July 13, 2016
RENO, Nev. - The four-game 2017 non-conference schedule for the Nevada football team has been completed, featuring a pair of home games in September against Toledo and Idaho State, and road games against power-five schools Northwestern and Washington State.
"We are excited about the completion of the 2017 schedule," said fourth-year coach Brian Polian. "The non-conference schedule is challenging as we face two power-five programs on the road. The opener at Northwestern is a great opportunity to take our team to Chicago and compete against a quality Big Ten program, and traveling to Martin Stadium to face Wazzu will be fun. Toledo and Idaho State are solid opponents that we look forward to welcoming to Mackay.
The Wolf Pack opens the 2017 campaign with a trip to Chicago to face Northwestern at Ryan Field in Evanston, Ill., on Sept. 2. Nevada and Northwestern have met twice before with each team winning a home game. The Wolf Pack beat the Wildcats 31-21 in Reno in 2006 before Northwestern returned the favor with a 36-31 victory in Evanston in 2007.
The trip is a homecoming of sorts for a pair of Pack players as junior running back James Butler and redshirt freshman receiver Dominic Christian both call Chicago home.
Nevada will come home for the Mackay Stadium opener on Sept. 9 against Toledo. The Wolf Pack and Rockets faced each other three times in the 1990s, including the first overtime game in Division I-A history - a 40-37 Toledo win in the 1995 Las Vegas Bowl.
The Wolf Pack will stay home at Mackay to face an old foe in Idaho State on Sept. 16. It will be the 30th meeting all-time between the Pack and the Bengals, with Nevada holding an 18-11 edge overall and having won the last 11 meetings in the series. This will be the first matchup since 1991, Nevada's last season in the Big Sky Conference before it transitioned to I-AA (now FBS).
Nevada will then complete the non-conference schedule on the road against Washington State, the first-ever trip by the Pack to Pullman. The Cougars hold a 2-1 lead in the series between the teams but Nevada won the last meeting as the Polian-led Pack topped Washington State 24-13 in Reno in 2014.
Dates for the Mountain West Conference portion of the schedule won't be finalized until next year but the opponents are known. Nevada will play host to Hawai`i, San José State, Air Force and the Battle for the Fremont Cannon against UNLV.
After a two-year hiatus due to conference scheduling protocols, Nevada will resume its series with Boise State in Boise as part of the four MW road tilts. Other road games include Colorado State and West Division foes Fresno State and San Diego State.
"In terms of the conference schedule; we bring Boise, Air Force, and Colorado State back to the schedule and we host our rival, UNLV," Polian said. "It is a great slate overall and should excite the Wolf Pack fan base!"
Nevada and Idaho were previously scheduled to meet in 2017 but that game has been pushed back. The Pack is working with the Vandals to find a mutually acceptable date.
Season tickets for the 2016 season, featuring a newly renovated Mackay Stadium celebrating its 50th season are on sale now. For more information, call (775) 348-PACK or visit NevadaWolfPack.com.
2017 Nevada Football Schedule
| Date | Opponent | Location | |
| Sept. 2 | Northwestern | Evanston, Ill. | |
| Sept. 9 | Toledo | Mackay Stadium | |
| Sept. 16 | Idaho St. | Mackay Stadium | |
| Sept. 23 | Washington St. | Pullman, Wash. | |
MW Home Games: Hawai`i, San Jose State, UNLV, Air Force.
MW Road Games: Fresno State, San Diego State, Boise State, Colorado State
-- @NevadaWolfPack -
