BUFFALO, NY - The University at Buffalo 2002 football schedule will be the biggest in school history with 12 games on the slate, including six games at UB Stadium, starting with the season opener on Thursday, August 29 versus Lehigh.

Due to a change in NCAA regulations this past year, teams were allowed to schedule 12 games for the first time in the 2002 season, and the Bulls will play the most home games since returning to Division I-A with their entrance into the Mid-American Conference in 1999 .

Besides the season opener, the home schedule features battles with future Big East member Connecticut, MAC East Division newcomer Central Florida, MAC West Division power Western Michigan as well as yearly rivals Kent State and Miami (OH).

The road schedule is daunting with a trip to Minnesota of the Big 10, Rutgers of the Big East and conference games at four-time league champion Marshall, Ohio, Akron and Ball State.

"We are delighted to have for the first time ever a 12-game regular season schedule," said second-year head coach Jim Hofher. "It is tough and competitive with games against the Big East and the Big Ten, as well as our East and West divisional opponents in the MAC.

"Our East Division gets tougher with Central Florida's entry, and we are glad that our fans will see them in Buffalo in their inaugural season in the MAC," said Hofher. "We feel this is a terrific home schedule with future Big East opponent UConn, West Division power Western Michigan, and MAC East rivals Miami, Kent, and UCF here."

The meeting with Minnesota on Sept. 21 will mark the first time the Bulls have played a Big 10 team since 1901 when Buffalo played at Michigan. Seven of the 12 teams on the schedule are teams that the Bulls played last season.

The Bulls will again open the season the Thursday before Labor Day weekend against Lehigh with a 7:30 pm kickoff. Last season, Buffalo opened on a Thursday night against Rutgers before a UB Stadium record crowd of 22,658. All other kickoffs will be announced at a later date.

The 2002 schedule:

Date Opponent Site Series Record Last Meeting

Thur., Aug. 29 Lehigh UB Stadium LU leads, 5-3-1 UB, 34-20, 9/21/96

Sat., Sept. 7 Rutgers Piscataway, NJ RU leads, 2-0 RU, 31-15, 8/30/01

Sat., Sept. 14 Connecticut UB Stadium UConn leads, 8-4 UB, 37-20, 9/22/01

Sat., Sept. 21 Minnesota Minneapolis, MN First meeting First meeting

Sat., Sept. 28 Ohio* Athens, OH OU leads, 5-3 UB, 44-0, 11/3/01

Sat., Oct. 5 Western Michigan* UB Stadium WMU leads, 1-0 WMU, 45-17, 10/16/99

Sat., Oct. 12 Marshall* Huntington, WV MU leads, 5-1 MU, 34-14, 10/13/01

Sat., Oct. 19 Miami, OH* UB Stadium MU leads, 4-0 MU, 31-14, 10/6/01

Sat., Oct. 26 Kent State* UB Stadium Series tied, 5-5 KSU, 35-13, 10/20/01

Sat., Nov. 2 BYE WEEK

Sat., Nov. 9 Central Florida* UB Stadium UCF leads, 3-0 UCF, 48-0, 11/19/94

Sat., Nov. 16 Akron* Akron, OH UA leads, 3-0 UA, 41-14, 11/17/01

Sat., Nov. 23 Ball State* Muncie, IN BSU leads, 3-0 BSU, 44-35, 10/21/00

home games in italics

*Mid-American Conference games