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Rutgers announced today that it will play a four-game series with Temple from 2020 to 2023, filling in one of its three non-conference openings for those seasons.

(Frank H. Conlon/For The Star-Ledger)

Rutgers has started planning for its long-term non-conference football future by agreeing to a four-year series with Temple that will run from 2020 to 2023, the school announced today.

Starting in 2016, Rutgers will have only three non-conference games, with the Big Ten moving to a nine-game league schedule that year.

School officials have maintained they would like to continue to have regional rivalries included in future non-conference scheduling, with Temple and Connecticut the most oft-mentioned opponents.

Under the deal with Temple, Rutgers will host the Owls on Sept. 19, 2020 and Sept. 17, 2022. The games in Philadelphia will be Sept. 11, 2021 and in September of 2023 (at a date to be determined).

The schools meet as conference rivals for the final time on Nov. 2 in Piscataway. Rutgers holds a 20-15 lead in the series.

Rutgers' non-conference schedules beyond 2015 are still being worked on. The non-league opponents next year -- with the Big Ten still at eight league games -- are Washington State, Howard, Navy and Tulane. In 2015, Norfolk State, Washington State, Kansas and Army comprise the non-conference schedule.

Rutgers has filled in just one of its three non-conference slots in 2016 and 2017, with UCLA the opponent both seasons.

In 2018, with Kansas and Miami as non-conference opponents, one opening remains. Rutgers will also play Miami in 2019.

Though Big Ten has said it would prefer that league members no longer schedule FCS opponents starting in 2016 it will not formally prevent schools from doing so. So FCS opponents could appear on Rutgers' schedules in 2016 and beyond.