Leatherneck Nation

After seeing Illinois State's 2017 schedule released yesterday... It looks like the game @ NAU could be pushed to 2018. Illinois State signed a 2 year agreement with NAU for a home and home starting in 2017/2019.

I hope this is not the case... I live in Flagstaff, home of NAU, and I am really hoping to see WIU come out here next year!!

Hey AZ Neck,

I don't know your sources, but, I can tell you bro, the Leathernecks don't need anymore schedule snafus. So for 2017, Coastal Carolina has reneged, as has B1G Northwestern, both afraid of nothing to gain by a win and fearing the loss . That would be unsportsmanlike if NAU didn't reciprocate a home an home.

I love sports banter, so fill us in

RedNeck wrote:Hey AZ Neck,

I don't know your sources, but, I can tell you bro, the Leathernecks don't need anymore schedule snafus. So for 2017, Coastal Carolina has reneged, as has B1G Northwestern, both afraid of nothing to gain by a win and fearing the loss . That would be unsportsmanlike if NAU didn't reciprocate a home an home.

I love sports banter, so fill us in

I think he's just going on the fact that ISU has NAU on their official schedule for next year now: http://goredbirds.com/news/2016/10/18/n ... edule.aspx

I don't know if that means that they will want to reschedule next year's game for 2018 or if it was always 2018 in the first place...I never heard for certain that the return game was scheduled for 2017. You're right though, we don't really need any more schedule craziness.

Unless I missed something, I don't see why they wouldn't play both of us in 2017.

letsgonecks wrote:Unless I missed something, I don't see why they wouldn't play both of us in 2017.

They could, there's no rule against it obviously, but generally, it looks like they like to do 1 FBS game, 1 decent quality FCS game, and 1 lower-level local team at home (lately it's generally been either Fort Lewis (CO) or New Mexico Highlands...both DII schools), before getting into conference play. They did break from that in 2013, playing both UC-Davis (away) and South Dakota (home), but outside of that year, that's pretty much been their M.O. for the last 6 or so years.

ST_Lawson wrote:

letsgonecks wrote:Unless I missed something, I don't see why they wouldn't play both of us in 2017.

They could, there's no rule against it obviously, but generally, it looks like they like to do 1 FBS game, 1 decent quality FCS game, and 1 lower-level local team at home (lately it's generally been either Fort Lewis (CO) or New Mexico Highlands...both DII schools), before getting into conference play. They did break from that in 2013, playing both UC-Davis (away) and South Dakota (home), but outside of that year, that's pretty much been their M.O. for the last 6 or so years.

Remember this is a team that was left out of the playoffs last year because of the DII win on their record and we were put in with the toughest schedule at 6-5. Would lead me to believe they are looking to move in that direction and trying to build a tough schedule to build up their program.

letsgonecks wrote:Remember this is a team that was left out of the playoffs last year because of the DII win on their record and we were put in with the toughest schedule at 6-5. Would lead me to believe they are looking to move in that direction and trying to build a tough schedule to build up their program.

Good point. With a healthy and more experienced Case Cookus at QB, they do stand a decent chance at knocking off a couple of decent MVFC teams at home (or even go 1-1 with a close loss to a good Leathernecks team ), which would give them a pretty huge OOC boost to their strength of schedule.

No doubt I'm pulling for WIU to come out here next year and take on the Jacks (of NAU). We will wait and see.

I might be the only WIU fan in the stands.

From what I've heard NAU is still on next year as is our FBS game at Coastal Carolina. ST Xavier is still on....

Leatherneck177 wrote:From what I've heard NAU is still on next year as is our FBS game at Coastal Carolina. ST Xavier is still on....

Wait, so we're still on the schedule for CC, but it was moved there? I hadn't heard anything about that so I just assumed the game was off.