Aug. 12, 2008

DAVIS, Calif. - UC Davis will face Fresno State in football for the first since 1952 when the Aggies travel to face the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Bulldogs in 2009, it was announced on Tuesday.

Next season's matchup will be played Sept. 5 at Bulldog Stadium which has a capacity of 41,031. Fresno State has won nearly 80 percent of its games at the stadium, posting an impressive 122-30-2 record since its opening in 1980.

The Bulldogs have won seven straight games in the all-time series against UC Davis and own an 11-5-1 advantage overall. The teams first played in 1922 and faced each other 15 times over the next 17 seasons before taking a break until 1951. Fresno State won the most recent game, 41-7 in 1952. The Aggies' last win in the series came 3-0 in 1932.

UC Davis, which opens this season at Div. I FBS member San Jose State on Aug. 30, has played a team at collegiate football's highest level each season since 2005 when it upset Stanford, 20-17. The Aggies played at TCU in 2006 and at San Jose State last season. UC Davis is receiving a $225,000 game guarantee for next year's game at Fresno State.

The Aggies will play 12 games this season, including six at home. The 2008 home-opener at Aggie Stadium will be on Sept. 13. Kickoff is 7 p.m.