U to host Buckeyes, Badgers, Hawkeyes and Huskers in 2015

The Big Ten released football schedules for the 2015 and 2016 seasons, and the Gophers' home slate in the first of those two seasons looks mighty imposing -- and impressive.

The Gophers will face Ohio State, Wisconsin, Iowa and Nebraska at TCF Bank Stadium in 2015. The conference road schedule has trips to Northwestern, Michigan, Purdue and Michigan State.

The 2015 Ohio State game will be the first meeting between the teams since 2010.

Minnesota's Big Ten home games in 2016 will be against Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern and Purdue. The Gophers will travel to Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio State and Wisconsin that year.

The Gophers will not play Illinois, Indiana or Penn State either season, unless it's a meeting in the Big Ten title game. The Gophers will go four seasons in a row without facing the Illini, from 2013 to '16.

With this announcement, the Gophers' schedules for 2015 and 2016 are set except for one nonconference game to be announced in 2015.

MSU Mankato opens vs. Southern New Hampshire Minnesota State Mankato will face Southern New Hampshire in its opener in the NCAA Division II Baseball World Series on Saturday in Cary, N.C.

In Bracket 2 on Sunday, Catabwa (N.C.) meets Indianapolis, and St. Mary's (Texas) faces Delta (Miss.) State.

The tournament runs through June 2.

Tommies will face Christopher Newport St. Thomas will face Christopher Newport (Va.) at 4:30 p.m. Friday in a first-round game in the NCAA Division III Baseball World Series in Appleton, Wis. The Tommies (38-8) and Captains (34-8) will play in the third of four games Friday. Other first-round matchups are Webster (Mo.) vs. Wheaton (Mass.); Cortland (N.Y.) State vs. Kean (N.J.); and Marietta (Ohio) vs. Whitworth (Wash).