In a joint release with the University of Iowa, it was announced Middle Tennessee and Iowa will meet in football during the 2019 season. The Blue Raiders will receive a guarantee of $1.55 million to play the game.

The Blue Raiders will travel on Sept. 28 to face the Hawkeyes for the first time in school history. Iowa went 8-5 last season with a win over No. 2 ranked Michigan, while competing against Florida in the Outback Bowl. Hawkeye Kirk Ferentz has been the head coach for 18 years and ranks second nationally for longest-tenured head coaches, while the Blue Raiders' Rick Stockstill is seventh on the list.

MTSU has played the Big Ten six times during its history. The Blue Raiders have faced Illinois three times, Minnesota twice and Purdue once. The Blue Raiders will meet the Golden Gophers a third time in 2017.

The Blue Raiders will also host Duke in 2019 on Sept. 14. Two more non-conference games will be announced at a later date.