Official 2006 Football Schedule

[Cat80]

Drake stadium capacity shrinks

Sorry Griff. Seating at Drake Stadium has shrunk to about 14,500. The first three rows of seats have been removed to enlarge the track to international 400 meter standards, widen the lanes to standard, and create a safe zone between lane 8 and the stands. Seating was around 18,000, but now less with the improvements to the track. NO seats have been added. All bleachers have been replaced, but total capacity has been reduced not increased. There were plans to increase the home side seats north to the start of the 100, but a lockerroom, restroom, and concessions building has been placed there. There will also be one on the northwest side. I think the largest Drake crowd recently was a game vs. Dayton with about 9,000 in attendance.

[ralph]

Maybe we should consider getting another D-1 team on the schedule...

Echoing others... there are 10 D-I teams on the schedule so far.

[CF Panther]

Echoing others... there are 10 D-I teams on the schedule so far.

Ralph, any ideas on other I-AA's with open dates that would/could play the Panthers?

[Panthers to the Bone]

Now that I think of it, I think a 1-A game wouldn't be as bad of an idea as a D2 game, as originally thought. The new playoff guidelines are that there must be a minimum of 7 D1 wins (no longer the 4 losses and you're out).

http://i-aa.org/article.asp?articleid=37174

3. The won-lost record of a team will be scrutinized to determine a team’s strength of schedule; however, less than seven Division I wins may place a team in jeopardy of not being selected;
4. The committee may give more consideration to those teams that have played all Division I opponents

So, if they aren't going to give UNI credit for playing a D2, and they have another opportunity to play a "D1" (A or AA) team to potentially pick up a win...and it will be financially lucrative, then why wouldn't you? (Honest question) Why wouldn't UNI, if they are in that position to play a 1-A team (if no 1-AA teams available) for a big payday, do it? Health reasons? How many season ending injuries have occured for UNI vs. Iowa or ISU in the past few years?

[Matt Trump]

I say play the DIA teams. Nothing to lose.

[Panthers to the Bone]

From the American Football Coaches Association: http://www.afca.com/lev2.cfm/533

Supposedly, as of 3-23-06, these teams have open dates on 9/9 and 9/23:

Maine (9/23): Maine is willing to discuss either a guarantee or a home and home series starting in Orono. (posted 3/14/06)
NDSU (9/9): This is no longer available I believe. (no post date)
Montana State (9/9): Need two home games, will pay guarantee (posted 1-24-06)
Morehead State (9/9): Need two home games (no post date)
Furman (9/9): Looking for home and home series with 1-AA schools. Willing to start on road (posted 7-19-05)
McNeese State (9/9 and 9/23---two other days listed): Need at least two home games and one I-A guarantee game

UNI is not listed as needing a game, although we know they still need one.

[Panthers to the Bone]

It looks like McNeese has filled the 9/9 date with West Virginia Tech and the 9/23 date with Toledo (their second 1-A game).
Maine has not released their schedule
Montana State plays Cal-Davis on 9/9
Morehead hasn't posted their schedule. They are 1-AA non-scholarship.
Furman hasn't released their schedule either

So, if I had to choose, and if these games are still open. I would love to see UNI face Furman or Maine in the Dome. That would be sweet. UNI would have played a Thursday game, so UNI would have more time to prepare. I like that.

[Chitown Panther]

I think 8-3 we make playoffs playing a DII school.....

7-4 losing to 2 DI-A schools and we miss playoffs.....

However.....I can't remember the last time we made the playoffs as an at-large team.......Always have the auto bid.....

[CF Panther]

It looks like McNeese has filled the 9/9 date with West Virginia Tech and the 9/23 date with Toledo (their second 1-A game).
Maine has not released their schedule
Montana State plays Cal-Davis on 9/9
Morehead hasn't posted their schedule. They are 1-AA non-scholarship.
Furman hasn't released their schedule either

So, if I had to choose, and if these games are still open. I would love to see UNI face Furman or Maine in the Dome. That would be sweet. UNI would have played a Thursday game, so UNI would have more time to prepare. I like that.

Some VERY good possibilities there. I would rather add a Morehead State-type team, as they would be an "easy" one to pad the D I wins column. The others would be fine as well; Maine and Furman could be a good home-and-home.

[CatMan]

It looks like McNeese has filled the 9/9 date with West Virginia Tech and the 9/23 date with Toledo (their second 1-A game).
Maine has not released their schedule
Montana State plays Cal-Davis on 9/9
Morehead hasn't posted their schedule. They are 1-AA non-scholarship.
Furman hasn't released their schedule either

So, if I had to choose, and if these games are still open. I would love to see UNI face Furman or Maine in the Dome. That would be sweet. UNI would have played a Thursday game, so UNI would have more time to prepare. I like that.

UC Davis has backed out of our game (Montana State) on 9-9-6 so we would be a great match for you, come on out to the Big Sky Country!

[CF Panther]

UC Davis has backed out of our game (Montana State) on 9-9-6 so we would be a great match for you, come on out to the Big Sky Country!

Sounds good to me. Much tougher than Morehead, but better than playing a DII.

[JCPanthers]

If the NCAA allows a 12th game, I think we could add a DII game....assuming we get a quality D-IAA game like a MSU.

[jegbomb52]

First things first. I am so fricking glad that basketball season is over and we can talk about something important.

Are you all freaking nuts! Someone said it earlier 8-3 with a D-II win, we are in. 7-4 with 2 I-A losses and we are out. No one on this board can disagree with that, if you do you do not know what you are talking about. With our track record and last years extreme success. 9-2 with a D-II win and we get a 4 seed, maybe a 3! 8-3 with 2 two I-A losses we are at home in the first round and then we hit the road. 1 division II school will NEVER hurt us, if we start lining up 2 or 3 of them, then we might be effected. 2004 SIU got the number 1 seed in the playoffs with TWO D II wins. Maybe we should stop scheduling ISU and Iowa and just sign up a D II school instead. I would trade in 11-0, 10-1 and a 1 or 2 seed every year for playing ISU.

[BCPanther]

After yesterday, now we have to find a 12th game too. Line up either Montana State or Furman and then invite Upper Iowa to the Dome!!

[Matt Trump]

First things first. I am so fricking glad that basketball season is over and we can talk about something important.

Are you all freaking nuts! Someone said it earlier 8-3 with a D-II win, we are in. 7-4 with 2 I-A losses and we are out. No one on this board can disagree with that, if you do you do not know what you are talking about. With our track record and last years extreme success. 9-2 with a D-II win and we get a 4 seed, maybe a 3! 8-3 with 2 two I-A losses we are at home in the first round and then we hit the road. 1 division II school will NEVER hurt us, if we start lining up 2 or 3 of them, then we might be effected. 2004 SIU got the number 1 seed in the playoffs with TWO D II wins. Maybe we should stop scheduling ISU and Iowa and just sign up a D II school instead. I would trade in 11-0, 10-1 and a 1 or 2 seed every year for playing ISU.

The problem with this is the money issue. The attendance for the DII games at the Dome is abysmal. Those games lose money because UNI has to pay the team to come in and they can't make it up at the gate. The difference between a DII home game win and a BCS road loss could be at least $200,000. Money that could go towards keeping valuable head and/or assistant coaches around. Now, if people were willing to pony up that kind of jack via the PSC just to get a win, then more power to them.

I feel very strongly that the loss in Iowa City last year helped the team a heck of a lot more than the blowout win vs Minnesota-Duluth. After the Iowa game, the team was used to playing on a big stage in front of the entire state and a hostile crowd. In the Duluth game, the starters only played a little more than a half. Other than the number in the win column, that did the program very little good.