Gophers football to open next 4 seasons at home on Thurs. night - KMSP-TV

The University of Minnesota has announced several changes to the Gophers' future non-conference football schedules. The changes include the cancellation of dates with North Carolina and season openers moved to Thursday night games at TCF Bank Stadium.

The schedule changes were part of an agreement with the Minnesota State Fair that will see the Gophers open the 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 football seasons at TCF Bank Stadium on the Thursday night before Labor Day. The games were originally scheduled to take place on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.

Minnesota will now host UNLV on Thursday, August 29, 2013, Eastern Illinois on Thursday, August 28, 2014, South Dakota State on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2015, and New Mexico State on Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016.

The Gophers also announced the 2013-2014 home-and-home series with North Carolina is canceled. Minnesota is still working to secure opponents for those dates.

In the meantime, the Gophers have added Kent State to the 2015 schedule and South Dakota State to the 2019 schedule.

Future Minnesota Football Schedules (2013-2016)

2013

Aug. 29 - UNLV

Sept. 7 - TBA

Sept. 14 - Western Illinois

Sept. 21 - San Jose State

Sept. 28 - Iowa (HC)

Oct. 5 - at Michigan

Oct. 19 - at Northwestern

Oct. 26 - Nebraska

Nov. 2 - at Indiana

Nov. 9 - Penn State

Nov. 23 - Wisconsin

Nov. 30 - at Michigan State

2014

Aug. 28 - Eastern Illinois

Sept. 6- M. Tennessee St.

Sept. 13- TBA

Sept. 20- San Jose State

Sept. 27- at Penn State

Oct. 11- Northwestern (HC)

Oct. 18- Michigan

Nov. 1- at Nebraska

Nov. 8- Indiana

Nov. 15- at Iowa

Nov. 22- at Wisconsin

Nov. 29- Michigan State

2015

Sept. 3- South Dakota State

Sept. 12- at Colorado State

Sept. 19- Kent State

Sept. 26- Ohio

Oct. 3- Nebraska

Oct. 10- at Northwestern

Oct. 17- at Michigan

Oct. 24- Iowa

Oct. 31- Ohio State

Nov. 7- at Purdue

Nov. 21- Wisconsin

Nov. 28- at Michigan State

2016

Sept. 1- New Mexico State

Sept. 10- Indiana State

Sept. 17- at Miami (Ohio)

Sept. 24- Colorado State

Oct. 1- at Iowa

Oct. 8- Michigan

Oct. 22- at Nebraska

Oct. 29- Northwestern

Nov. 5- at Ohio State

Nov. 12- Purdue

Nov. 19- at Wisconsin

Nov. 26- Michigan State