The UMass Minutemen have added the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Missouri Tigers, and several other opponents to their future football schedules, Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford announced on Thursday.
“We are pleased to be announce a number of great games with quality FBS opponents in future years,” Bamford said. “Coach Bell’s program will see a healthy mix of games versus regional and national opponents, which is an important piece of our plan to create a sustainable future for UMass Football as an FBS Independent.”
UMass will travel to face Penn State at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, on Nov. 11, 2023. In their first and only meeting on the gridiron back in 2014, Penn State defeated UMass 48-7.
The Minutemen have also added home-and-home series with Missouri, New Mexico, and Northern Illinois. Additionally, UMass has extended existing series with Army, Liberty, and Eastern Michigan. Details of all of these games are listed below:
Missouri
Missouri will travel to face UMass at McGuirk Alumni Stadium on Oct. 12, 2024. The two schools will then meet at Faurot Field in Columbia on Oct. 18, 2025.
New Mexico
UMass and New Mexico will play a home-and-home series beginning in Albuquerque on Oct. 3, 2020 and culminating in Amherst on Sept. 23, 2023. This series was announced by the Lobos last week.
Northern Illinois
UMass will travel to take on NIU at Huskie Stadium on Oct. 5, 2024 and will host the Huskies the following season in Amherst on Sept. 27, 2025.
Army
Back in August 2018, UMass announced an extension of their home-and-home football series with Army that ensures the two schools will play each season from 2019 through 2028.
UMass will host the Black Knights in 2020, 2022, 2024, 2026 and 2028 and will travel to Michie Stadium in 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025 and 2027.
Liberty
UMass and Liberty previously announced an eight-game, home-and-home series from 2018 through 2025. Today they added additional games at UMass on Nov. 7, 2026 and at Liberty on Nov. 6, 2027.
The 2023 UMass at Liberty game has been moved from Nov. 11 to Oct. 21.
Eastern Michigan
UMass and Eastern Michigan previously announced a home-and-home series for Sept. 10, 2022 at UMass and Sept. 16, 2023 at EMU. UMass will now travel to EMU on Oct. 1, 2022 and the 2023 game at EMU will not change.
The Minutemen will host the Eagles on Sept. 18, 2021 and then again three seasons later on Aug. 31, 2024.
Mississippi State
UMass was scheduled to play Mississippi State in Starkville on Oct. 17, 2020. That contest has been postponed four seasons to Oct. 19, 2024.
Missouri has also announced they’re playing Colorado in 2025 (road) and 2030 (home) and that the Boston College game is now in Columbia and not KC.