Nov. 21, 2007

Pocatello, ID --- Idaho State University Director of Athletics Paul A. Bubb has announced that the Idaho State Bengal football team will take on both Boise State and Idaho in football next year, as the non-conference opponents have been announced. The Bengals will also travel to Cal Poly in a return trip from this past season, and ISU will also host North Dakota, who joins the Great West Conference next season in their first Division I transition season. The schedule marks the first time ever ISU has 12 scheduled Division I regular season games.

The NCAA allows for FCS teams to play 12-game schedules in 2008, 2012, and 2013 due to the way the calendar falls. The Bengals will play Boise State (currently ranked #15 in the FBS), Idaho, and Cal Poly on the road, and they will host North Dakota in the expected home opener. Idaho State will release the actual dates of the non-conference games at a later date.

The non-conference games will give Idaho State seven road games and five homes games. ISU's home games along with North Dakota are Montana State, Northern Arizona, Weber State, and Sacramento State, while ISU travels to Eastern Washington, Northern Colorado, Portland State, Montana along with Cal Poly, Boise State, and Idaho.

"Our football schedule will be a real challenge with non-conference road games at Boise, Idaho and Cal Poly. North Dakota, making its transition to the Division I Football Championship level will be a great home game for our fans in addition to the always challenging Big Sky Conference schedule," said Bubb.

The Bengals are playing a pair of FBS teams in the same season for the second time in three seasons, as ISU traveled to UNLV and Idaho in 2005. The last all Division I schedule for Idaho State was in 2004 where ISU took on San Diego State, Cal Poly, Northern Colorado, and Southern Utah. The Bengals lost to Idaho 27-24 in 2005, and ISU dropped a 62-0 decision to Boise State back in 2003. The Bengals last played the University of North Dakota on September 24, 1966, losing 41-0.

Bubb added, "While our preference is to only play one BCS team each year, the opportunity to play both Idaho and Boise State presented itself and we felt it would be a good scheduling opportunity for us and our fans throughout the entire state."