MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - West Virginia University Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Oliver Luck has announced today that FedEx Field (91,704), home of the Washington Redskins, will host the Mountaineers and James Madison in a football game on Sept. 15, 2012.

The game marks the first time that West Virginia will play at FedEx Field. The Mountaineers are guaranteed $2.3 million for the game, which would allow the department to net at least $500,000 more than a game at Milan Puskar Stadium. In addition, WVU could receive additional revenue in potential incentives based on game attendance.

The Mountaineers will have no ticket purchase requirement for the neutral site contest, no game or stadium operations expenses and minimal travel cost.

“This is a great opportunity for our football program to play in the Washington, D.C. market,” Luck says. “Our players will have a chance to play in an impressive NFL stadium, located in an area where we have a growing and passionate fan base. Our University also has drawn numerous students from that area for many years.

“With the ever-changing world of college football and with BIG EAST expansion, it is not a given that we will be able to schedule seven home games every year. This game gives us a chance to make significant revenue over and above a typical home game, while keeping expenses at a minimum.

"Also, it is important to note that we will be playing a quality FCS opponent, who won the NCAA Division I-AA national championship in 2004. JMU certainly has a following in the D.C. market, and we are not responsible for a guarantee to them, which makes this neutral site game even more attractive.”

The 2012 event marks the second meeting all-time with James Madison, as WVU defeated the Dukes, 45-10, in Morgantown, on Sept. 25, 2004. The Mountaineers went on to an 8-4 record that season, while JMU won the I-AA national title.

The Mountaineers enter the 2011 season with a 24-19 mark in stadiums that also house professional football teams. WVU will play in Cincinnati’s Paul Brown Stadium and Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium (both current NFL stadiums) this year as part of BIG EAST road contests. The Mountaineers also will face BYU in 2016 at FedEx Field.