IU Announces 2008 Football Schedule

Bill Lynch's team will play in front of home fans a school-record eight times during 2008 campaign...

Bloomington, Ind. – IU announced the 2008 football schedule, and Coach Bill Lynch’s team will play in front of the home fans a record eight times next fall.

In additional to conference home games against Michigan State (Sept. 27), Iowa (Oct. 11), Northwestern (Oct. 25) and Wisconsin (Nov. 8), the Hoosiers will also play all four of their non-conference foes at Memorial Stadium. Indiana opens with Western Kentucky Aug. 30, followed by Murray State Sept. 6. After an off-week, the Hoosiers will host Ball State Sept. 20 for its final Big Ten tune-up.

The Hoosiers will then host Central Michigan Nov. 1 on their bye week during Big Ten play.

“We are excited for the opportunity to play eight games at ‘The Rock’,” Lynch said in a prepared statement. “This is a challenging schedule and some good football teams will come to Bloomington in 2008.”

Indiana’s four Big Ten road trips will be to Minnesota (Oct. 4), Illinois (Oct. 18), Penn State (Nov. 18) and Purdue (Nov. 25). For the second straight season, the Hoosiers don’t have either Michigan or Ohio State on the schedule.

While there aren’t any huge names among the Hoosiers’ non-conference foes, three of the four had winning records last season and two went to bowl games. Central Michigan went 8-6 and 7-1 in the Mid-America Conference and lost to Purdue 51-48 in the Motor City Bowl. Ball State, meanwhile, capped its 7-6 season with a loss to Rutgers in the International Bowl. Rounding out IU’s non-conference foes are Western Kentucky (7-5 in ’07) and Murray State (2-9).

2008 Indiana Football Schedule
Aug. 30 vs. Western Kentucky
Sept. 6 vs. Murray State
Sept. 20 vs. Ball State
Sept. 27 vs. Michigan State
Oct. 4 at Minnesota
Oct. 11 Iowa
Oct. 18 at Illinois
Oct. 25 Northwestern (Homecoming)
Nov. 1 Central Michigan
Nov. 8 Wisconsin
Nov. 15 at Penn State
Nov. 22 at Purdue