BATON ROUGE -- LSU will play one of its strongest home schedules in the school's history next season as four preseason top 20 teams will visit Tiger Stadium, it was announced with the release of the 2005 football schedule on Tuesday.

Among the team's highlighting next year's home schedule includes conference games against Tennessee, Florida and Auburn as well as a non-conference contest against Arizona State of the Pac-10. All four teams have been listed among the top 20 teams in college football heading into the 2005 season.

Tennessee has been ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation in preseason polls, while Florida is also listed as a top 10 preseason team.

The last time LSU played four top 25 teams in Tiger Stadium in the same season came in 1992 when the Tigers hosted No. 3 Alabama, No. 7 Tennessee, No. 7 Texas A&M and No. 22 Mississippi State.

Other home games for the Tigers include the season-opener against defending Sun Belt Conference champion North Texas on Sept. 5. The Tigers will also face perennial I-AA power Appalachian State in Tiger Stadium on Nov. 5 followed by the regular-season finale against Arkansas in Baton Rouge.

LSU's game against Arizona State, slated for Sept. 10, will be the first meeting between the Tigers and the Sun Devils. Last year, Arizona State posted a 9-3 overall mark and beat Purdue, 27-23, in the Sun Bowl.

In all, five of LSU's 2005 home opponents played in a bowl game last year and the combined 2004 record for the seven teams coming to Tiger Stadium in 2005 was 57-27.

After opening the season with three straight home games, as well as an open date, LSU hits the road for the first time under Les Miles on Oct. 1 against Mississippi State in Starkville. The Tigers play at Vanderbilt the following week, which will mark the first meeting between LSU and the Commodores in Nashville since 1997.

LSU also faces Alabama and Ole Miss on the road in November. The Tigers travel to Tuscaloosa on Nov. 12 followed by a trip to Oxford on Nov. 19.

LSU returns 16 starters and 48 letterwinners from last year's 9-3 squad that finished the season ranked No. 16 in the nation.

Sept. 3 North Texas Baton Rouge

Sept. 10 Arizona State Baton Rouge

Sept. 17 Open

Sept. 24 Tennessee Baton Rouge

Oct. 1 at Mississippi State Starkville, Miss.

Oct. 8 at Vanderbilt Nashville, Tenn.

Oct. 15 Florida Baton Rouge

Oct. 22 Auburn Baton Rouge

Oct. 29 Open

Nov. 5 Appalachian State Baton Rouge

Nov. 12 at Alabama Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Nov. 19 at Ole Miss Oxford, Miss.

Nov. 26 Arkansas Baton Rouge