ESPN College Football

Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett

The proposed game between Cincinnati and Illinois for 2009 is a reality, as both sides have signed on to play, Bearcats officials confirmed today.

The date of the game remains up in the air, largely due to television, but a Thanksgiving week matchup has been most frequently discussed.

The agreement means Cincinnati's schedule is now set for this season. The Bearcats' nonconference slate looks like this:

Southeastern Missouri State
at Miami (Ohio)
at Oregon State
Fresno State
Illinois

That's an awfully strong schedule, probably tops in the Big East along with Syracuse, which is facing Minnesota, Northwestern and Penn State. Give credit to Brian Kelly for being willing to play anybody, as Cincinnati already proved last year by going to Oklahoma.

As far as the defensive coordinator search goes, there has yet to be an official announcement. But all indications are that Virginia's Bob Diaco is on board and that it's just a matter of finalizing contracts and clearing paperwork through the university. An announcement could come by the end of the week.