The final opponent added to Kansas University’s 2004 football schedule is no cream puff.

“We’re looking forward to playing an opponent from a great conference like the Big 12,” said Toledo coach Tom Amstutz, who is 27-11 in three seasons at the Mid-America Conference school. “We are always striving to play the best opponents in the country that we can. I feel the addition of Kansas gives us another very challenging schedule next year.”

Toledo hasn’t backed down from major-college programs. The Rockets played two Big East teams in 2003, beating Pittsburgh and bowing to Syracuse. They’ll open the 2004 season against a Big Ten foe Sept. 4 at Minnesota before facing Kansas Sept. 11 in Lawrence.

Toledo had won or shared three consecutive MAC West titles and made back-to-back bowl trips before slipping to 8-4 last season, but the Rockets still helped the small conference gain national attention.

On Sept. 20, three MAC teams claimed victories against ranked teams with Marshall winning at No. 6 Kansas State, Toledo defeating No. 9 Pittsburgh and Northern Illinois upending No. 21 Alabama.

Overall, the MAC enjoyed its best season ever. The league claimed five victories against ranked teams, had three teams with 10 or more victories and had two ranked teams.

The Rockets are expected to be solid again in 2004. ESPN already ranked Toledo No. 23 in a preseason poll.

KU coach Mark Mangino has said he would like to schedule as many nonconference games at home as possible — preferably against favorable opponents — while his team is in rebuilding mode, but Toledo won’t be a pushover.

The Jayhawks originally had scheduled Southern Illinois for Sept. 11, but KU was forced to dump that Division I-AA opponent. Teams must win at least six games to become bowl eligible, and the NCAA allows schools to count victories against I-AA opponents only once every other year.

Kansas, which defeated I-AA Jacksonville State last year when it finished 6-7, had nothing to gain from a date with SIU.

Associate athletic director Jim Marchiony said KU was not obligated to reschedule or buy out the Salukis.

“It was in our agreement that if we needed to play a I-A game, we were going to cancel that game,” he said, “so we don’t have to pay them or play them.”

The deal with Toledo is a two-for-one. In 2006, Kansas will play at Toledo, and the Rockets will complete the three-game pact in 2007 at Lawrence.

Marchiony said the financial aspects of the agreement had not yet been finalized.

Kansas will open the 2004 season Sept. 4 at home against Tulsa. The Golden Hurricane are much improved since KU defeated them, 43-33, in 2002 at Tulsa. The Hurricane finished 8-5 last season and are one of eight opponents on the Jayhawks’ schedule that played in a bowl game last season.

“We are looking forward to the challenges of 2004,” Mangino said. “It’s definitely going to be another exciting season in Lawrence.”

After facing Toledo and Tulsa at home, KU will play its third and final nonconference game Sept. 18 at Northwestern. The Wildcats defeated KU, 28-20, in last year’s season opener at Lawrence.

Conference play likely will be even tougher than last year for KU, which replaces Big 12 South opponents Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Baylor with Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma.

The Jayhawks begin league play Sept. 25 when Texas Tech comes to Lawrence. Other Big 12 home games include Kansas State (Oct. 9), Colorado (Nov. 6) and Texas (Nov. 13). KU hits the road for conference games at Nebraska (Oct. 2), Oklahoma (Oct. 23), Iowa State (Oct. 30) and Missouri (Nov. 20).

“Coming off a season in which we made our first bowl appearance since 1995, this will be one of the more challenging schedules in the history of KU football,” KU athletic director Lew Perkins said. “We hope the alumni and fans are excited about getting the quality of teams we have coming to Memorial Stadium, and we hope they will come out to support coach Mangino and his team.”

Start times have not been announced.

• Bowl foes: KU’s opponents coming off bowl appearances are Tulsa (Humanitarian Bowl), Northwestern (Motor City Bowl), Texas Tech (Houston Bowl), Nebraska (Alamo Bowl), Kansas State (Fiesta Bowl), Oklahoma (Sugar Bowl), Texas (Holiday Bowl) and Missouri (Independence Bowl).
• History lesson: Toledo and Kansas have played once before, a 30-7 Jayhawk victory in 1991 at Toledo. Toledo’s athletic director at that time was Al Bohl, who later held the same post at Kansas. The Rockets’ first-year coach was current Missouri coach Gary Pinkel.