IU football announces 2009 schedule

A mere three months after the IU football season ended, the program announced its schedule for 2009 today but will only feature six home games.

New to the schedule are games at Michigan (Sept. 26) and against Ohio State (Oct. 3) following a two year absence against both teams. IU opens at home against Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 3 for the first Thursday night game in Memorial Stadium history, stays at home against Western Michigan (Sept. 12) and travels to Akron (Sept. 19) before playing the Wolverines and Buckeyes.

The remainder of the schedule showcases the program’s first meeting with Virginia, homecoming against Illinois, at Northwestern and at Iowa. The final three games are exactly the same as 2008 – aside from location – as the Hoosiers host Wisconsin, travel to Penn State and end the season against Purdue.

"This is a great home schedule with some of the top teams in college football," IU coach Bill Lynch said in a statement. "We want the Hoosier Nation to come out and support us, and to enjoy our new state-of-the art facility."

In order to make room for games against Michigan and Ohio State, the Hoosiers will not play Michigan State or Minnesota.