The fixture computer spluttered into life on Thursday morning and handed Pompey an opening day trip to Fleetwood.
It is not a contest many fans made their number one choice to start the 2021/22 League One campaign.
Most would probably have preferred to start on home soil, with a chance to make a long-awaited return to Fratton Park.
That was certainly Danny Cowley’s hope, but he is still excited for the first match to come around on August 7.
The Blues boss said: “It’s always one of the most exciting days when the fixtures come out because it all becomes real.
“League One is an incredibly tough division this season and there are so many big clubs, but we’re looking forward to the challenge.
"We finish at Sheffield Wednesday, which just shows what a strong league it is. There are loads of exciting games and we can’t wait to get started."
“In an ideal world we’d be at Fratton Park for the opening game because the people of Portsmouth have been starved of football for far too long.
“That’s not the case, although after going to Fleetwood, we immediately have two good home fixtures.
“It’s nice to be on our own ground on Boxing Day, although there’s a couple of tough away games off the back of that, which is usually how it happens.
“We finish at Sheffield Wednesday, which just shows what a strong league it is. There are loads of exciting games and we can’t wait to get started.”
Clubs are still awaiting further instructions on the return of fans to grounds, but Cowley is eager to see the Fratton faithful back in their rightful place soon.
He said: “Seeing fans at the Euros fills us with optimism. We’re hoping that we’ll have full capacity and the news does seem to be getting more positive by the day.”