Nebraska has announced the addition of five non-conference home games during the 2008 and 2009 seasons, completing the schedules for those two seasons.

The games announced for the 2008 season include Sept. 6 against San Jose State, Sept. 13 against New Mexico State and Sept. 27 versus Western Michigan. In 2009 Nebraska has finalized contracts with Louisiana-Lafayette (Sept. 12) and Arkansas State (Sept. 26). Each of the five schools agreed to one-game contracts to play the Huskers in Lincoln.

The non-conference contests complete the Huskers’ schedules for both the 2008 and 2009 campaigns. Previously, Nebraska announced a home-and-home series with Virginia Tech that will bring the Hokies to Lincoln on Sept. 20, 2008, with Nebraska traveling to Blacksburg on Sept. 19, 2009. Additionally, Nebraska previously announced a Sept. 5, 2009 home matchup against Florida Atlantic.

“We are pleased to have the 2008 and 2009 schedules finalized,” Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson said. “We are extremely excited about Virginia Tech highlighting our schedule for those two seasons. That should be a great intersectional home-and-home series against one of the nation’s top programs, and I know our fans are looking forward to the trip to Blacksburg.

“The additional games we have added complement the Virginia Tech series very well. With the permanent 12-game schedule, we have talked regularly about trying to play eight home games on occasion and we are excited the 2008 season will present us that opportunity.”

The addition of three home games to the 2008 schedule will give Nebraska eight home games during that season. The 2008 campaign will mark the sixth time in school history Nebraska will play host to eight home games. Nebraska most recently played eight home games in both the 2001 and 2002 seasons.

In addition to opening the season with four non-conference home games, the Huskers are also scheduled to open Big 12 action at home. Nebraska will host Missouri on Oct. 4 at Memorial Stadium, giving the Huskers five straight home games to begin the season. The 2008 season will mark the fifth time in school history Nebraska has opened the year with five consecutive home games, most recently in 2005.

Nebraska’s meeting with San Jose State will mark the second between the two schools, and the second time Nebraska has met the Spartans in a season opener. The Huskers opened the 2000 season with a 49-13 victory over San Jose State at Memorial Stadium.

San Jose State is a member of the Western Athletic Conference and finished the 2006 season with a 9-4 record and a victory over New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl. SJSU is coached by former Arizona head coach Dick Tomey, who completed his first season at the school in 2006. This fall the Spartans will play non-conference road games against Arizona State, Kansas State and Stanford.

The 2008 matchup against New Mexico State will mark the third meeting on the football field between the two schools. Nebraska defeated the Aggies, 57-0, at Memorial Stadium in 1979 and shut out New Mexico State, 68-0 in Lincoln in the 1982 season.

New Mexico State finished with a 4-8 record in 2006 and capped the year with victories over Utah State and Louisiana Tech. The Aggies are coached by Hal Mumme and ranked second nationally in passing offense, averaging 399.3 yards per game. NMSU also ranked third nationally in total offense and 15th in scoring offense.

Nebraska and Western Michigan will meet for the first time on the gridiron in 2008. The game will also mark the second straight season the Huskers will play a member of the Mid-American Conference, including a home game this fall against Ball State on Sept. 22. Prior to this season’s meeting with Ball State, Nebraska has played just three games against current members of the MAC, a 1997 contest against Akron and 1989 and 1990 games against Northern Illinois.

Western Michigan is coached by Bill Cubit, who is entering his third year with the Broncos in 2007. Last season Western Michigan finished with an 8-5 record, including a 6-2 record in the Mid-American Conference, good for second in the league’s Western Division. The Broncos lost to Cincinnati in the inaugural International Bowl, the school’s first bowl bid since the 1988 California Bowl, the school’s only other bowl trip. Western Michigan was powered by a strong defense in 2006, as the Broncos finished 11th nationally in total defense. This fall the Broncos will face non-conference games against Indiana, Missouri, Iowa and West Virginia.

With non-conference games against three teams that played in bowl games in 2006, the Huskers’ 2008 schedule will include seven teams that played in bowl games last fall.

In 2009, the Huskers will play three non-conference home games, sandwiched around the road trip to Virginia Tech. Nebraska will open the season at home on Sept. 5 against Florida Atlantic, a game that was finalized last summer.

The meetings with Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas State in 2009 are the first for Nebraska against both schools. Both Louisiana-Lafayette and Arkansas State compete in the Sun Belt Conference.

Lousiana-Lafayette finished the 2006 campaign with a 6-6 overall record, highlighted by a road win at Houston. The Ragin’ Cajuns are coached by Rickey Bustle and featured a powerful rushing attack in 2006, finishing 11th nationally in rushing offense.

Arkansas State also finished the year with a 6-6 record in 2006, including a 4-3 conference record and a victory over Sun Belt champion Troy. The Indians are led by coach Steve Roberts, who is entering his sixth year at the school in 2007. Arkansas State’s 2007 schedule includes road trips to Texas, Tennessee and Southern Miss.

In addition to the 2008 and 2009 schedules, Nebraska has previously announced future home-and-home series with Washington (2010, 2011), UCLA (2012, 2013) and Tennessee (2016, 2017).