State College, Pa. - July 18, 2000 - The Penn State men's soccer team will have a total of nine home dates this year, including a rematch with defending national champion Indiana, as the 2000 Nittany Lion soccer schedule has been announced.

Penn State will open the season at the first of three Nike Classics. Penn State will battle Vermont and New Hampshire in the New Hampshire Nike Classic on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 2 and 3. The Lions then host St. Bonaventure in their home opener on Friday, Sept. 8, at 7 p.m. A road game at Villanova follows.

The Nittany Lions will host its own Nike Classic on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 15 and 16. Ohio State will battle Virginia Commonwealth in the tournament's first game on Friday and the Lions will face the College of Charleston in Friday's nightcap, set for 7 p.m. OSU and Charleston battle on Saturday and PSU faces VCU on Saturday at 7 p.m. in the tourney closer.

Penn State will visit Michigan to open up the Big Ten slate on Sat., Sept. 23, in the first-ever Big Ten game between Penn State and Michigan, which added the sport this year. A road date with Akron follows. Then, defending conference and national champion Indiana will visit Jeffrey Field for the first time since 1996 for a 7 p.m. match on Friday, Sept. 29.

The Nittany Lions host South Carolina on Oct. 1, travel to Northwestern (Oct. 6) and Wisconsin (Oct. 8) in Big Ten play, then host Cornell on Oct. 12. Ohio State (Oct. 15) and Michigan State (Oct. 22) visit Happy Valley to close out the Big Ten regular season schedule. Penn State will then travel to Ohio State for the Buckeyes' Nike Classic, battling Cincinnati and Kentucky on Oct. 27 and 29. A road trip to Hartwick on Nov. 4 closes out the regular season schedule. Ohio State will host this year's Big Ten Tournament on Nov. 9-12 with the tourney winner receiving an automatic bid to the NCAA national championship tournament.

Penn State is coming off a 19-4-1 season that saw it advance to the NCAA quarterfinals before falling to Indiana. The Nittany Lions return 1999 Soccer America national player of the year Ricardo Villar (Sao Paolo, Brazil).