James Crepea

Montgomery Advertiser

AUBURN -- FCS games will continue on the Plains for the foreseeable future.

Auburn will host Mercer of the Southern Conference during the 2017 season, the FCS program announced Thursday.

"We are excited about the challenge of facing one of the top teams in the Southeastern Conference in 2017," Mercer coach Bobby Lamb said in a statement. "This is a great opportunity to test ourselves against a FBS power in one of the best stadiums in the country."

The game will be Nov. 18, 2017, presumably the week before the Iron Bowl, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

Auburn's only other scheduled game in 2017 is at Clemson on Sept. 9 and the Tigers will host Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Georgia and Alabama and travel to Arkansas, LSU, Missouri and Texas A&M in SEC play.

Mercer and Auburn have met 11 times dating back to 1896, though they have not met since 1922.