Illinois State shocked Northwestern in 2016 at Evanston’s Dyche Stadium. (Photo by GoRedbirds.com)
By Dan Verdun
Later this week, the four Illinois FCS schools will all play an FBS opponent as part of their 2024 nonconference schedules. In the case of Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois, each will play two such foes this fall.
A year ago Prairie State Pigskin examined these games from the FCS perspective.
This year, it’s a look at the FBS point of view.
Thus, we contacted the athletic departments for the University of Illinois, Northwestern University and Northern Illinois University for interviews.
Illinois and NU each declined comment via an e-mail response.
However, NIU athletic director Sean Frazier was made available for a telephone interview.
Northern exposure
Frazier has been at the FCS level. A former Alabama player, Frazier was an assistant at Maine prior to beginning his administrative career in the mid-1990s.
“I’ve been at Division III, Division II and Division I, so maybe my perspective is just a tad different (from others),” he said. “I really believe in FCS football. I believe in all levels of football. I’m a football guy; I’ve been my entire life.”
NIU has played each of the four in-state FCS schools since 2016.
“The in-state component is such a critical component of what we do in our nonconference schedule, and I really do believe in giving back,” Frazier said. “We just happen to have some of the best FCS football in the country right here in the state of Illinois.”
Northern posted a 3-2 record in those games. WIU defeated the Huskies, 28-23, in 2016, while SIU triumphed, 14-11, last season.
“We’re not overlooking any of those schools that can come up here and punch you in the mouth,” Frazier said. “We’ve got to bring our A-game. This is not what you would call ‘mercy scheduling’. We know what we’re getting. We also know what it’s going to do for us in other nonleague games. It’s good competition.”
NIU hosts Western Saturday in the season opener for both teams. The Huskies are scheduled to host Illinois State in 2026.
“It’s really also about the alumni. There’s alumni from Illinois State, Eastern Illinois, Western Illinois and Southern Illinois (in the northern part of the state),” Frazier said.
Moreover, the NIU athletic director wants to continue scheduling these games going forward.
“For me personally, in my 11 years here, (scheduling these schools) is mandatory. It should happen,” Frazier said. “So I do my best to make sure that we have at least one of those in-state schools on our schedule every single year. And the last 10 years, we’ve done a good job with that.”
Frazier, a two-time Sports Business Journal finalist for Athletic Director of the Year, listed his reasoning for these in-state series.
“We’ve scheduled them because it’s the right thing to do,” he said, “but it’s also a proximity issue with the base of alumni. We have over 20,000 alumni living in the Chicago area. And a lot of them want to see in-state competition.
“It makes a lot of sense – business sense, travel sense, and also camaraderie between the schools.”
Head coach approved
Former NIU running back-turned Huskie head coach Thomas Hammock also supports games against the FCS opponents, according to Frazier.
“He has (a voice in) everything,” Frazier said. “Listen, I’m a football guy. Played at Alabama, coached. I’m at practice right now. I’m fired up. I’m that guy who loves football. I’ve watched every (NIU) game film from 1983 to 2024.
“I stay out of his coaching. I don’t coach, but you’ve got to have your head coach in lockstep with you. If you don’t, it’s a disaster. So, he’s all involved.”
Following SIU’s win in DeKalb last September, Hammock saluted the Salukis.
“I want to give credit to SIU; they beat us flat out,” he said.
Future challenges
Frazier also knows the college football has forever changed and will continue to evolve given the influences of the transfer portal; Name, Image and Likeness (NIL); conference realignment and continued legislation and judicial rulings.
“We’re going to continue the rotation, but it gets a little tricky. Now you’ve got these mega leagues that are starting with the Big Ten and others. People are looking for major paydays and guarantees. We will keep our philosophy. We like the fact that if we can put an in-state FCS school on our schedule, we’re going to work extremely hard to make that happen,” Frazier said.
Sometimes, it doesn’t work out.
“We’ve had to make some adjustments and bring a Rhode Island or some other school in because they (Illinois FCS schools) already have something else or they turned us down or have another payday with another school. I can’t fault the in-state schools for trying to get the most for their money for their program,” he said.
Frazier noted that NIU typically attempts to schedule games four or five years in advance.
“All the changes with conference realignment and everything, it really throws a monkey wrench into some of those things,” he said. “We work with ESPN. We work with the league. It’s really tough.”
Analysts have speculated that the present Division I football structure may very well be transitioning to a multiple-tier system.
That system would likely break down to the Power Four (SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC) followed by the Group of Five (American Athletic, Conference USA, Mid-American, Mountain West and Sun Belt) and then a possible layering of the FCS teams.
Frazier likened the Illinois FCS programs’ situation much like NIU’s position.
“I know in other states you have your Group of Five schools playing your Power Four schools. It would be great to have the University of Illinois on the schedule. We’ve already started conversations with Northwestern. So, we’re doing the same things as FCS. It would be great to have the Power Four conferences doing the same thing (with us),” he said.
Media meanderings
Bret Beherns grew up in Mahomet following the University of Illinois and the Big Ten. He earned a degree from Southern Illinois University and then covered collegiate sports at WCIA-TV in Champaign for over a decade.
“It’s all about trying to schedule wins for FBS programs and these schools are willing to pay big money to make it happen,” Beherns said. “Illinois welcoming in EIU in this year’s opener is crucial for the Panthers’ budget. They need the money to support their athletic department.
“On the other end of the spectrum, Illinois is paying for what should be a win.”
Beherns noted that an added benefit of playing in-state schools is helping those universities to reduce travel times and expenses.
“A game like this also helps by attracting fans of both schools to the game,” he added.
Matthew Shelton is the managing editor for Wildcat Report, the Northwestern Rivals site. He has worked for the publication for four seasons and is beginning his second year as managing editor.
Shelton, a Northwestern graduate, shared his thoughts on the Wildcats games against FCS opponents.
“FCS games are a uniquely mixed bag at Northwestern,” Shelton said. “The Wildcats have had the onerous distinction of losing to Southern Illinois in 2022, 31-24, and to Illinois State in 2016, 9-7. But there’s no doubt these games have real and significant value for the Wildcats and the league at large. Northwestern’s head coach and offensive coordinator were both hired away from FCS programs.”
Certainly, the financial impact is vital to the FCS athletic budgets.
“The payout from playing a Big Ten member program can help keep not just the football programs, but the athletic departments, afloat,” Shelton said.
In addition, FBS programs have bolstered their rosters with talent from FCS schools.
“NU has had quality players like (defensive lineman) Richie Hagarty, from the same SIU team that won in 2022, transfer in as key pieces. It’s absolutely crucial to maintain the FCS as a way to give more players and coaches opportunities to get reps and transfer or be hired up the food chain,” Shelton said.
FCS at FBS games (with guarantee payouts)
(Source: fbschedules.com)
ISU
2024 at Iowa ($650,000)
2025 at Oklahoma
2026 at Northern Illinois
2027 at Missouri
2028 at Illinois
EIU
2024 at Illinois ($500,000)
2024 at Northwestern ($450,000)
2025 at Alabama
2026 at Minnesota
2027 at Illinois
2028 at Kentucky
SIU
2024 at BYU ($560,000)
2025 at Purdue
2026 at Illinois
2027 at Wisconsin
WIU
2024 at Indiana ($450,000)
2024 at Northern Illinois ($350,000)
2025 at Illinois
2026 at Wisconsin
2027 at Oklahoma State
2028 at Purdue
Dan Verdun is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin. He has written four books: NIU Huskies Football, EIU Panthers Football, ISU Redbirds Football and SIU Salukis Football.
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