The Northern Illinois Huskies have added the Stony Brook Seawolves and Rhode Island Rams to their future football schedules, FBSchedules.com has learned. Copies of contracts for both football games were obtained from Northern Illinois University via a state public records request.
Northern Illinois will host Stony Brook at Huskie Stadium in Dekalb, Ill., on Sept, 11, 2027. The Huskies will pay the Seawolves a $325,000 guarantee for playing the game, per the copy of the contract.
The Rhode Island Rams will travel to take on Northern Illinois at Huskie Stadium in Dekalb on Sept. 9, 2028, according to copies of two amendments to the original contract. The game was originally scheduled to be played on Sept. 5, 2020, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Per the terms of the original contract, the Rams will receive a $400,000 guarantee for the rescheduled game in 2028.
Stony Brook and Rhode Island are members of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) in the Football Championship Subdivision (FBS). Both schools will be making their first-ever trips to face the Northern Illinois Huskies.
Northern Illinois now has all four non-conference opponents slated for its 2027 schedule. The season begins on the road against the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Sept. 4. Games on the road against the Colorado Buffaloes on Sept. 18 and at home against the USF Bulls on Sept. 25 complete the non-league schedule.
The addition of Rhode Island also tentatively completes NIU’s non-conference schedule for the 2028 season. Also on the schedule that year are games on the road against the Pitt Panthers on Sept. 2, Ohio State Buckeyes on Sept. 16, and Missouri Tigers on Sept. 30.
Northern Illinois is scheduled to open the 2025 season on Saturday, Aug. 30 at home against the Holy Cross Crusaders. The game will be streamed live via ESPN+ at 3:30pm ET / 2:30pm CT.
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