IOWA CITY -- The University of Iowa's football season opener against Northern Illinois on Sept. 1 will be televised by ESPNU with kickoff set for 2:30 p.m. (CDT). The two teams are set to square off in Chicago's Soldier Field. The announcement came today from Northern Illinois athletic officials, as the Huskies are the home team.
The "Soldier Field Showdown" will mark the first NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) contest at Soldier Field since the 2003 renovation of the historic facility, and will also mark the first appearance for Iowa or Northern Illinois at the famed lakefront stadium. Soldier Field's capacity is 61,500.
This will be the 65th straight Hawkeye football contest to be televised. Iowa's game against Northern Illinois last year (won by the Hawkeyes, 24-14) was also shown on ESPNU. The Hawkeyes appeared on ESPNU three times last season (Montana, Purdue and Northern Illinois).
Game Time and TV Set For Season Opener