The University of Massachusetts football program is about to announce a football series with one marquee opponent and a game with another could be on the horizon.

According to a source close to UMass, the Minutemen are expected to announce shortly that they will begin a three-game series against Colorado. Two games will be in Boulder with the other coming at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. Dates for the series have not yet been determined.

The Buffaloes (3-10 overall) finished fifth in the Pac 12 South at 2-7 in their first season under coach Jon Embree.

Another source close to the department said UMass is close to an agreement for a one-game contract against Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., in 2013.

UMass had one-game contracts with Michigan for 2010 and 2012. Wisconsin would pay the Minutemen a to-be-disclosed guarantee to play the game.

The Badgers (6-2 Big Ten) finished 11-3 in 2011 and lost to Oregon in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 2.

Camp Randall, which seats 80,321, would be the second largest stadium UMass has ever played in, a distinction that will hold until UMass' 2016 game against Florida at Griffin Stadium, which holds 88,548. Only Michigan has a bigger stadium.

KITCHING ON BOARD - One of the players appearing in that game at Wisconsin could be defensive tackle Robert Kitching. The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder from Brooklyn, N.Y., committed to UMass Monday and is expected to be part of the Minutemen's 2012 recruiting class, which will be announced today as part of National Letter of Intent signing day today.

Kitching chose the Minutemen over Buffalo and a handful of Championship Subdivision programs.

"It feels great to have an opportunity to help build this program," Kitching told the New York Post. "We're looking forward to winning a MAC championship in the future. ... This is a total surprise coming into the season, my main goal was winning a championship. After the season, I got a lot of interest from Division I-AA schools. I had my mind set. Then all of a sudden Division I-A came around and I said, 'Hey, this is a big opportunity for me.' I can't wait to step on campus."

Kitching, who was named to the Brooklyn All-Borough team, had 43 tackles and 10 sacks as a senior for Lincoln High School, the same program that produced basketball stars Stephon Marbury and Sebastian Telfair, as well as broadcaster Marv Albert and crooner Neil Diamond.

Kitching, a Giants fan, told the Post he's a Victor Cruz fan.

HAVENS TRADED - Kyle Havens'football career continues to crisscross the country. The junior college standout in California who played at UMass started his professional career in the Arena League for the Spokane Shock. He was traded Tuesday from the Shock to the Tampa Storm.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Follow UMass coverage on Twitter at twitter.com/GazetteUMass. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at http://www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage.