Jacksonville State will open the 2025 season with a Thursday night game at Central Florida, the school announced.

Rich Rodriguez’s Gamecocks and Gus Malzahn’s Knights are set to square off on Aug. 28, 2025, at FBC Mortgage Stadium in Orlando. It’s the first-ever meeting between the two programs in football.

The game at UCF completes Jax State’s 2025 non-conference schedule. The Gamecocks will also play at Georgia Southern on Sept. 13, host Murray State on Sept. 20 and play at Southern Miss on Sept. 27.

Jax State, which went 9-4 and won the New Orleans Bowl in its FBS debut season of 2023, opens the 2024 season at home Aug. 29 (also a Thursday) vs. Coastal Carolina.