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Auburn and Kansas State are set for a high-profile non-conference matchup next September, and on Monday, the contest was officially chosen for ESPN's Thursday night TV slot. The Tigers and Wildcats will face off Sept. 18, 2014, and a kickoff time has not yet been determined.
Kansas State is coming off an 8-5 campaign in 2013, finishing the season with a 31-14 win over Michigan in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. After opening with a loss to eventual FCS champion North Dakota State, and getting off to a 2-4 start, the Wildcats won six of their final seven games.
"The chance to host a program like Auburn on ESPN's Thursday night telecast in what will be one of the best non-conference matchups in the country next year is a terrific and unique opportunity for K-State," KSU athletic director John Currie said in a statement released by the school.
It will be the third game of the year for Auburn, following the season opener against Arkansas and a Week 2 matchup against San Jose State. The last time the Tigers played a non-conference Thursday night game was Oct. 23, 2008, when they fell on the road at West Virginia, 34-17. The last SEC Thursday night game for Auburn was Sept. 9, 2010, a 17-14 victory at Mississippi State.
