The two schools will play in the Cowboys Classic on Sept. 2, 2017, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the schools announced Thursday.

“We are excited to make a return trip to Dallas for the Cowboys Classic against Florida,” Michigan coach Brady Hoke said in a statement. “This is a great way to reach our fan base in the south and to continue to expand our recruiting efforts in the state of Texas. Our goal is to have as many Michigan fans at the game as possible.

Florida will be the home team in the third all-time matchup between the two schools and the first regular-season game. Michigan beat Florida in the 2003 Outback Bowl and in the 2008 Capital One Bowl.

“You don’t get these opportunities very often,” Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said. “Our schedule has been pretty consistent through the years. We were presented this opportunity and just thought it was something that our fans would embrace, our program would embrace.”

Michigan finished this season 7-5 and plays Kansas State on Dec. 28 in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. Florida finished 4-8.


HOKIES-BOILERMAKERS IN 2015; IRISH GAME MOVED


Maybe Virginia Tech should be made an honorary member of the Big Ten.

On Thursday, it was announced that the Hokies will play Purdue on Sept. 19, 2015 in West Lafayette, Ind., in the first meeting between the two schools. The Boilermakers will visit Blacksburg, Va., on Sept. 9, 2023.

The scheduling news for the Hokies follows a recent trend of dates with Big Ten schools in the future. Virginia Tech will play Ohio State in 2014 and 2015, Wisconsin (2019-20), Michigan (2020-21) and Penn State (2022-23).

“This is another opportunity for Virginia Tech to play a Big Ten series and we’re looking forward to the games,” Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver said Thursday.

In other Purdue scheduling news, the school announced that the Boilermakers’ game next season against Notre Dame will be Sept. 13 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis instead of in South Bend. It will remain a home game for the Fighting Irish.

“We are excited to bring the great instate rivalry game to Indianapolis next season,” Purdue AD Morgan Burke said.


HARSIN ADDS COORDINATORS AT BOISE


New Boise State coach Bryan Harsin has filled two key coaching vacancies on offense and defense.

Harsin announced this week that former Broncos assistant Marcel Yates will return to be the defensive coordinator. On the other side of the ball, Harsin tapped former Boise State quarterback Mike Sanford Jr. to be the offensive coordinator.

Yates played defensive back at Boise State and joined the coaching staff from 2003 to 2011 before taking the job of co-defensive coordinator at Texas A&M.

Sanford was a backup through 2004 and has spent the last three years at Stanford, where he coached receivers and quarterbacks. This year he served as the team's recruiting coordinator.

Harsin praised both as savvy coaches and recruiters.

So far, Harsin has officially announced the hiring of four assistants.


ARKANSAS STATE HIRES COACH


Blake Anderson has made a habit of breaking records in his two seasons as the offensive coordinator at North Carolina.

The 43-year-old hopes to bring his style of up-tempo football — along with a healthy dose of stability — to Arkansas State.

Anderson was introduced as new coach of the Red Wolves on Thursday, becoming the school's fifth head coach in five seasons.

"I am absolutely completely honored and thrilled to be here," Anderson said. "... You cannot imagine how excited I am and my family (is) to be here."

The Red Wolves (7-5) won at least a share of the Sun Belt Conference championship for the third straight season this year — all under different head coaches. Auburn coach Gus Malzahn left Arkansas State after one season last year, just as Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze had done a year earlier.

Arkansas State athletic director Terry Mohajir said the coaching turnover played a large factor in in Anderson's contract, a five-year, $700,000 annual agreement that includes a buyout of $3 million for the first two years. The buyout tapers to $2 million in the third and fourth years, and then to $1 million in the final year.

Harsin had a $1.75-million buyout in the first year of his contract, and Mohajir said Anderson — who said he was born in Arkansas — had no objections to the hefty clause.

"Although we want to continue moment and success, we want to create stability as well," Mohajir said.

Defensive coordinator John Thompson will serve as the interim coach when Arkansas State faces Ball State in the GoDaddy Bowl on Jan. 5. Anderson said he plans to start with the Red Wolves following the Tar Heels' bowl game against Cincinnati in the Belk Bowl on Dec. 28.

Contributors: Ken Bradley, The Associated Press