AZUSA, Calif. -- Azusa Pacific’s 40th season of intercollegiate football will certainly be one of the most interesting and entertaining in program history.

In the fall of 2004, the Cougars will play its first-ever 11-game schedule that will also feature a first-ever Friday-night game. Included in this 11-game slate are 6 new opponents, 4 traditional foes and the renewing of one of the NAIA’s best cross-sectional rivalries.

For the eighth straight year, Azusa Pacific opens a new campaign against the University of San Diego as the 2 programs meet for the 35th consecutive season. The Toreros visit the Canyon City for a 6 p.m. game on Sept. 4.

The following week, Azusa Pacific travels to Chicago to renew its rivalry with NAIA power Olivet Nazarene. Azusa Pacific and Olivet Nazarene first met in Azusa in 1998 with the Cougars taking a 31-24 decision after stopping the Tigers at the goal line on the final play of the game. The 2 teams then faced each other again at the end of the season in the NAIA championship game in which Azusa Pacific rallied for a 17-14 title victory. Nine months later the 2 title contenders squared off in an early season 1999 contest in Illinois with the Cougars taking a 21-14 decision. The 2 powers haven’t met since then.

Humboldt State and Azusa Pacific meet for the 14th straight year when the Lumberjacks come to Azusa on Sept. 18. The Cougars head north the following week to visit traditional NAIA power Southern Oregon on Sept. 25.

Two-time defending NAIA champion Carroll College of Helena, Mont., makes its first-ever visit to Azusa Pacific on Oct. 2. It marks the first time ever that Azusa Pacific has played a defending NAIA champion.

The following week, Azusa Pacific begins a 4-week road trip like nothing before in program history. The Cougars visit NCAA Division III member Chapman University of Orange, Calif., on Oct. 9.

The Cougars then make first-ever trips to San Antonio, Texas; Silver City, N.M.; and La Grande, Ore., to take on Trinity University (Oct. 16), Western New Mexico (Oct. 23) and Eastern Oregon (Oct. 30).

To open the month of November, Azusa Pacific returns home to host NAIA member Crown College of Minnesota (Nov. 6). The Cougars then finish off the regular when Valley City State College of South Dakota comes to Southern California for a first-ever Friday night game for Azusa Pacific on Nov. 12.

Just 7 years ago in 1996 Azusa Pacific played a 10-game schedule without leaving the California boundaries. This fall, however, the Cougars are playing 8 schools from outside the Golden State and they are visiting 5 of them.

Click here to view the complete 2004 Cougar football schedule.