BROOKINGS - South Dakota State University has signed agreements to play at the University of Nebraska and the University of Illinois in football during the 2010 and 2011 seasons, respectively.
The game at Nebraska is scheduled for Sept. 25, 2010, in Lincoln. SDSU and Nebraska have met in football one other time, with the Cornhuskers winning 58-7 during the 1963 season.
"There's a lot of excitement in our program and we look forward to the huge challenge of playing at Nebraska, but that's what our program has been about throughout our move to Division I," said SDSU head coach John Stiegelmeier.
The matchup with Rose Bowl-bound Illinois is slated to be played Sept. 10, 2011, in Champaign, and will mark the first meeting between Illinois and SDSU in football.
"When you say 'Big Ten' that means something and we're excited to go play a team of that caliber," Stiegelmeier said.
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SDSU now has secured games against Big Ten and Big 12 Conference opponents from 2008-2011. The Jackrabbits are scheduled to play their first-ever Football Bowl Subdivision opponent at the Division I level in the 2008 season opener at Iowa State. The Jackrabbits also are slated to play at Minnesota on Nov. 14, 2009.
The Jackrabbits completed a 7-4 season in 2007 by winning the Great West Football Conference title - their first conference championship as a member of the Division I Football Championship Subdivision and first overall since 1963.
SDSU, which will move to the Gateway Football Conference in 2008, has posted a winning record in each of its four seasons since moving from NCAA Division II to the FCS level.
