The 2013-2014 NCEA begins on Friday when No.5 Kansas State takes a road trip to Blythewood. They’ll meet the No.3 Gamecocks in a marquee non-conference matchup before heading to Dover to face Delaware State. My quick look at both matches is below.

No.3 South Carolina University vs. No.5 Kansas State University

This trip to Blythewood will be a new experience for the Wildcats, none of whom have been to South Carolina for NCEA competition. The last time they met on the Gamecocks home turf was 2008. It didn’t end well for K-State (a 13-4 loss), but to the members of both 2013-2014 squads that’s pre-history. More relevant to these teams is last year’s meeting in Manhattan, Kansas where the Wildcats earned a 14-6 win and some much needed momentum heading into the National Championships.

"Between the freshmen and the returners combined, I think everybody is starting on a stronger note than they have in the past two years," says Wildcats head coach Casie Maxwell. "We're looking forward to building our momentum earlier in the season than we have historically been able to do, and that's really exciting." 

Both of these teams had their ups and downs last year, and a win Friday would go a long way toward building a season full of “ups” for either one. It would be an early season morale boost, and a quality win over a nationally ranked opponent.

South Carolina is the favorite here, but anything could happen. A loss for either side isn’t devastating, but a win would be nice. No matter the outcome, we couldn’t ask for a much better season opener.

Live scoring of Friday’s match will be available at www.gamecocksonline.com. 

No.5 Kansas State University at Delaware State University

The Wildcats travel north on Saturday to Dover, Delaware where they’ll take on the Delaware State Hornets. Delaware State struggled last year, but with a group of talented freshman and season veterans, they shouldn’t be overlooked. It’ll be a test for the Hornets, but at this point in the season we don’t know much about either team, and they’ll be looking to make a statement with a big win to open their NCEA season.

Still, whatever the situation, K-State will be wanting this one. It’ll either mean a 2-0 start, or the chance to avoid an 0-2 start.

Look for results as the weekend progresses on the USEF Network intercollegaite equestrian hub, www.usefnetwork.com/featured/intercollegiate.