By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Every season, the Tennessee Tech football team schedules a Football Bowl Subdivision team, giving them a chance to compete against their brothers on the other side of Division I football.
Last year, it was Ball State. This year, it will be Utah State. Over the years, the Golden Eagles have peppered the map with stops all over the country, as far away as Oregon and as close as Tennessee.
But Tech will get a new destination to put on its map in 2020 as the University of Minnesota announced on Wednesday that it will host the Golden Eagles on Sept. 12, 2020, at TCF Bank Stadium.
"When you play these games, you're trying to get as much exposure as you can for your team," said Tech head coach Dewayne Alexander. "Our players enjoy playing against FBS schools and competing in the larger venues in front of bigger crowds than normal. Competing against a Power 5 school is an amazing opportunity."
A member of the Big Ten Conference, Minnesota is under the direction of P.J. Fleck, who is about to enter his second season with the Golden Gophers. The team finished 5-7 last season, the most wins for a first-year Minnesota coach since Murray Warmath won seven in 1954.
Minnesota's team in 2017 featured 49 freshmen or redshirts and 76 underclassmen, and was able to pick up signature wins, including a 48-14 win at Oregon State and a 54-21 win over Nebraska.
That's not too different as Alexander also has a young team in transition. With the game two years away, it could be a completely different story once 2020 rolls around.
"Coach Fleck will have his program transitioned the way he wants it and competing for a Big 10 title by the time 2020 arrives," Alexander said, "and we certainly feel that the Golden Eagle Football program will be in a position to compete for our conference championship as well. Coach Fleck is a first class guy who does tings the right way and we are looking forward to competing against Minnesota."
TCF Bank Stadium was opened in the 2009 season and holds 50,805 people and is expandable up to 80,000. It also has one of the largest high definition video displays in collegiate athletics at 48 feet high by 108 feet wide. The stadium hosted the NFL's Minnesota Vikings in 2014 and 2015 as their new stadium was under construction.
"They built a beautiful stadium there," Alexander said. "Coach Fleck has a lot of energy going with that program. Even when Coach (Jerry) Kill was there, it was a solid program. We're expecting a great crowd and a great fan base."
Minnesota will be Tech's third opponent from the Big Ten Conference since the I-A/I-AA split in 1978, as the Golden Eagles took on Iowa (2011) and Wisconsin (2013).
"I remember when we went to Wisconsin, it was the same thing," Alexander said. "Great atmosphere, great fans, so we know what we're heading into and we couldn't be more excited. Our guys will love having this game on the schedule."
It will be the Golden Eagles' 11th game against a team from the NCAA Division I five power conferences, following stops at Iowa State (2002), Auburn (2007), Kansas State (1984, 2009), Georgia (2009), Arkansas (2010), Iowa (2011), Oregon (2012), Wisconsin (2013) and Tennessee (2016)
Despite playing against their big brothers in the FBS, these games are crucial for not just Tech football, but Tennessee Tech as a whole.
"The exposure the university and the athletics department receive from these games is phenomenal," said Tech director of athletics Mark Wilson. "It helps establish our brand and continue to put our name out there as we receive national television and media exposure far beyond our normal outreach.
"The money we bring in from these games also helps fund our athletics department and helps it grow as it goes toward facility upgrades, equipment, travel costs and all the other demands that arise over the course of the academic year."
Alexander continued, "These games are necessary. You look around the rest of the country, there are many FCS teams that are playing two of these games if they can. Even when I was the head coach at Cumberland, we would play a Tennessee Tech to get money. It's all a trickle-down process. It's very important at our level to have the opportunity to play these games. It's great for our fans, great for our student-athletes and for the finances for our entire athletics department. It's a positive to engage in these types of games."
While the game is now on the radar for the 2020 campaign, there's still plenty to be excited about as the Golden Eagles are working toward the 2018 schedule. Season tickets for Tech football are now on sale. Call (931) 372-3940, visit the Hooper Eblen Center ticket office or visit TTUsports.com to order or for more information.
