Bulls Announce 2008 Football Schedule

Three games on ESPN Networks, including Miami at home, highlight schedule

Turner Gill

BUFFALO, NY – The success and expectations of the University at Buffalo football program has not gone unnoticed by the Mid-American Conference as evidenced by the Bulls’ 2008 football schedule which was released today.

The Bulls – who return 18 starters after earning a share of the Mid-American Conference East Division title in 2007 – are scheduled to play a record six mid-week games, including the first nationally televised game since Buffalo's return to Division I play. The Bulls will host MAC rival Miami on Election Night – Tuesday, November 4 – on ESPN2, the first-ever nationally televised game out of UB Stadium. The Bulls will also appear on ESPNU in a pair of MAC East road games, at Ohio on Tuesday, October 28 and at Akron in the Rubber Bowl on Thursday, November 13.

“I would like to thank Commissioner Rick Chryst as well as Dave Brown of ESPN for their efforts and acknowledgment of the growth of our program in designating three games on the ESPN family of networks,” said Warde Manuel, Director of Athletics. “I believe our students and fans in Western New York will be ready to display their Buffalo pride for a national television audience when Miami comes to town on November 4.”

Buffalo will play two of the first three games of the 2008 season at home, opening the season on Thursday, August 28 versus Texas-El Paso of Conference USA. Two weeks later the Temple Owls come to UB Stadium on September 13. The Bulls two MAC West crossover games are a road game on September 27 at two-time defending MAC champion Central Michigan and a home game versus Western Michigan on October 11.

The Bulls will also host Army on Saturday, October 18 in a non-conference game during Homecoming weekend and Kent State in the regular season finale the day after Thanksgiving (Friday, Nov. 28). The trip to Buffalo by Army is the first time in the Black Knights' 118-year history of football that they have played in the Queen City. The six home games are the most Buffalo has played since moving up to Division I-A and the Mid-American Conference in 1999.

Other road games include trips to Pittsburgh of the Big East on September 6 and the Big 12's Missouri, who finished the 2007 season ranked fourth nationally, on September 20. Buffalo will also travel to Bowling Green on Friday, November 21. Game times will be announced at a later date.

“This is an outstanding schedule with six home games for our students, faculty, alumni and the fans throughout Western New York,” said head coach Turner Gill, the 2007 MAC Coach of the Year. “We are excited about having a home game nationally televised as well as the other television appearances to showcase our program.”

Those wishing to reserve tickets for the 2008 season can contact the UB Ticket Office at 716-645-6666 or go to the following link on UB’s website: http://www.ubathletics.buffalo.edu/tickets/requests.shtml.

Click here for the complete 2008 Schedule

03/11/2008