By ISU Sports Information
NORMAL – A home-and-home series with Big Sky Conference foe Northern Arizona completes the 2017 football schedule for Illinois State, it was announced Tuesday.
The game against Northern Arizona, which will take place on the road Oct. 7, will be the first for the Redbirds against the Lumberjacks. NAU will return the favor and play the Redbirds at Hancock Stadium Sept. 21, 2019.
Illinois State has compiled a 3-3 record against current members of the Big Sky Conference, with the most recent opponent being Eastern Washington in the 2014 FCS playoff quarterfinals. The Redbirds are 2-1 against EWU, but have also faced Southern Utah (1-1) and North Dakota (0-1) in years past.
“The football scheduling landscape continues to be a challenge, but senior associate athletics director Peyton Deterding worked diligently to find a good outcome,” said ISU athletics director Larry Lyons said.
“He identified a possible scenario that required assistance from Missouri State to make it happen. I want to thank Missouri State athletics director Kyle Moats and the Bears for their collegiality in moving a conference game date to make this Northern Arizona contract become a reality. We are pleased to have a strong home-and-home series with a Big Sky opponent that completes the 2017 schedule, but also fills a date in 2019.”
NAU was picked to win the Big Sky this year by both league coaches and media and made its last FCS playoff appearance in 2013 when it drew South Dakota State in the first round. The Lumberjacks are led by head coach Jerome Souers, who is in his 19th season.
He is the Big Sky’s all-time winningest coach with 74 conference wins. NAU is led on offense by reigning FCS STATS National Freshman Player of the Year in quarterback Case Cookus, who also finished fifth in offensive player of the year voting last year.
ISU opens the 2017 season Sept. 2 at home against Butler from the Pioneer League. After a bye week, the Redbirds travel to Eastern Illinois in the 106th meeting between the schools in the Mid-America Classic on Sept. 16.
The Redbirds begin Missouri Valley Conference play Sept. 23 at Missouri State, followed by a home game against Indiana State on Sept. 30. The road game at NAU follows on Oct. 7 with a road contest at Southern Illinois on Oct. 14.
The 2017 homecoming game against South Dakota is Oct. 21 and will be followed by a trip to Youngstown State on Oct. 28. The Redbirds play two of their final three games at home, beginning Nov. 4 against Western Illinois and ending Nov. 18, against North Dakota State. A road contest at South Dakota State completes the schedule on Nov. 11.
