By JASON CORRIHER

Marshall Publicity

 

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Marshall Director of Athletics Mike Hamrick Thursday announced the Thundering Herd and North Carolina State have signed for a home-and-home football series in the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

The teams will meet Sept. 9, 2017, at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C., with a return game at Marshall’s Joan C. Edwards Stadium on Sept. 22, 2018.

N.C. State is the first Atlantic Coast Conference team to sign for a home-and-home series with the Thundering Herd.

New ACC member Louisville is scheduled to play at Marshall in 2016, in a game that is a return for the Herd’s 2011 win at Louisville, then in the old Big East Conference.

State’s trip to Huntington in 2018 also gives Marshall home dates with three power conference teams over four seasons.

Purdue (Big Ten) is scheduled for the Sept. 5, 2015, season opener at Edwards Stadium, and Louisville (ACC) is scheduled to visit Sept. 24, 2016 before the Wolfpack comes to Marshall two seasons later.

“North Carolina State is a very good opponent for us,” Hamrick said, “and it’s an exciting matchup for our football program and for our fans. Our Herd followers will be enthused about the close proximity of the game at State, and will welcome the Wolfpack as a quality attraction here at Edwards Stadium.”

One of Marshall coach Doc Holliday’s previous coaching stops was N.C. State, from 2000-04. The Herd has played the Wolfpack three times during MU’s NCAA Division I-AA days – losses at Carter-Finley Stadium in 1991, ’93 and ’95.

The N.C. State series adds to Marshall’s quality matchups created during Hamrick’s five-plus years as AD at his alma mater.

The Herd has had or will play home-and-homes with Purdue, Louisville, NC State, East Carolina and Navy (through 2022).

Hamrick also has renewed or rekindled series with longtime rivals Ohio and Miami (Ohio) and scheduled former Mid-American Conference foes Akron and Kent State.

“Along with the realignment in Conference USA that brings road games closer to our fans when we visit Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee, Charlotte and Old Dominion, a series with NC State also fits into our regional scheduling desires,” Hamrick said.

The series with N.C. State gives the Herd three non-conference games in 2017 – home dates with Miami (Ohio) and Kent State, and the game at N.C. State.

The 2018 non-league schedule to date includes a game at Miami (Ohio) and home against the Wolfpack.

The Herd opens the 2014 season at Miami (Ohio) on Aug. 30, in a 3:30 p.m. kickoff (ESPN3), and plays the first of six regular-season home games on Sept. 6 against Rhode Island in a 7 p.m. start.