Gophers football team now has complete non-conference schedules set for the 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2017 seasons thanks to a number of updates announced Thursday.
One highlight? An agreement for a home-and-home series with North Carolina in 2013 and 2014 which will mean the Gophers will face at least one team from a Bowl Championship Series conference each year through at least 2014. In 2010 the Gophers will open the season at Middle Tennessee State on Sept. 2, a Thursday.
The other open date in that schedule was filled with a home game against Northern Illinois. In 2011 Minnesota announced a home game with New Mexico State on Sept. 10 that fills that nonconference slate. One addition was made to the 2012 schedule. The Gophers will host New Hampshire on Sept. 15. The Gophers will travel to North Carolina for a game on Sept. 7, 2013. North Caroline will return on Sept. 13, 2014.
Previous announced series with Oregon State and Colorado have been moved in this latest round of schedule announcements. Here are the other games that have been added or changed on future Gophers schedules: Sept. 12, 2015 – at Colorado State; Sept. 3, 2016 – vs. New Mexico State; Sept. 24, 2016 – vs. Colorado State; Sept. 9, 2017 – vs. Oregon State; Sept. 16, 2017 – vs. Middle Tennessee State; Sept. 8, 2018 – at Oregon State; Sept. 18, 2021 – at Colorado; Sept. 17, 2022 – vs. Colorado.
Here are the Gophers' non-conference football schedules for five seasons starting in 2010:
2010
Sept. 2 – at Middle Tennessee State
Sept. 11 – South Dakota
Sept. 18 – Southern California
Sept. 25 – Northern Illinois
2011
Sept. 3 – at Southern California
Sept. 10 – New Mexico State
Sept. 17 -- Miami (Ohio)
Sept. 24 – North Dakota State
2012
Sept. 1 – at UNLV
Sept. 8 – TBA
Sept. 15 – New Hampshire
Sept. 22 – Syracuse
2013
Aug. 31 – UNLV
Sept. 7 – at North Carolina
Sept. 14 – Western Illinois
Sept. 21 – San Jose State
2014
Aug. 30 – Eastern Illinois
Sept. 6 – at Miami (Ohio)
Sept. 13 – North Carolina
Sept. 20 – San Jose State