Newly appointed Head Football Coach Keith Burns will face a 12-game schedule in his first season, as The University of Tulsa announced today its football schedule for the 2000 campaign.

The Hurricane will face three 1999 bowl participants -- Fresno State, Hawaii and TCU -- one of the nation's winningest programs in the 1990s -- North Carolina -- and cross-state rival Oklahoma State. Tulsa will play six home games, including two in each month of the season.

"This schedule is one that offers great challenges, and certainly we'll match up well when we get into conference play," said Burns. "The home schedule is solid with Oklahoma State and Louisiana Tech in non-conference play plus the four WAC opponents. I'm excited about showing our fans a new brand of Tulsa football."

Tulsa opens the 2000 campaign on the road at North Carolina on Sept. 2. The Tar Heels were one of the nation's most successful teams in the 1990s, posting a 5-2 record in bowl games. The 1997 season was the best for the Tar Heels, registering an 11-1 mark and finishing fourth in the nation. In 1999, UNC suffered through an injury-riddled 3-8 season. This will be the first-ever meeting between the two teams.

The Hurricane returns home a week later to host turnpike rival Oklahoma State on Sept. 9. Tulsa looks to avenge a road loss from this past season against the Cowboys. The last time OSU came to Skelly Stadium in 1998, the Hurricane posted a 35-20 victory. Since the team's first met in 1914, OSU leads the series 35-28-5.

Western Athletic Conference road games at Rice (Sept. 16) and Hawaii (Sept. 30) sandwiches a non-league home matchup against future WAC member Louisiana Tech on Sept. 23.

Rice holds a 4-0-1 series advantage against the Hurricane. The Owls finished the 1999 season with a 5-6 record, and a 4-3 league mark.

Tulsa has faced Louisiana Tech four times previously and are still looking for their first victory in the series. The last meeting came in 1995 at Independence Bowl Stadium in Shreveport, La., when the Bulldogs captured a 27-23 win. In 1999, Louisiana Tech missed a bowl game opportunity but managed to record an 8-3 mark, including a 29-28 victory over SEC Champion Alabama.

Hawaii, 8-4 on the season and co-champions in the WAC, was the nation's most improved team in 1999 and will play Oregon State in the Oahu Bowl on Dec. 25. The Rainbows won eight games under first-year head coach June Jones after posting an 0-11 record in 1998. Hawaii holds a 2-1 series advantage over the Hurricane, including a 35-21 victory this past season.

The month of October brings two conference opponents to Tulsa, while the Hurricane will play two road games as well.

Tulsa and UTEP, 5-7 in the 1999 season, square off on Oct. 7 at Skelly Stadium. The Hurricane registered a 43-19 victory against the Miners last season in El Paso, but UTEP holds a 3-1 series edge in games played at Skelly Stadium.

The Hurricane will take a break from league play and travel to Las Cruces, New Mexico to face the New Mexico State Aggies on Oct. 14. Tulsa has a 15-2 series lead against the Aggies. The two teams last played in 1990 with Tulsa capturing a 35-10 victory in Las Cruces, as Tulsa's Mark Brus set the school's single-game rushing record of 312 yards in that game. NMSU posted a 6-5 record in the 1999 season.

The last two games in the month of October will come against 1999 WAC Co-Champions, TCU (Oct. 21) and Fresno State (Oct. 28). The Horned Frogs, Mobile Alabama Bowl participants in 1999, will visit Skelly Stadium, while Fresno State will host the Hurricane a week later.

TCU, which plays Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl on Dec. 18, leads the series against Tulsa, 12-5, while Fresno State won the first meeting in the series this past season, 28-14. Fresno State completed the 1999 regular season with an 8-4 record, while
TCU posted a regular season mark of 7-4.

Tulsa will have an open date on the first Saturday of November before travelling to face the SMU Mustangs on Nov. 11. SMU handed Tulsa a 28-14 defeat in the 1999 season finale, and has a 5-2 series advantage against the Hurricane.

Tulsa will close out the regular season with two home games. First, San Jose State visits Skelly Stadium on Nov. 18 as Tulsa looks to even the series at one win apiece against the Spartans. WAC newcomer Nevada, 3-8 during the 1999 campaign, will close out the regular season for the Hurricane on Nov. 25.

Game times will be announced at a later date.