Ohio State adds Arkansas State, San Jose State and Western Kentucky to future football schedules
![Ohio State added three nonconference home games in 2022 and '23, against Arkansas State, San Jose State and Western Kentucky. [Brooke LaValley/Dispatch]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/2019/08/22/NBUX/ghows-OH-90b8bfec-8140-0ada-e053-0100007f66c6-cf47f028.jpeg?width=660&height=440&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Ohio State completed its football schedules through the 2023 season by announcing Thursday the opponents for three open dates.
The Buckeyes will play Arkansas State on Sept. 10, 2022, in Ohio Stadium. It will be the first meeting between Ohio State and the Red Wolves.
In 2023, Ohio State’s home opener will be against San Jose State on Sept. 9, following the Buckeyes’ season opener at Indiana. Western Kentucky will come to Ohio Stadium on Sept. 16.
All three opponents will receive $1.8 million from Ohio State.
None is a marquee program, but finding opponents willing to come to Ohio Stadium isn’t always easy.
“It's always challenging,” said OSU deputy director of athletics Diana Sabau, who oversees football. “We want to make sure that it's a good fit for our fans, a good fit for our student-athletes, a good fit for our coaches.
“Each year, we want to make sure we have a national opponent that is exciting for our fans, and we've done that in those years. And then we need to make sure that we have balance in our schedule.”
Ohio State has home-and-home series with Oregon starting next season and then with Notre Dame in 2022 and '23. The Buckeyes will have eight home games in 2022 but only six in 2023.
Ohio State played San Jose State once before. The Buckeyes won 50-7 on Oct. 12, 2002.
Ohio State has never played Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers were a Division I-AA power, winning the 2002 Division I-AA national title before moving up to FBS. They won the Conference USA championship in 2014 and ‘15 under current Purdue coach Jeff Brohm.
“We’re very excited,” said Western Kentucky athletic director Todd Stewart, a Cincinnati native. “I would say with the exception of Alabama, it would be the most prominent program we’ve ever played.
“It’s less than 350 miles away, so our fans can get there. Certainly, to play a program of that magnitude and at such a historic venue will be a very special day for us.”
The full schedules for this season and the next four seasons are:
2019
Aug. 31: Florida Atlantic, noon (Fox)
Sept. 7: Cincinnati, noon (ABC)
Sept. 14: at Indiana, noon (Fox)
Sept. 21: Miami University, time TBA (BTN)
Sept. 28: at Nebraska, TBA
Oct. 5: Michigan State, 7:30 p.m. (ABC/ESPN)
Oct. 12: Off
Oct. 18: at Northwestern, 8:30 p.m. (FS1)
Oct. 26: Wisconsin, TBA
Nov. 2: Off
Nov. 9: Maryland, TBA
Nov. 16: at Rutgers, TBA
Nov. 23: Penn State, TBA
Nov. 30: at Michigan, noon (Fox)
Dec. 7: Big Ten Championship
2020
Sept. 5: Bowling Green
Sept. 12: at Oregon
Sept. 19: Buffalo
Sept. 26: Rutgers
Oct. 3: Off
Oct. 10: Iowa
Oct. 17: at Michigan State
Oct. 24: at Penn State
Oct. 31: Nebraska
Nov. 7: Indiana
Nov. 14: at Maryland
Nov. 21: at Illinois
Nov. 28: Michigan
Dec. 5: Big Ten Championship
2021
Sept. 4: at Minnesota
Sept. 11: Oregon
Sept. 18: Tulsa
Sept. 25: Akron
Oct. 2: at Nebraska
Oct. 9: Purdue
Oct. 16: Off
Oct. 23: at Rutgers
Oct. 30: Michigan State
Nov. 6: at Indiana
Nov. 13: Maryland
Nov. 20: Penn State
Nov. 27: at Michigan
Dec. 4: Big Ten Championship
2022
Sept. 3: Notre Dame
Sept. 10: Arkansas State
Sept. 17: Toledo
Sept. 24: at Michigan State
Oct. 1: at Penn State
Oct. 8: Rutgers
Oct. 15: Iowa
Oct. 22: Off
Oct. 29: Indiana
Nov. 5: at Northwestern
Nov. 12: Wisconsin
Nov. 19: at Maryland
Nov. 26: Michigan
Dec. 3: Big Ten Championship
2023
Sept. 2: at Indiana
Sept. 9: San Jose State
Sept. 16: Western Kentucky
Sept. 23: at Notre Dame
Sept. 30: Off
Oct. 7: Maryland
Oct. 14: at Purdue
Oct. 21: Penn State
Oct. 28: at Wisconsin
Nov. 4: at Rutgers
Nov. 11: Michigan State
Nov. 18: Minnesota
Nov. 25: at Michigan
Dec. 2: Big Ten Championship
brabinowitz@dispatch.com
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