The University at Buffalo football program unveiled plans for "Mission I-A: The Future Starts Today," at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon (1/14) at Alumni Arena.

The program outlines the Bulls' parameters for joining the Mid-American Conference (MAC) for football in 1999 and completing the Bulls' dramatic climb from Division III to the highest level of collegiate athletics in less than a decade.

To earn admission into I-A football the Bulls must meet two requirements. The first - increasing its stadium size to 30,000 - was waived by the NCAA as a result of a petition from the University at Buffalo to delay construction of the additional seats until 1999, due to the fact that UB is hosting the NCAA Track and Field Championships at UB Stadium in June. In receiving the waiver, UB plans to have the stadium at 30,000 seats for the fall of 1999.

The second requirement is an average attendance at all 1998 home games of 17,000 paid tickets. Associate Athletic Director Bob Arkeilpane, who is spearheading the Mission I-A committee, announced that over 8,000 season tickets have already been purchased despite UB not yet announcing its formal season ticket plans.

"We are extremely happy with the results we have gotten so far," said Arkeilpane, "particularly since we have not yet set in motion our season ticket plan and that figure of 8,000 does not include renewals from last year. We expect to have a significant portion of that figure reached before the season begins."

In addition, UB Director of Athletics Nelson E. Townsend announced that the Bulls have already inked agreements with two major I-A programs upon their arrival in the MAC. The Bulls will play Atlantic Coast Conference power Virginia in a three-year series starting in 1999, which includes a game at UB Stadium in 2001.

The Bulls will also begin playing cross-state power Syracuse University in a four-year deal starting in 2001 at the Carrier Dome where Buffalo will also roam in the 2005 and 2007 seasons. The Orangemen will come to UB Stadium in the fall of 2004. Townsend also indicated that the Bulls were close to inking a deal with a Big 10 school for the 2003 and 2006 schedules.

"To have already scheduled games against premier programs like Virginia and Syracuse before we even enter the MAC speaks highly of where people on the national level feel our program is headed. When I look to the 1999 schedule and see games against the MAC's Eastern Division - with teams like Ohio, Bowling Green, Marshall and Miami - along with opening the season at Virginia, it is truly exciting to be on the brink of something that is going to put UB on the national landscape and greatly enhance Western New York."

Townsend, who has been the catalyst of Buffalo's rise from Division III to Division I since his arrival at UB in 1987, considers this UB's greatest challenge in spite of his overseeing one of the nation's fastest-growing intercollegiate athletic programs.

"The move of our football program to I-A will mean tremendous growth for the University at Buffalo, but cannot be accomplished without the support of our students and the Western New York community," said Townsend. "We look forward to this challenge and are confident that - like every other hurdle we have encountered in our development - we will succeed and accomplish our goals."

In addition the Bulls' announced their 1998 football schedule. The schedule includes four home dates (Lock Haven, Morgan State, Canisius and Western Illinois) and seven road games.

"Our schedule for 1998 reflects our goals of averaging 17,000 fans per game," said Townsend. "Because of the transition year before our reclassification it was very difficult to schedule games. We also have limited the number of home games to make our season ticket packages more affordable for families, decrease the effects of the inclement weather sometimes experienced in November, and therefore increase our potential to meet our goal."