Football non-conference schedule released

No. 11 Michigan State Spartans will be the highest-ranked team to ever play at Kelly/Shorts Stadium when it takes on Central Michigan Saturday.

After the team released its future non-conference schedules on Friday, that might change in the near future.

The Chippewas will host North Carolina State in 2014, Oklahoma State in 2015, UNLV in 2016 and Kansas in 2018.

“Im very pleased,” Director of Athletics Dave Heeke said.  “We’ve been working hard to build schedules since I arrived here. It’s very complicated to balance all the demands and still build a schedule from a home perspective that’s attractive to our home fans. The opportunity to bring in big programs is a priority for me.”

The Chippewas will also travel to take on North Carolina State and UNLV in 2013, Kansas in  2014 and 2017 and Oklahoma State in 2016 and 2018.

CMU will continue to play its in-state rivals as well, including a trip to Michigan to open the 2013 season and games against Michigan State in East Lansing in 2015 and 2018. Heeke said games like these against major conference opponents are crucial for CMU.

“It’s challenging,” he said. “But it’s part of our financial model as a football program to go on the road and secure guarantees to help fund the whole athletics program.”

Games against high-profile teams are something Heeke will continue to try and schedule as long as he’s at CMU.

“We’ll look out years down the road to secure and continue these types of partnerships.” he said. “It’s great for our players, an outstanding showcase for our university and provides great value for our fan base.”

Heeke said playing against schools from bigger conferences provides a unique challenge for CMU.

“Obviously, there’s that motivational factor to play against a school that is favored and also has an abundance of resources that our program does not have,” Heeke said. “To rise above all of that and win is rewarding.”

The Chippewas lost 38-24 to North Carolina State in 2011, the first-ever meeting between the schools.

CMU has played UNLV three times but has not faced the Runnin’ Rebels since the 1994 Las Vegas Bowl, when they lost 52-24.  The Chippewas are 1-2 all-time against UNLV.

Kansas defeated CMU 52-7 in the schools’ only meeting in 2007.  The Chippewas have never met Oklahoma State in the program’s history.

Year         Opponent              Money Received            Money Paid

2013          at N.C. State             $300,000                      None

2013          at UNLV                  $200,000                      None

2014          N.C. State                  None                            $250,000

2014          at Kansas                  $200,000                      None

2015          Oklahoma St.            None                            $250,000

2016          at Oklahoma St.       $250,000                      None

2016          UNLV                      None                            $200,000

2017          at Kansas                 $500,000                      None

2018          Kansas                     None                            $200,000

2018          at Michigan St.        $500,000                      None

2018          at Oklahoma St.       $550,000                      None