May 22, 2013
GREENVILLE, N.C. - East Carolina and future Conference USA member Old Dominion will initiate its football series two years early by opening the 2013 season at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium according to a joint announcement by both schools Friday.
The Pirates and Monarchs will kick off the campaign on Aug. 31 in the first-ever meeting between the two programs that are separated by only 120 miles. ODU will join C-USA for all sports beginning in the 2013-14 season, with the exception of football, which will move up to the Football Bowl Series (FBS) level for conference competition in the 2015 season.
Dates of the 2015 and future matchups between ECU and ODU as league opponents will be announced annually as part of C-USA's master schedule.
In order to add Old Dominion to its 2013 schedule, East Carolina's one-game contract to host The Citadel next Sept. 21 was officially terminated via mutual agreement by both of the latter institutions.
