The Maine Black Bears will play at the Florida International Panthers (FIU) and host the Long Island Sharks (LIU) in 2023, FBSchedules.com has learned.
Copies of contracts for games with Florida International University and Long Island University were obtained from the University of Maine via a state Freedom of Information Act request.
Maine will travel to face FIU at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami, Fla., on Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023. The Panthers will pay the Black Bears a $250,000 guarantee for the contest, according to the copy of the contract.
Additionally, the contract also includes a men’s basketball game between the two schools at Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami in either November or December of 2023.
Maine and FIU have met twice previously on the gridiron. The Black Bears defeated the Panthers in both contests, 33-7 in 2002 and 24-14 in 2003.
The LIU Sharks will travel to take on Maine at Alfond Stadium in Orono, Maine, on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. Maine will pay LIU a $100,000 guarantee for playing the game, per the contract copy.
The 2023 Maine-LIU contest will mark the first-ever meeting on the gridiron between the two schools.
With the addition of FIU and LIU, Maine has now tentatively completed its 2023 non-conference schedule. The Black Bears are also scheduled to travel to face the North Dakota State Bison on Sept. 9 that season.
FIU now has three non-conference opponents set in 2023. The Panthers are also slated to play road contests at the UConn Huskies on Sept. 16 and at the Arkansas Razorbacks on Nov. 18.
Football Schedules