Florida International will unveil its new on-campus stadium this September, but the Golden Panthers will play the same tough schedule in 2008.
FIU will play three bowl teams among its 12-game schedule and has three open dates that will extend the season until Dec. 6.
The Golden Panthers, who finished 1-11 in 2007, open the season at Orange Bowl champion Kansas on Aug. 30 in Lawrence, Kan. The Jayhawks defeated FIU last season en route to finishing 12-1 and No. 7 in both polls.
After opening at Penn State in 2007, FIU makes its second trip to a Big Ten opponent in the second week of the season, when the Golden Panthers play at Iowa.
The first open date is Sept. 13 and then the new FIU Stadium is unveiled for the home opener Sept. 20 against South Florida, which was ranked as high as No. 2 last season.
”We’re extremely fired up about our schedule,” FIU coach Mario Cristobal said. “It’s a very challenging one with top teams and a great Sun Belt schedule that gets tougher every year. We’re looking forward to jumping into it.”
FIU closes out its nonconference schedule with a Sept. 27 trip to Toledo.
Besides Kansas and South Florida, the other bowl team on FIU’s schedule is Sun Belt and New Orleans Bowl champion Florida Atlantic.
The teams renew their Don Shula Bowl rivalry Nov. 29 at Dolphin Stadium.
The other seven games on FIU’s schedule are against Sun Belt Conference foes.
FIU begins Sun Belt play Oct. 4 at North Texas. The Golden Panthers closed out college football at the Orange Bowl last season with a 38-19 win over North Texas.
FIU’s last trip to Denton, Texas, resulted in a 25-22 seven-overtime loss that is tied as the longest game in college football history.
Along with South Florida, FIU’s other home opponents include Middle Tennessee (Oct. 11), Arkansas State (Nov. 8), Louisiana-Monroe (Nov. 22) and the season finale against Western Kentucky (Dec. 6).
More than 4,000 participants are expected to compete in the third Annual Fort Lauderdale A1A Marathon early Sunday morning.
The marathon begins at 6 a.m. by the Museum of Discovery and Science in Fort Lauderdale and concludes with the final two miles along A1A, ending at the finish line in South Beach Park on Seabreeze Boulevard.
In addition to the marathon, there are a variety of other events.
A half-marathon also starts at 6 a.m. It turns into Birch State Park after mile 8.75 on Sunrise. Mile 11 brings the participants back onto A1A for the finish at the South Beach Parking lot, passing under the overhead skyway.
Besides the marathon and the half-marathon, New York firefighters will challenge Broward Sheriff Fire Rescue in the first-ever Half Marathon Firefighter Challenge.
For information, call 561-241-3801 or visit www.a1amarathon.com.
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