2004 Univ. of Northern Colorado Football Schedule

University of Northern Colorado Director of Athletics Jim Fallis has announced the 2004 football schedule. The Bears' 2004 slate features six home games and five road games. The Bears will be in their second year of a four-year reclassification period in 2004 as UNC moves from Division II to Division I-AA football.

The Bears will also be playing their first season in the newly-formed Great West Football Conference. The conference was formed on Feb. 25 and includes UNC, Cal Poly, UC Davis, North Dakota State, South Dakota State and Southern Utah.

UNC will begin the season with its Hall of Fame Weekend against North Dakota State on Sept. 4. The Bears and Bison are former North Central Conference members and will initiate play in the Great West Conference with a noon kickoff at Nottingham Field. NDSU leads the all-time series 21-7. NDSU went 8-3 overall and 5-2 in the North Central Conference in 2003.

UNC will travel to Orono, Maine, on Sept. 11 to take on the Maine Black Bears. This will be the first meeting between the two schools on the gridiron. Maine finished the 2003 season with an overall record of 7-5 and 5-4 in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

The Bears will return home on Sept. 18 to battle Idaho State University. The Bengals defeated the Bears, 42-33, on Sept. 13, 2003, in Pocatello, Idaho. Idaho State leads the all-time series, 15-6. Idaho State completed the 2003 season with an overall record of 8-4 and 4-3 in the Big Sky Conference. The Bengals ended the season ranked No. 22 in the I-AA media poll.

The Montana Grizzlies come calling on Sept. 25 in Missoula, Mont., as the Bears travel to Washington-Grizzly Stadium for the second time in three seasons. Montana defeated UNC, 31-14, on Sept. 14, 2002. Montana leads the all-time series, 4-1. Montana reached the NCAA I-AA playoffs in 2003 before falling to Western Illinois in the first round, 43-40. Montana tallied a 9-4 overall record in 2003, including a share of the Big Sky Conference with a league mark of 5-2.

The Bears jump right back into Great West Football Conference play against UC Davis on Oct. 2 at Nottingham Field. UNC scored a 35-28 victory over the Aggies in the schools' first ever meeting on Nov. 22, 2003. UC Davis posted a record of 6-4 in their first year of a four-year transition to I-AA.

UNC will make its first trip ever to the state of Louisiana to take on Southeastern Louisiana University. The Lions are coached by former Kentucky head coach Hal Mumme. Southeastern Louisiana went 5-7 in its first season of football since the 1985 season. This will be the first meeting between the two schools.

The Bears' Homecoming contest will be against Florida Atlantic. The Owls competed as a I-AA team in 2003 and reached the semifinals in the I-AA playoffs. FAU ended the season ranked No. 4 in the national polls with an overall record of 11-3. Florida Atlantic edged UNC, 21-19, in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., on Oct. 18, 2003. Florida Atlantic will compete as a I-A squad in the 2004 season.

UNC will travel to Huntsville, Texas, on Oct. 23 to take on the Sam Houston State University Bearkats. It will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools on the football field. Sam Houston State posted a mark of 2-9 in the 2003, including a 1-4 record in the Southland Conference.

UNC will have on open date on Oct. 30 before closing the season with three straight Great West Conference contests.

The Bears will play host to the Southern Utah University Thunderbirds on Nov. 6 at Nottingham Field. The Bears scored a 29-25 win over the Thunderbirds on Nov. 8, 2003, in Cedar City, Utah, in the first-ever meeting between the two schools. Southern Utah went 4-7 in 2003.

UNC will make its only road trip in Great West Football Conference play on Nov. 13 when the Bears travel to San Luis Obispo, Calif., to battle the Cal Poly Mustangs. Cal Poly holds a 4-2 all-time series lead with UNC. Cal Poly posted a 7-4 record in 2003 competing as a I-AA independent.

UNC will close the season at home against another long-time North Central Conference foe in South Dakota State University. UNC leads the all-time series, 18-13. The Jackrabbits are also making the move from Division II to Division I-AA and are members of the Great West Football Conference. South Dakota State recorded a mark of 7-4 and 4-3 in the North Central Conference.

The 2003 combined records for UNC's opponents in 2004 is 74-54.

2004 University of Northern Colorado Football Schedule