Win-win for NIU and Iowa

Joe Novak walked over to the skybox window and paused, admiring the stadium below and the hulking skyline rising behind it.

"Not quite the view we have in DeKalb," the Northern Illinois coach said as he looked out over Soldier Field.

Throughout its football renaissance, NIU has tried to bridge the 65-mile gap between DeKalb and Chicago. Supplementary media functions, coaches' caravans and stronger recruiting efforts have been some of the school's tactics.

But NIU hasn't held a showcase event in Chicago until now. And make no mistake, the Huskies' season-opening game Sept. 1 against Iowa at Soldier Field is, more than anything, an event.

For NIU, the upside is obvious.

The first major-college football game at Soldier Field since the stadium's 2003 renovation sold out three weeks ago. Though Soldier Field will receive proceeds from concessions and parking, NIU's financial return will be "very substantial," athletic director Jim Phillips said Wednesday.

The school could receive 70 percent of the gate from the game. Iowa didn't ask for a guarantee, but it will receive a portion of the ticket sales.

"It's a phenomenal deal for us," Phillips said.

But is it a true home game?

Phillips said Iowa sold about 35,000 tickets, while NIU sold about 25,000. The remaining tickets went on sale through Ticketmaster.

With approximately 25,000 alumni in the Chicago area and one of the best traveling fan bases in the country, Iowa will have more than half the crowd on its side.

Iowa has marketed the game as part of a sports weekend in Chicago. The Bears play a preseason game Aug. 30, and the Cubs' Aug. 31 game against Houston will be Iowa Day at Wrigley Field.

"There's a lot of Chicago-based people that attended Iowa or have children that go to Iowa," said NIU wide receiver Britt Davis. "I wouldn't be surprised if there's more Iowa fans. But as long as we're in Chicago, it's definitely going to be a home game."

Novak, who envisioned playing at Soldier Field when he was hired at NIU, isn't overly concerned about the crowd breakdown. Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz expects a "bowl atmosphere" with a split crowd.

Phillips said a Soldier Field game would only work with an opponent like Iowa that can fill seats.

"This is not our home field," Novak said, "but by the same token, it's hard for us to get those folks out of their home field. It's a little bit of give and take. But it's big time."

College football at Soldier Field hasn't always succeeded. Illinois' last appearance, against Washington State in 1994, drew only 39,472.

But with the Sept. 1 sellout, Phillips hopes to schedule future games at Soldier Field.

"This was really a litmus test for us," he said. "Based on the response that we've gotten, we're absolutely going to make this a priority. We've already looked at dates coming up."

Could the Iowa series continue?

"We haven't had any serious talks yet," said Iowa athletic director Gary Barta, "but I know both fans like it, both coaches like it, both athletic directors like it. So it sure would make sense to talk about it again."

Phillips said scheduling Soldier Field matchups with Illinois or Northwestern would be "difficult" but not impossible. Illinois coach Ron Zook and athletic director Ron Guenther already have discussed playing teams at Soldier Field.

"When you look at the money and all those kinds of things for the program, you've got to look at that," Zook said. "But I don't think there's any question there's a team we can play in there.

"The thing that makes it hard, a little bit, you've got those six home games for your athletic department financially."

The true beneficiaries of the Sept. 1 game, according to Ferentz, are the players. Iowa has 14 players from Illinois, including starting tackle Dace Richardson (Wheaton) and backup linebacker Bryon Gattas (Mount Prospect).

"You don't get many of those where it's good for everybody involved," Ferentz said, "but I think we're all in agreement this is just a great thing for both schools, for the fans of both schools and, most importantly, for the players. This will be a game they'll remember their whole careers, their whole lives."

Man down: NIU sophomore linebacker Phil Brown could miss the start of preseason practice Monday because of academic reasons. Brown started three games in 2005 before suffering an injury last spring and redshirting the season.

"That's my call," Joe Novak said. "He's eligible as we speak, but he's got to do some work here this summer. We'll see."