MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The Big 12 Conference Board of Directors announced Monday evening that the league will play a 10-game schedule featuring nine conference games plus one nonconference home matchup.

The start of conference play will be solidified in the coming weeks, with an anticipated start sometime between mid-to-late September, with the expectation that nonconference games are contested prior to the beginning of league games.

The model also gives the conference flexibility to move back the Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship game to Dec. 12 or 19.

"The decision by the Big 12 Conference Board of Directors is an important one because now we can move forward." WVU Director of Athletics Shane Lyons said. "We lost the Florida State game in Atlanta so that put us in a transition period. We will have a 10-game schedule, and we will get it finalized with the Big 12 and announced to our fans in the coming days."

Previously, WVU's season opener was scheduled for Sept. 5 against Florida State in Atlanta, but that game has been canceled.

Ticket purchasers for the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against Florida State will have the opportunity to convert their payment to a tax-deductible contribution to the Mountaineer Athletic Club in support of the student-athlete scholarship fund, or credit the amount to a future ticket purchase by logging on to https://wvuga.me/CFATix. No login action is required for customers who wish to receive a refund. A credit will be placed on the original card used for the purchase beginning the week of Aug. 10.

WVU Athletics will continue to work with the appropriate University, local and state officials to determine game day attendance numbers and percentages allowed in Milan Puskar Stadium for the season. Finalized plans will be announced at a later date when completed