Toledo, Ohio – The University of Toledo's 2019 football schedule was released today, with six games on the home slate for the Rockets. Toledo opens the season at Kentucky on Aug. 31 and debuts at home on Sept. 14 vs. Murray State.
 
        Highlighting the home schedule is a Sept. 28 matchup with traditional power Brigham Young University. The Rockets and the Cougars met in a high-scoring classic in Provo in 2016, with BYU coming away with a 55-53 victory on a last-second field goal.
 
        The Rockets will also host defending Mid-American Conference champion Northern Illinois in a Wednesday night meeting on Nov. 13. Rounding out the home schedule is a matchup vs. Western Michigan on Oct. 5 in the annual Homecoming Game; an Oct. 26 date with Eastern Michigan; and a clash with Kent State on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
 
        Toledo's road schedule begins with its first-ever meeting on the gridiron with Kentucky. The Wildcats were 10-3 in 2018, their best season since the 1977 squad went 10-1. UT's other non-conference road contest is at Colorado State of the Mountain West Conference on Sept. 21. The MAC road games are Oct. 12 at Bowling Green, Oct. 19 at Ball State, Nov. 20 at defending East Division champion Buffalo, and Nov. 29 at Central Michigan.
 
        Three games on the 2019 schedule have already been set for national TV broadcasts: Nov. 5 vs. Kent State (ESPN2/ESPNU or CBS Sports Network), Nov. 13 vs. Northern Illinois (ESPN2 or ESPNU), and Buffalo (ESPN2 or ESPNU). Other dates will be added to the broadcast schedule later.
 
            Head Coach Jason Candle's 2019 squad returns 51 letterwinners and 14 starters from last season's squad, including sophomore running back Bryant Koback, who led the Rockets with 917 yards rushing as a freshman. The Rockets were 7-6 in 2018, and are one of only nine schools in the FBS that have had a winning record in each of the past nine seasons.
 
            Rocket fans can get a preview of the 2019 team at the annual spring scrimmage on Friday, April 12 at 7:00 p.m. at the Glass Bowl.
 
            The 2019 season will also mark the 150^th anniversary of the first college football game between Rutgers and Princeton on Nov. 6, 1869. To commemorate the occasion, UT will feature social media posts all season long highlighting the tradition of Toledo Football. In addition, a special celebration of Rocket Football history will take place at the Nov. 5 game vs. Kent State.
 
        Rocket football season tickets are on sale now for as low as $70. For more information, go online at UTRockets.com or call 419-530-GOLD (4653) or stop by the UT Athletic Ticket Office during business hours.