Day Date Opponent (2003 Record)
Thu. Sept. 2 JACKSONVILLE (5-6) (TV-Sunshine Network)
Sat. Sept. 11 at Youngstown State (5-7) (TV-Shunshine Network)
Sat. Sept. 25 WESTERN KENTUCKY (9-4)
Sat. Oct. 2 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE (4-8) (TV-Sunshine Network)
Sat. Oct. 9 at Stephen F. Austin (7-4)
Sat. Oct. 16 at Louisiana-Monroe (1-11)
Sat. Oct. 23 McNEESE STATE (10-2)
Sat. Oct. 30 at New Mexico State (3-9)
Sat. Nov. 13 GEORGIA SOUTHERN (7-4) (TV-NBC 6)
Sat. Nov. 20 at Florida Atlantic (11-3) (Pro Player Stadium)
Sat. Nov. 27 FLORIDA A&M (6-6) (Orange Bowl)

[quote]FIU Announces Plans for Another Ambitious Football Schedule in 2004

Contests against three I-A opponents and four I-AA programs that finished among the top 25 in the nation last year highlight the 2004 FIU Football schedule announced today.

The Golden Panthers will play six of their 11 games at home, starting with the season opener on Thursday, Sept. 2 against Jacksonville in a matchup that will be broadcast live around the state of Florida and across the nation via satellite by Sunshine Network.

Also included on the home slate are contests versus No. 7 Western Kentucky (Sept. 25), No. 8 McNeese State (Oct. 23) and No. 24 Georgia Southern (Nov. 13).

FIU will also take on a I-A opponent at home for the first time ever when the Golden Panthers host Louisiana-Lafayette on Oct. 2.

The third season of intercollegiate play for FIU will conclude on Saturday, Nov. 27 in Miami against Florida A&M.

The Golden Panthers road schedule will be no easy matter, either. After playing Youngstown State on Sept. 11, FIU meets Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Tex., on Oct. 9 and then takes on I-A foes Louisiana-Monroe (Oct. 16) and New Mexico State (Oct. 30), before the road finale against No. 4-ranked Florida Atlantic on Nov. 20 at Pro Player Stadium.

“We’re playing a bunch of I-AA opponents good enough to be competing in I-A if they wanted to, along with three teams from the Sun Belt Conference,

FIU to televise 4 games:

Quote:Thursday, May 26, 2004

2004 FIU Football Schedule Features Four Televised Contests

The FIU Football program today announced a slate of four-game telecasts for the upcoming 2004 season.

For the third consecutive year, FIU and Sunshine Network will team up for TV games via cable and satellite, while WTVJ-TV, NBC 6 in South Florida will air the Golden Panthers Homecoming contest for a second-straight season.

Sunshine Network will present the Golden Panthers home opener against Jacksonville on Thursday, Sept. 2 along with FIU’s first-ever home game against a I-A opponent, Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday, Oct. 2. Sunshine will also carry the road contest at Youngstown State on Saturday, Sept. 11

NBC 6 will broadcast the FIU Homecoming game live on Saturday, Nov. 13 against Georgia Southern with a special 11:00 a.m. kickoff.

Sunshine Network, a leading provider of local and regional collegiate sports programming, is a Fox-owned and managed regional sports network that reaches more than 6.4 million homes across Florida via cable and satellite.

In addition to this agreement with FIU, Sunshine Network has programming agreements with more than a dozen regional teams/properties including the Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida State University, University of Florida, University of Miami, UCF, ACC, SEC, MAC and more.

Besides game coverage each fall, Sunshine Network also offers college football fans its daylong "Tailgate Saturday" lineup. "Tailgate Saturday" includes the live "Bubba Burger College Kickoff" program each Saturday morning, live post-game coverage from select games and concludes with "Tailgate Saturday Football Wrap," giving Florida fans a full day of live news, interviews, analysis and more on their favorite Florida teams.

The network also produces other original programming from its studios at Universal Studios Florida including the popular weekly "SportsTalk Live Presented by BellSouth" series, the live "Chevy Florida Fishing Report" series, and "Florida Golf with Peter Kessler," all focusing on sports from Florida and the region. For further information on Sunshine Network, visit the network's website at http://www.sunshinenetwork.com.

FIU, which enters its third season of intercollegiate football at the I-AA level, will begin its transition toward full-fledged I-A membership by 2006. Head coach Don Strock, who has been the chief architect of Golden Panther football since the program’s approval in 2000, leads FIU into an 11-game schedule in 2004 that includes three I-A opponents and four I-AA programs that finished among the top 25 in the nation last year.

Season tickets are now available and can be purchased by calling toll free (866) FIU-GAME or (305) 348-4263 in Miami-Dade County. Tickets can also be purchased on the Internet at FIUsports.com.

Link: <a href='http://www.fiusports.com/football/releases/052704.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.fiusports.com/football/releases/052704.htm</a>

<a href='http://www.fiusports.com/football/releases/062804.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.fiusports.com/football/releases/062804.htm</a>

[quote]Monday, June 28, 2004

Florida A&M University and Florida International University
Announce Return of the Orange Blossom Classic

Florida A&M University and Florida International University announced Monday the return of the historic Orange Blossom Classic. The Nov. 27 match-up was finalized during a symbolic Signing Luncheon held at Don Shula’s Golf Club in Miami Lakes.

FAMU President Fred Gainous and FIU President Modesto A. Maidique, were joined by their athletic directors and head football coaches, Miami area dignitaries, Orange Bowl Committee officials and alumni for the event.

"This partnership between Florida A&M, Florida International and the Orange Bowl Committee is one that we believe will be very fruitful,