March 26, 2008

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - University of Southern Mississippi Director of Athletics Richard Giannini announced today the addition of Virginia, Alcorn State and Southeastern Louisiana as future football opponents for the Golden Eagles.

Southern Miss will face Virginia in a home-and-home series which is slated for the 2009 and 2011 seasons. The Cavaliers will travel to Hattiesburg on Sept. 19, 2009, while Southern Miss is making a visit to Charlottesville, Va., on Sept. 24, 2011. UVa finished 9-4 last season which included a 31-28 loss to Texas Tech in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl.

The Golden Eagles will entertain in-state foe Alcorn State for a home game on Sept. 12, 2009, while playing host to Southeastern Louisiana, Sept. 4, 2010.

"We are excited to announce another trio of quality opponents that will travel and play in Hattiesburg," Giannini said. "We look forward to hosting another BCS institution, as well as having one of our state's IHL institutions on our schedule in Alcorn State and a regional opponent, Southeastern Louisiana, who makes a return visit to Carlisle-Faulkner Field."

It will be the first-ever meeting between Southern Miss and both Alcorn State and Virginia in football. The Golden Eagles lead the series with SLU 18-3, which includes a 45-0 win in the last meeting in 2006 at "The Rock."

Since 2000, the Golden Eagles have played Big 12 institutions Nebraska and Oklahoma State at Carlisle-Faulkner Field at Roberts Stadium, as well as Illinois of the Big 10 Conference, California of the Pacific 10 Conference and North Carolina State of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

One other non-conference meeting is set for the 2009 campaign with Southern Miss traveling to Kansas for a Sept. 26 meeting. The game with the Jayhawks will be the first game of a home-and-home series. KU returns to Hattiesburg on Sept. 18, 2010.