Head coach Nick Hill and quarterback D.J. Williams (1) will lead Southern Illinois onto the field Saturday in its first nationally televised home game in nearly 20 years. (Photo by SIUSalukis.com)
By Barry Bottino
ESPNU will visit Carbondale this week for Saturday’s in-state FCS rivalry between Southern Illinois and Illinois State. The result will be plenty of eyes on two Illinois programs.
“It is a really cool opportunity for us,” SIU safety Matthew McClelland said. “Being in a nationally televised game doesn’t happen too often at the FCS level. I’ll definitely be texting all my buddies and family members.”
Illinois State transfer quarterback Gage Roy said viewers who don’t have much exposure to FCS will get a glimpse of the talent level.
“It’s great to have an opportunity to show how good of football we can play as a team and how good of football is being played in this league,” the Redbird newcomer said. “It’s high-level football. It’s great to show people who are tuning in. It’s been really impressive for me.”
Along with being an in-state rivalry game, Saturday has high stakes for both teams.
Both programs enter the Missouri Valley Football Conference matchup on two-game league losing streaks. The loser of Saturday’s game will have three MVFC losses and a big challenge to achieve a postseason bid.
After a loss over the weekend at South Dakota, SIU (3-4 overall, 1-2 MVFC) likely will drop out of the national rankings after entering its game against the Coyotes at No. 25 in the national media poll.
Illinois State (4-2, 0-2) was on a bye this week and was ranked No. 12 by the media and No. 13 in the coaches’ poll. The Redbirds last started 0-3 in conference play in 2021. That season, ISU finished 4-7, 2-6.
Having three losses halfway through the MVFC schedule does not bode well for teams who want to get to the postseason.
Over the last five years, the MVFC has had 25 playoff participants. Only three of those qualifiers had a 4-4 league record – South Dakota State in 2025, SIU in 2023 and Northern Iowa in 2021.
In all three of those years, the MVFC had six teams selected for the playoffs, which is unlikely this year with North Dakota State’s departure to FBS and the Mountain West Conference.
“We can’t really think too far in the future,” McClelland said. “Every game is going to be a tough one. They’re all tough opponents. We all do a good job of just taking it week by week. That’s the mindset.”
Saturday will be the first time Saluki Stadium, which opened in 2010, will host a nationally televised game. The last national broadcast of SIU football was a 2007 FCS playoff game against Delaware, which featured Southern quarterback – and current head coach — Nick Hill against the Blue Hens and future NFL quarterback Joe Flacco.
The visit by ESPNU is a welcome one in Carbondale, which is also hosting Homecoming festivities this week.
“Anytime your school and your team can get exposure is great,” Hill said.
ISU head coach Brock Spack said a national broadcast not only connects fans and players’ families to the teams, but it also provides future players on all levels a glimpse at the programs.
“It’s always important. Hopefully, (future) players are watching and are excited about us,” he said. “We had a really good recruiting year with the high schools. We’ll see what the (transfer) portal does. You’re naive if think nobody is going to leave, especially if someone has a really good season.”
Barry Bottino is a co-founder of Prairie State Pigskin and a 19-year veteran of three Illinois newspapers. He has covered college athletics since 1995.
Find us on social media!
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/PSPigskin
Facebook: Prairie State Pigskin
Instagram: Prairiestatepigskin
Blue Sky: PSPigskin
Leave a Reply