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CONTRIBUTED BY ETSU ATHLETICS

JOHNSON CITY – Over the course of the last two weeks, ETSU Football has announced five future opponents via its social media platforms.

Headlining the five future opponents are three FBS schools: Liberty, Mississippi State, and North Carolina. In addition to the FBS competitors, the Bucs will also square off with UVA-Wise and Delaware State.

“We are excited about the quality of opponents that have been added to our schedule for the future,” stated head coach Randy Sanders. “Thank you to our Athletic Director Scott Carter for giving us these opportunities.

“These games add to an already strong field of future opponents and this is a great opportunity to showcase our team at different levels of college football.”

The Buccaneers will begin their future opponent swing with UVA-Wise beginning in 2021. ETSU will host the Cavaliers in all three matchups (2021, 2024, 2027).

The series with UVA-Wise marks the first-ever meeting on the gridiron in program history.

ETSU will also square off with Delaware State in 2021, hosting the Hornets at William B. Greene, Jr. Stadium in Johnson City.

The following season, 2022, the Bucs will complete the home-and-home series with Delaware State, traveling to Dover, Del. for the second and final game of the series. The battle in 2021 will mark the first meeting between the two programs.

The third future opponent on the docket for the Bucs is SEC foe, Mississippi State. The Blue & Gold will travel to Starkville, Miss. for a showdown with the Bulldogs in 2022 at Davis Wade Stadium.

The Bucs are 0-1 all-time against the Bulldogs, having dropped the lone showdown in 1998. Mississippi State marks the third SEC foe in the next three seasons as ETSU takes on Georgia (2020) and Vanderbilt (2021).

The fourth future opponent on the schedule for ETSU is Liberty University. The Bucs will travel to Lynchburg, Va. in 2023 and 2025 to square off with the Flames at Williams Stadium.

ETSU is undefeated against the newly-appointed FBS squad, holding a 4-0-1 record all-time against the Flames. ETSU and Liberty have not seen each other on the gridiron since 2003.

The final future opponent for the Blue & Gold is the University of North Carolina. The showdown with the Tar Heels, originally scheduled for 2022, has been shifted to 2026 per North Carolina’s request.

The showdown against UNC will mark the first-ever meeting between these two teams.

With those games finalized, the Bucs will square off with eight different opponents over the course of the next eight seasons, including Georgia in 2020. In the next eight seasons, the Bucs are guaranteed seven FBS games: Georgia (2020), Vanderbilt (2021), Mississippi State (2022), Liberty (2023, 2025), Appalachian State (2024) and North Carolina (2026).

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For more information on Buccaneer football, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the football page.