UVA schedules Southern Miss in football

By Jay Jenkins
Charlottesville Daily Progress
Published: March 28, 2008

Virginia is heading to the “House That Favre Built” in 2009.  Well, at least to the first house.

On Thursday, Southern Mississippi officials announced that an agreement was in place with Virginia for a home-and-home series in football.

The Cavaliers will travel to Hattiesburg, Miss., on Sept. 19, 2009, and Southern Miss will return the favor, playing in Scott Stadium in 2011.

Jason Gray, senior associate director of athletics at Southern Miss, said he faced a challenge securing opponents and worked hard on the deal with the Cavaliers.  “It’s been interesting,” told reporters. “I’d never done it before. I took as much advice as I could and they weren’t kidding when they said it’s a long process.  “It took me about seven months to get that Virginia game finalized.”

Virginia will be paid, Gray said, about $125,000 to help with travel plans to Southern Miss. UVa will pay the Golden Eagles the same sum in 2011.

Southern Miss, the alma mater of former Green Bay quarterback Brett Favre, went 7-6 last season and lost, 31-21, to Cincinnati in the Papajohns.com Bowl.

The postseason game was the final contest for the Golden Eagles under longtime coach Jeff Bower.  After 17 years at his alma mater, Bower was forced to resign and former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Larry Fedora was tabbed to lead the program.