OGDEN, Utah (Weberstatesports.com) Wednesday, Weber State football announced it has entered into a home and home series with traditional FCS power Northern Iowa for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
The Wildcats and the Panthers, who represent the Missouri Valley Football Conference, will meet at Stewart Stadium September 18, 2019. The Wildcats will return the favor September 19, 2020, when they visit the UNI-Dome at Cedar Falls, Iowa.
This announcement completes the 2019 schedule for Weber State as they will open at FBS foe San Diego State to start that season and then return home to face Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo.
With the Panthers agreeing to come to Ogden in 2019, this gives the Wildcats six home games for the first time since 2008. Additionally, this also gives the Wildcats six home games against fellow Division I foes for the first time since 2006.
Other home games than Northern Iowa and Cal Poly-SLO that season include dates with Southern Utah, Northern Arizona, North Dakota and Idaho State.
Weber State director of athletics Jerry Bovee calls this home slate “as competitive a home schedule that we have put together in my time as athletic director” (Bovee became the athletic director in 2009).
Northern Iowa has made the FCS playoffs three of the last four seasons and has a rich football heritage as Pro Football Hall of Fame and Super Bowl MVP quarterback Kurt Warner is among their football alumni.
Weber State head football coach Jay Hill was also excited by this, saying “it’s important to play quality opponents like Northern Iowa.”
The Wildcats and Panthers have met three times in the past, with the teams last meeting in 1991 at Cedar Falls in the first round of the Division I-AA (the former name of FCS) playoffs.
The Panthers will be making their first visit to Ogden since September 1978.
