By Shelly Poe for MSNsportsNET.com

March 16, 2004

MORGANTOWN , W.Va.West Virginia University and the BIG EAST have announced the 2004 football schedule.

The Mountaineers open the 2004 slate at home on Saturday, September 4, when WVU plays host to East Carolina. Other home games are against Maryland, James Madison, Syracuse, Temple and Boston College. Road contests are at Central Florida, Virginia Tech, Connecticut, Rutgers and Pitt. The games with Connecticut, Syracuse and Pitt, all night contests, will be nationally televised by ESPN or ESPN2 . The Syracuse date will be established in the next few weeks.

Obviously, this is an exciting schedule,says WVU coach Rich Rodriguez.We look to have six or seven games that will be nationally televised, but these are the type of games our fans will want to see in person. We have another midweek night game on ESPN , which is great for our fans and for our team. This schedule should be an exciting challenge for our program.

2004 Football Schedule

Sat., Sept. 4, East Carolina, Home

Sat., Sept. 11, at Central Florida, Orlando, Fla.

Sat., Sept. 18, Maryland, Home (ParentsDay)

Sat., Sept. 25, James Madison, Home

Sat., Oct. 2, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Wed., Oct. 13, Connecticut, East Hartford, Conn.

Weds/Thur, Oct. 20/21, Syracuse, Home

Sat., Oct. 30, Rutgers, Piscataway, N.J.

Sat., Nov. 6, Temple, Home (Homecoming)

Sat., Nov. 13, Boston College, Home (Mountaineer Week)

Thur., Nov. 25, Pitt, Pittsburgh, Pa.