AZUSA, Calif. -- A crucial Oct. 6 matchup between Azusa Pacific and Central Washington will be showcased to a national audience on ESPN3 as part of the new media agreement between NCAA Division II and ESPN.

The ESPN3 telecast will be Azusa Pacific's third national broadcast for football in the past five years since becoming an active Division II member in 2014, and it marks the second consecutive year the Cougars have been featured on ESPN3.

"I particularly love when national television comes to town, because the whole nation gets to see something really special," said Azusa Pacific head coach Victor Santa Cruz. "They get to see our fan base and our college football environment, from the constant energy of our crowd to our team running out of the tunnel with smoke blowing and fans roaring, along with the sunset over our stadium. When you combine Saturday evenings in Southern California with college football, there's nothing quite like it anywhere else in the country."

In 2014, Azusa Pacific upset No. 2-ranked Grand Valley State in the season opener, knocking off Division II's winningest program in the Cougars' first game as an active Division II member. The thrilling 26-23 double-overtime victory featured a game-winning touchdown from Terrell Watson, who went on to become the program's all-time rushing leader before continuing his career in the NFL. Earlier this week, Watson was signed by the Los Angeles Chargers as he enters his fifth year of professional football.

"I want people to see how unique and special our players are, because I'm amazed on a daily basis by the stories of these young men and all they've had to do in life in order to be here," said Santa Cruz. "I'm humbled to be their head coach, and that's really what I hope comes across on national television."

ABOUT ESPN3: ESPN3 is ESPN's live multiscreen sports network, a destination that delivers thousands of exclusive sports events annually. It is accessible on computers via ESPN.com and on smartphones, tablets and streaming devices through the ESPN app. The network currently is available nationwide at no additional cost to fans who receive their high-speed internet connection or video subscription from an affiliated service provider. It also is available at no cost to U.S. college students and U.S.-based military personnel via computers, smartphones and tablets connected to on-campus educational and on-base military broadband and Wi-Fi networks.

ABOUT NCAA DIVISION II'S NEW MEDIA AGREEMENT: On August 24, Division II announced 19 regular-season football games that will be showcased on ESPN3 or NCAA social media as part of a new media agreement intended to promote the division on several platforms throughout the academic year. The new media agreement features two distribution models for football and basketball. For football, 11 games will be streamed on ESPN3, available on the ESPN app. The remaining 11 football games are part of the hybrid model, and they have the flexibility to be distributed on TV and online. These games also will be distributed online through NCAA social media accounts — specifically, Division II Facebook (facebook.com/ncaadivisionii) and Twitter (@NCAADII) — and could be distributed through conference or school digital networks.