The 2017 Indiana football season will begin on a Thursday.

IU and Ohio State will kickoff the 2017 college football season on Thursday, Aug. 31, the Big Ten announced Tuesday. The original game was scheduled to be played Saturday, Sept. 2.

"Opening the season on a Thursday night against a great Big Ten opponent is quite an opportunity for our program," IU Athletic Director Fred Glass said. "The atmosphere in Memorial Stadium will be electric as we usher in the 2017 season under the lights against the Buckeyes."

The Thursday game is unrelated to the Big Ten's previous decision to play Friday night games beginning in 2017 as well. It also comes on a night where the conference is experimenting with mixing Big Ten games in before non-conference games, which usually isn't the case.

Indiana hasn't began a season against a fellow Big Ten team since 1982.

The Hoosiers last opened at home on a Thursday night in 2013 when they ran over Indiana State 73-35. They're have been three such games in program history thus far.

Television schedules and platforms are yet to be released.

Aug. 31 - vs. Ohio State

Sept. 9 - @ Virginia Tech

Sept. 16 - vs. Florida International

Sept. 23 - vs. Georgia Southern

Sept. 30 - @ Penn State

Oct. 7 - BYE WEEK

Oct. 14 vs. Michigan

Oct. 21 @ Michigan State

Oct. 28 @ Maryland

Nov. 4 vs. Wisconsin

Nov. 11 @ Illinois

Nov. 18 vs. Rutgers

Nov. 25 @ Purdue