The UMass football team has found a second opponent.
The athletic department announced Monday that the Minutemen will visit Marshall on Nov. 7. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. in Huntington, West Virginia.
UMass and Marshall informally agreed to the game two weeks ago. The school signed the contact on Monday.
“Been in the works for weeks,” UMass Director of Athletics Ryan Bamford said.
UMass will received $100,000 for the game, according to Bamford.
UMass lost its opener, 41-0, to Georgia Southern on Saturday. Bamford said he expects to play one or two more games after Marshall.
The Thundering Herd (4-0) are ranked No. 22 in The Associated Press Top 25 and No. 25 in the Amway/USA Today Coaches Poll.
“With so much uncertainty this season, we’re just trying to give our fan base as many opportunities as possible to see the Thundering Herd,” Marshall Director of Athletics Mike Hamrick said in a statement. “We’re happy to welcome UMass to Huntington next month.”
UMass and Marshall have a brief history. The programs met only once, on Sept. 8, 2001. The Herd beat the then-Division I-AA Minutemen, 28-20. Marshall was in its fourth year at the FBS level in 2001. UMass is in its eighth year at the FBS level now.
Marshall’s quarterback at the time was Byron Leftwich, who is now the offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, calling the shots for Tom Brady.
Mike Moran can be reached at mmoran@gazettenet.com. Follow on Twitter @mikemoranDHG.
