Indiana Hoosiers' football schedule announced for 2008 season

[Tim Solon]

After making a bowl game for the first time in 13 years, the Indiana University football team will do something it’s never done before in school history—host eight home games. The season ticket renewal campaign kicked off on Friday as the school released the schedule for next season. Single-game tickets, however, will not go on sale until later in the year.

Last season, IU hosted seven home games for just the sixth time in school history. The Hoosiers posted a 5-2 record in those games.

"We are excited for the opportunity to play eight games at The Rock," Indiana head coach Bill Lynch told IUHoosiers.com. "This is a challenging schedule and some good football teams will come to Bloomington in 2008. We need each and every one of you to come out and give us the home field advantage we enjoyed last season."

Two new teams will appear on the schedule for the Hoosiers next season as the team opens the year against Western Kentucky on Aug. 30 and follows with Murray State on Sept. 6. After a week off, IU will host Ball State, a team the Hoosiers hold a 4-0 mark against all time.

Eight of the first ten games take place at home, including IU’s Big Ten kickoff game against Michigan State. The first away game for Indiana takes place Oct. 4 as the Hoosiers travel to Minneapolis to face Minnesota.

The Homecoming game this season will see IU taking on the Northwestern Wildcats in Memorial Stadium on Oct. 25.

For the second straight year, Indiana’s schedule does not feature Michigan or Ohio State, perennially two of the Big Ten’s toughest teams. The Hoosiers will, however, have to travel to West Lafayette to play Purdue in the final game of the season in an attempt to win back-to-back Old Oaken Bucket games for the first time since the 1993-94 seasons.

Here is the complete IU football schedule:

8/30 Western Kentucky Bloomington, Ind.
9/6 Murray State Bloomington, Ind.
9/20 Ball State Bloomington, Ind.
9/27 Michigan State Bloomington, Ind.
10/4 at Minnesota Minneapolis, Minn.
10/11 Iowa Bloomington, Ind.
10/18 at Illinois Champaign, Ill.
10/25 Northwestern (Homecoming) Bloomington, Ind.
11/1 Central Michigan Bloomington, Ind.
11/8 Wisconsin Bloomington, Ind.
11/15 at Penn State University Park, Pa.
11/22 at Purdue West Lafayette, Ind.
*All Times TBA

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