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Provo • BYU athletic director Tom Holmoe made a football scheduling announcement on Wednesday, but it was not the one many Cougar fans were hoping for.
Holmoe said BYU has agreed to a future football series with Northern Illinois of the Mid-American Conference. The Huskies will travel to Provo on Oct. 27, 2018 and BYU will travel o DeKalb Ill., on Oct. 24, 2020.
The 2018 matchup will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools.
Northern Illinois played Utah State in the Poinsettia Bowl last winter, falling 21-14 to the Aggies.
Also Wednesday, Holmoe announced that BYU will play host to Idaho State on Oct. 24, 2015.
Northern Illinois is a MAC power, having won at least 11 games in each of the past four seasons while building a 46-10 overall record. The Huskies have won four straight MAC West championships and last year featured quarterback Jordan Lynch, a Heisman Trophy finalist.
It was BYU's first scheduling announcement since a June 5 declaration that it had agreed to a home-and-home deal with UCLA for the 2015 and 2016 seasons.
It has been reported in several places that BYU and Penn State are working on a series; BYU officials do not discuss scheduling agreements until contracts have been signed.