Miami Hurricanes to Blow into Jonesboro

 

JONESBORO, Ark. – Arkansas State Director of Athletics Terry Mohajir announced Friday a two-year agreement has been reached with the University of Miami Hurricanes to play a home-and-home football series beginning in 2014.

Although an official game date has not been set for the initial meeting of the two-game series, the Red Wolves will catch Miami for the second time in school history at the Hurricane’s Sun Life Stadium in either August or September of 2014.  The contract calls for the five-time national champions to play the return game in Jonesboro on Sept. 9, 2017, giving the Red Wolves a home game against a current ACC opponent for the first time in the program’s existence.

“As our brand continues to emerge, we will keep trying to schedule home games in Jonesboro against the top teams in the country,” said Mohajir.  “We are excited to add a home-and-home series with a program that possesses, in my opinion, a top-10 national brand.  The fact that we are able to bring teams the caliber of Miami to our stadium reflects that our own brand is on the rise, and that is a great tribute to everyone involved in our recent success.”

The 2014 contest will be the first between the Red Wolves and Miami Hurricanes since 1997 and the Red Wolves first against a current ACC member since playing Virginia Tech in 2011.  In addition to Miami and Virginia Tech, the only other ACC opponent Arkansas State has ever faced is North Carolina State.

Under the direction of head coach Al Golden, the Miami Hurricanes finished the 2012 season with a 7-5 record that included a 5-3 conference mark placing it tied for first in the ACC Coastal Division.

With the addition of Miami to the 2017 home schedule, A-State has this year scheduled two future games in Jonesboro against an opponent from one of the traditional BCS power conferences.  ASU also announced in January a home game in 2015 against SEC member Missouri as part of a home-and-home series.  The last time A-State hosted a team in Jonesboro from the ACC, SEC, Big 12, Pac-12 or Big Ten was 2001 when it played Ole Miss.

A-State, the two-time defending Sun Belt Conference champions, will open its 2013 campaign on Aug. 31 with a home game against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Courtesy Arkansas State University Department of Athletics

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