The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team will travel to Southeastern Conference opponent LSU in the 2017 season.
The Mocs will travel to Baton Rouge, La., on Sept. 9, 2017, for the game, and will receive $500,000 as a result.
UTC head coach Russ Huesman spoke recently about the benefits of playing top-level competition. The Mocs, who had their first practice Monday afternoon, play at Florida State this season, Alabama in 2016 and Kentucky in 2018.
"The money is huge. It's critical for our program," Coach Huesman said. "It gives the players on campus an opportunity to go against programs they might have wanted to attend when they were growing up. It's important for them to get that opportunity, so it'll be cool. It'll be cool for the fans, and the game-day atmosphere is cool."
The teams have faced once before, a 26-19 win by the Tigers in 1954.
UTC will have its second practice of the fall Tuesday morning at 6:30.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.