St. Ignatius vs. St. Edward rivalry to be played in Browns’ FirstEnergy Stadium in 2016

For the first time in their storied rivalry, the St. Ignatius Wildcats will host the St. Edward Eagles in FirstEnergy Stadium on Saturday, October 29th at 6:00 PM. The announcement was made Wednesday afternoon. Fans looking to purchase tickets can do so here.

Ignatius head coach Chuck Kyle was hired by the Browns as a youth football advisor back in May, and he spoke on what the partnership signifies for both his team and youth athletics in genera:

“Obviously, for young men growing up in Cleveland, Ohio to play in FirstEnergy Stadium, those kids will remember it for the rest of their lives. So that's special. Over the years, a lot of people have asked, ‘Why don't we dothis game at FirstEnergy Stadium?’ OK, here we are. ... We appreciate this partnership with the Browns, and we are all eager to have this happen. The Brownsare very enthusiastic about youth athletics and youth football and really want to be engaged with it.”

The 2016 matchup will be the 54th meeting between the two teams, with Ignatius leading the overall series with a record of 28-24-1. They will be seeking vengeance for last year’s 35-28 loss to the Eagles.

According to the press release, the last time the two teams squared off in Downtown Cleveland was on October 11, 1980, when the St. Edward defeated St. Ignatius by a score of 11-0 in the old Municipal Stadium. The Wildcats last played in FirstEnergy Stadium on August 25, 2012, defeating Youngstown Cardinal Mooney by a score of 31-7.

What is interesting is the fact that the Cleveland Browns will be hosting the New York Jets in FirstEnergy Stadium on October 30th at 1:00 PM, which would be less than 24 hours after the end of the Iggy-Eds game. I imagine the team anticipates the field conditions will be satisfactory for Sunday, though, and it’s great to see the stadium find another use besides Browns home games.