Iowa State agrees to play at TSU

Staff

Published Thursday, April 26, 2001

The Troy State football program has signed a three-game contract with Big 12-member Iowa State, including a contest to be played at Troy State in 2005, Athletics Director Johnny Williams announced on Wednesday.

The Cyclones, the first Division I-A "major conference" opponent to agree to play in Troy, will travel to Richard M. Scrushy Field on Sept. 3, 2005. Troy State will make a pair of return trips to Ames, the first on Sept. 21, 2002, and the other on Sept. 2, 2006.

"We are obviously elated," Williams said. "This is a tremendous building block for our program as we move forward into Division I-A. It proves that we can schedule major opponents at home. It is exciting for our fans and our alumni, and we believe it will be the first of many to come."

Iowa State finished the 2000 season with a 9-3 record and a No. 23 ranking in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Cyclones defeated Pittsburgh, 37-29, in the Insight.com Bowl on Dec. 28.

The meetings will be the first between the schools in football.

"It is a monumental moment for Troy State football, and Johnny Williams should be commended for getting it done," Troy State head coach Larry Blakeney said. "For us to play a Big 12 school home and home is a great thing for our program. It should be a sign to everybody that we can accomplish what we have set out to do by going I-A."

The contract now gives the Trojans nine games for the 2002 season, including seven on the road. Williams said that the Trojans will play a 12-game regular-season schedule, as allowed by NCAA rules beginning in 2002. The remaining three games will be filled with home dates.

In 2002, the Trojans are scheduled to play road games at Arkansas, Maryland, Middle Tennessee, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Iowa State and UAB. Home dates are scheduled against Cal State-Northridge and I-A opponent Louisiana-Monroe.

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