The Southland Conference will hold its annual football media day Wednesday at L'Auberge Du Lac Hotel and Casino in Lake Charles.

The event will preview the upcoming football season for the conference and league members including defending co-champions McNeese State and Stephen F. Austin.

A pre-season all-conference team selected by league coaches will be announced as will be the pre-season poll by the coaches and sports information directors.

The schedule of events on July 28 calls for media registration at 7:30 p.m., a breakfast for members of the media, coaches, athletic directors, sports information directors and conference staff at 8 a.m. and then the beginning of interviews with players and coaches at 9 a.m. The schedule will take a break at 11:30 a.m. for lunch and the interviews will resume at 1 p.m. with adjournment slated for 4 p.m.

Representing McNeese at the event will be head coach Matt Viator and defensive ends Terrance Freeman and Josh Ellison.

Viator is entering his fifth year with the Cowboys and in his past four seasons has led the Cowboys to three league titles, into the FCS playoffs three times and to a 33-10 composite record. His teams are also 22-5 in conference games only.

Freeman, a senior from Newton, TX, is in his third season as a starter for the Cowboys and a year ago earned an honorable mention on the all-SLC team. He has 10.5 career sacks and 93 tackles, having made 41 tackles last year.

Ellison, a senior from Houston, TX, is a returning starter and also drew an honorable mention from the all-SLC team in 2009. He led the team in sacks last year with five and in tackles for a loss with 11.5. Ellison made 48 tackles last year including seven in a victory over then No. 2 ranked Appalachian State.

A year ago the Cowboys and Stephen F. Austin tied for the league title with 6-1 records. McNeese's only conference setback was to SFA by a 16-13 score in Nacogdoches while the Lumberjacks only SLC loss was to Texas State by a 28-7 score. Both teams went on to compete in the NCAA's FCS playoffs.

Besides Viator, other league coaches who will be on hand will be J. C. Harper from SFA, Clint Conque of Central Arkansas, Ray Woodard of Lamar, Bradley Dale Peveto of Northwestern State, Mike Lucas of Southeastern Louisiana, Brad Wright of Texas State, Charlie Stubbs of Nicholls State and Willie Fritz of Sam Houston State.

Stubbs and Fritz are new to their schools this year while Woodard, although in his second year at Lamar, will have his team in its first year of competition since dropping the sport in 1989.

All teams will also have two players at the media event.

For McNeese State the 2010 football season begins next week as players will report on August 6 with the first practice scheduled for August 7. The Cowboys open their season Sept. 4 at home against Lamar University. 

The Cowboys will play an 11 game schedule and will tackle LSU and Missouri on the road.