NIU football to get $1.8 million for Ohio State game, $850K for N.C. State

The NIU football team will receive $1.8 million for its trip to Ohio State in 2028, according to information released by the school Friday.

According to the contract, the deal was made in May 2021. The Huskies received the first of five payments in February of this year. The school announced the game Thursday, along with a 2024 game against North Carolina State.

Ohio State will make 2,500 tickets available to NIU, with the unsold tickets returned by Aug. 1, 2028, for the game Sept. 16.

NIU will receive $850,000 for the game against North Carolina State next year. That game was added to the schedule when New Mexico State had to drop the scheduled game against the Huskies because of joining Conference USA.

NIU will be paid in full no later than February 15, 2025. According to the contract; the game was agreed upon on Nov. 22, 2022.

N.C. State will give NIU up to 3,000 tickets, although the Huskies will have to request a certain number of tickets by April 1, 2024.

The Wolfpack are coached by Dave Doeren, who coached at NIU from 2011 to 2012, helping the Huskies reach the Orange Bowl. He left before the bowl game to take over as head coach at N.C. State.

Next year’s nonconference schedule will feature road games against N.C. State and Notre Dame, and home games against Western Illinois and University of Massachusetts.

The 2028 meeting against Ohio State will be the third between the teams. NIU lost both, 20-13 in 2015 and 35-12 in 2006.

NIU and N.C. State played once before, a 41-14 win for N.C. State in 1997.

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