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For an unprecedented fifth consecutive year, San Jose State University football from Spartan Stadium will be shown on network television when the Spartans host the University of Nevada in an ESPN telecast, Sunday, November 8, in a Western Athletic Conference (WAC) contest.

The home game with the Wolf Pack has a 5:15 p.m. (PST) kickoff time, is one of six games from Spartan Stadium on the 2009 schedule and is the WAC’s Sunday showcase game of the season on ESPN.

“The opportunity for San Jose State football to appear for a fifth consecutive year on a national broadcast is a true testament to Coach Tomey, the coaching staff and the student-athletes, who for the last five years have dedicated themselves to building a competitive and highly-respected football program,” says San Jose State director of athletics Tom Bowen.

“I’m glad our 2009 schedule is finalized. We have a very ambitious non-conference schedule that will help our team prepare for a rigorous WAC schedule. Our program and the WAC continue to grow and we look forward to the 2009 season,” says Dick Tomey, the Spartans head coach, now in his fifth season.

San Jose State’s home schedule for the coming season features four teams that played in 2008 bowl games and starts with Sugar Bowl champion Utah, the only team with an undefeated record last season, in the September 12 home opener. Cal Poly, a 2008 Football Championship Division playoff team, follows on September 26.

The Spartans open conference action at home against Idaho on October 10 followed by the Sunday game against Nevada. Hawaii on November 21 and New Mexico State on November 28 close out the games from Spartan Stadium.

In all, San Jose State faces eight opponents that competed in post-season action last year. The Spartans are the only Football Bowl Subdivision school to face two Bowl Championship Series winners from last season when they open the season at the University of Southern California on September 5. The team’s fourth non-conference opponent is nearby Stanford, for the 64th time since 1900.

Like the 2008 season, San Jose State does not play conference road contests on successive weekends. The Spartans head to Fresno State for an October 17 game and have a bye week before facing WAC champion Boise State in Boise on October 31. Games at Utah State on November 14 and Louisiana Tech on December 5 complete the regular season schedule.

NOTES: San Jose State will play its first Sunday home game since a November 8, 1942 shutout Homecoming win over San Diego State....From 1979 through 1983, the Spartans had seven network television appearances, but only one from Spartan Stadium...The 2009 ESPN game with Nevada is the eighth network appearance for the Spartans since Dick Tomey took over as head coach...The WAC has previous Sunday showcase games on ESPN in 2006 and 2007...Under terms of the WAC-ESPN TV agreement, San Jose State can be assigned TV games on ESPNU at a later date...The December 5 end of the regular season is the latest ending date for a San Jose State football team since 1947 when the Spartans won two games against Hawaii club teams on December 3 and 10.