NEW ULM, Minn. - The Martin Luther College football team will open its 2017 season at University of Minnesota Morris (UMM) after the decision by Maranatha Baptist University (MBU) to retire its football program on Thursday, February 2.MLC played MBU in each of its 22 seasons since 1995, and the rivalry between the Sabercats and Northwestern College dated back to the beginning of MBU's football program 47 years ago."We're disappointed to lose our rivalry with Maranatha," MLC Director of Athleticssaid, "and also disappointed to lose a game in front of so many of our parents and fans in Wisconsin."In 22 meetings between the two programs, MLC finished with a record of 17-5.The opener against UMM will be a non-conference game on September 2, with the two teams meeting once again on October 7 at MLC in a game that will count towards the UMAC standings. Both games are scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m.To view the full 2017 football schedule, click here