KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The NAIA will partner with CBS Sports Network to broadcast the Russell Athletic-NAIA Football National Championship live on Dec. 17 from Barron Stadium in Rome.

Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. The 56th annual event is hosted by Rome-Floyd County and Shorter University.

Defending national champion and No. 2 Carroll (Mont.) will face No. 5 Saint Xavier (Ill.) in the title bout. Carroll is seeking its seventh trophy, while the Cougars are appearing in their first-ever event.

For the second-straight year, the game will be offered in High Definition (HD) quality. Niles Media Group is the production company for the event. Andy Demetra will handle the play-by-play duties with color analysis from Doug Chapman and Peter Young will be reporting from the sideline.

CBS Sports Network, a division of CBS Sports, is the original 24-hour cable network dedicated to college sports. CBS Sports Network covers more than 300 live games annually, showcasing 30 men’s and women’s sports, in addition to a variety of studio shows, documentaries and original programs. CBS Sports Network is available across the country through local cable, video and teleco providers and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 613 and Dish Network Channel 152. For more information, including a full programming schedule and how to get CBS Sports Network, go here.

CHAMPIONSHIP GAME — Dec. 17

St. Xavier (Ill.) (13-1) vs. Carroll (Mont.) (12-1) at Barron Stadium, 4:30 p.m.

TICKET INFORMATION:

To purchase tickets to the championship game, visit www.forumevents.org.

GAME INFORMATION:

For news on the NAIA Football National Championship Game throughout this week and next week, visit

www.naianationalchampionship.com.