Future engagement with WIU & EIU

[ChiRedbirdfan]

There are also 2-1 deals to get more home games but pay a smaller guarantee. Kentucky did this with Akron. To get out of it, Kentucky and Ohio State just traded non-con games and Akron gets a boost to its budget.

We had the FBS/FCS scheduled with Ball State until they bought out. I think that was $300k.

As the program is currently positioned it is going to be nearly impossible for Isu to schedule any meaningful non-conf home games as an fcs . It’s all about dollars and eyeballs watching. Unfortunately our football program is dismal in both areas. That said playing home and home trade off with eiu and/or wiu does not make economic sense for Isu and is a bit of a gift to those schools.

 

[Birgs]

Unfortunately, scheduling is almost entirely dictated by the $ and then the seemingly norm for all parties involved (be it FBS down to FCS, FCS bluebloods down to Pioneers/FCS down to NAIA, etc.)

I suppose playing from a less real-world standpoint, I would be giddy (especially for playoff resume and, similarly I guess, just plain public interest):

Obvious wishful thinking, and I know the moving pieces dob't necessarily work around logistic, but just an idea-starter.

D2 Home Game (ease in/work out kinks)
A BCS Power 5 "buy" Road Game 2 of 3 years (MAC roadie year of EIU road game - maybe try that Ball St. h/h concept again?).
Eastern H/H/A (partial rebound/healer)
FCS "Power" foe H-H (Big Sky/CAA) - orchestrated with home rotation year of EIU road game)

Probably over-ambitious to have the best of both worlds:

always just fun/cool to play a "name"
I only keep the lower-division game 'cause it seems to be a "thing"
really want that higher level non-con with a playoff discussion type FCS
sucker for nostalgia with the EIU thing; possibly make that home only and lose the lower-division game

Rip away,b I especially look forward to some of the legit sages on here seeing if we can craft something similar, but perhaps more realistic.