Birmingham-Crespi football season opener to be televised

The Sept. 12 matchup featuring San Fernando Valley football powers Lake Balboa Birmingham and Encino Crespi will lead off FSN Prime Ticket's 10-week schedule of high school regular-season football games.

Last season, the schools met in their season opener and the game was instrumental in determining selection to the CIF state football championship bowl games. Crespi won, 20-6.

Crespi was runner-up in the Pac-5 Division, with Birmingham winning the City Section Championship Division.

Another highlight of the TV schedule is the Sept. 19 matchup between Santa Ana Mater Dei and Corona Centennial.

Other confirmed games are Edison-Servite on Sept. 26, Mission Viejo-Tesoro on Oct. 17, Chaparral-Temescal Canyon on Oct. 31 and Orange Lutheran-Mater Dei on Nov. 13.

Tentative games are Saugus-Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on Oct. 3, Los Osos-Upland on Oct. 24 and Oaks Christian-Santa Clara on Nov. 7.

FSN Prime Ticket has a contract with the Southern Section giving it first choice on televising games hosted by Southern Section schools.

LA36 has announced it will televise two early season City Section games, starting with Birmingham-Garfield on Sept. 4 and Venice-Woodland Hills Taft on Sept. 12.

ESPN2 will televise the Sept. 3 season opener between Mater Dei and Carson at Long Beach Veterans Stadium.

FSN has also reached agreement to televise all five championship bowl games on Dec. 19-20 at the Home Depot Center in Carson.

eric.sondheimer@latimes.com