Nebraska, Tennessee agree to series

Nebraska and Tennessee have agreed to a home-and-home series in football set for 2016 and 2017, the schools announced Thursday.

The Volunteers will visit Lincoln on Sept. 10, 2016, and the Cornhuskers will play in Knoxville on Sept. 9, 2017.

?The University of Tennessee and the University of Nebraska share rich football histories with great coaches, players and fans,? Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton said. ?Knoxville and Lincoln are two of the great college towns and I know our respective fans and teams will look forward to these games with great anticipation.?

The teams have played twice with Nebraska winning both times. They met in the Orange Bowl at the end of the 1997 season and in the Fiesta Bowl to cap the 1999 season.

?This is a series that is great for college football, and one that I know I will be anticipating,? Nebraska athletic director Steve Pederson said. ?Nebraska and Tennessee have two of the best fan bases in college football, and bringing these two traditional powers together in two of the best stadiums in the country is extremely exciting.?

Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer said he respects the Nebraska program.

?I have followed the history of the University of Nebraska since my playing days. Coach (Bob) Devaney and Coach (Tom) Osborne, those were two individuals I followed during my early coaching years at Wichita State and since I have been here at Tennessee,? Fulmer said.

?It should be a great matchup.?