UNIVERSITY OF RICHMOND, Va. – The intensity of the FCS Playoffs will come early in 2017 for the University of Richmond football team as two of FCS' best programs over the past decade will face off.

The Spiders will visit Sam Houston State for one of their three non-conference matchups on August 31, 2017.

“We're excited about opportunity to play against a tremendous program in Sam Houston State. This is a great game for FCS football as it matches two prominent programs. It will be a national spotlight game to start our 2017 season,” Head Coach Danny Rocco said.

The Bearkats are coached by K.C. Keeler, the former head coach at the University of Delaware for 11 seasons. They have reached advanced the FCS semifinals in four of the past five seasons, twice advancing to the championship game.

Over the past decade, the two programs have combined for 167 total wins, eight conference championships, 10 FCS Playoff appearances and 23 FCS playoff wins over the past decade.

Sam Houston State joins Colgate and Howard as the Spiders' non-conference opponents for the 2017 slate.

This game takes the place of the originally scheduled contest with Boston College.