March 14, 2002
TEMPE, Ariz.-Arizona State University will play the University of Nebraska in Lincoln on Saturday, August 24 in the 2002 Black Coaches Association Classic (or BCA Classic), a nationally televised football game on ESPN, ASU Director of Athletics Gene Smith announced Thursday. Kickoff is at 6:45 p.m. CT at Memorial Stadium.
The matchup will give ASU a 13th game on its 2002 schedule, which already includes the NCAA regulated 12th game. The Sun Devils will play seven home games while six are on the road.
"This is a game we sought for our players and our fans," says Smith. "We were initially contacted by the BCA and they asked if we had any interest in playing in the BCA Classic at Nebraska. We discussed the idea internally and it was met with enthusiasm from all those involved. This will take some of the sting away from losing the series with Oklahoma when they cancelled."
"This will be a tremendous opportunity for our football team," says ASU Head Football Coach Dirk Koetter. "When I told the team about the possibility of playing this game, there was a resounding positive reaction. This gives us another game against a top-notch opponent to prepare for the conference season. And, it will be a tremendous opportunity for our players to experience a game at a legendary collegiate atmosphere."
The last time ASU and Nebraska met on the football field was in 1996 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. ASU, which christened the playing surface as "Frank Kush Field" on that weekend, shut out the two-time defending national champions, 19-0, en route to their undefeated 11-0 Rose Bowl campaign. The Cornhuskers had won 26 straight games, including 37 straight regular-season games. Nebraska had been ranked No. 1 for 12 successive weeks. ASU had lost to Nebraska, 77-28, in Lincoln in 1995. Nebraska leads the all-time series with ASU, 5-2, including 3-0 in games in Lincoln.
Additionally, ASU will move its regularly scheduled football game with Eastern Washington (the Oklahoma replacement) from Thursday, August 29 to Saturday, August 31 to accommodate the BCA Classic.
ASU returns 41 lettermen from a 2001 team that posted a 4-7 record in Koetter's first season. The Sun Devils return three starters on offense and eight on defense, including one placekicker.
Nebraska is coming off an 11-2 2001 campaign in which it lost to Miami, 34-17, in the National Championship game. The Cornhuskers tied for first-place in the Big 12 North Division. They return 13 starters, including five on offense and six on defense and both kickers. Frank Solich will begin his fifth season as head coach and is 42-9 overall.
ASU begins Spring practice on Monday, March 18 at 3:45 p.m. at the Bill Kajikawa Practice Facility.
The 2002 ASU Football Schedule
Date Opponent/Site Time August 24 at Nebraska (BCA Classic, ESPN) 6:45 p.m. CT August 31 Eastern Washington 7 p.m. MT September 7 Central Florida 7 p.m. MT September 14 at San Diego State TBA September 21 Open date September 28 Stanford 7 p.m. MT October 5 North Carolina TBA October 12 Oregon State TBA October 19 at Oregon TBA October 26 Washington TBA November 2 at Washington State TBA November 9 California TBA November 16 at USC TBA November 23 Open date November 29 at Arizona TBA