straight year and it will be streamed live on ESPN+ from 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. CDT.

ACU will be represented by head coach Keith Patterson, quarterback Maverick McIvor and linebacker Cirby Coheley.

All three will participate in the live interview portion which will be streamed on ESPN+, as well as promotional photo/video and social media sessions, and be available for 1-on-1 interviews with members of the media.

Media Day will begin at 11:30 a.m. with the announcements of the UAC preseason coaches' poll and All-Conference teams.

ACU will take the stage on ESPN+ from 2:20 - 2:35 p.m., followed by comments from WAC commissioner Brian Thornton and ASUN commissioner Jeff Bacon to conclude the event at 2:40 p.m.

Patterson will begin his third season as the Wildcats' head coach. ACU finished 5-6 in 2023 with a 3-3 mark in the UAC.

In his first season as a college head coach in 2022, Patterson led ACU to a 7-4 mark and tied for first in the Western Athletic Conference. He was named the WAC Coach of the Year.

McIvor, a senior from San Angelo Central High School, is entering his third season as the Wildcats' starting quarterback.

In 2023, he threw 17 touchdown passes and averaged 12 yards per completion. McIvor's five interceptions were tied for the fewest thrown by full-time starters in the UAC.

Coheley burst onto the scene as a junior with 61 total tackles, which was third-most on the Wildcats' defense in 2023. The Iowa Park High School graduate also recorded 5.5 sacks and intercepted three passes, which was tied for second for most in the conference.

Coheley had two interceptions in a 30-13 win over North Alabama, and returned a pick 51 yards for a touchdown to push ACU to a 7-0 lead over Texas A&M in the season finale.

The Wildcats defense returns four players who were in the UAC's top 25 in tackles per game -- Darius Moore (12th), Elijah Moffett (16th), Coheley (18th), and Reese Young (23rd).

ACU begins the 2024 season on Aug. 31 with a 6:30 p.m. kick-off in Lubbock against Texas Tech.

It will be the first game between the two West Texas programs since 1949.

The first game at Wildcat Stadium is Sept. 7 when ACU hosts West Georgia at 7 p.m.

Buy your ACU football season tickets by clicking here.


2024 UAC MEDIA DAY SCHEDULE
ESPN+ Stream (All Times Central)

11:30-11:35 AM - Preseason Poll and All-Conference Awards Announced
11:40-11:55 AM - TARLETON STATE (HC Todd Whitten | Layton Ernst | Kasyus Kurns)
12:00-12:15 PM - NORTH ALABAMA (HC Brent Dearmon | Takairee Kenebrew | Jackson Bratton)
12:20-12:35 PM - AUSTIN PEAY (HC Jeff Faris | Chandler Kirton | Hosea Knifeley Jr.)
12:40-12:55 PM - UTAH TECH (HC Lance Anderson | Eni Falayi | Sam Kanongata'a)
1:00 - 1:15 PM - SOUTHERN UTAH (HC DeLane Fitzgerald | Targhee Lambson | George Ramirez)
1:20 - 1:35 PM - EKU (HC Walt Wells | Payton Collins | Darrian Baker)
1:40 - 1:55 PM - CENTRAL ARKANSAS (HC Nathan Brown | Will McElvain | Demetrias Charles)
2:00 - 2:15 PM - WEST GEORGIA (HC Joel Taylor | Sam Regina | Warren-Stevens Tayou)
2:20 - 2:35 PM - ABILENE CHRISTIAN (HC Keith Patterson | Maverick McIvor | Cirby Coheley)
2:40 - 3:00 PM - Comments from Commissioners: Jeff Bacon (ASUN) & Brian Thornton (WAC)