Hoosiers finalize schedule for 2005

IU hopes that colonels are tamer than ducks this fall. \nThe Hoosiers released their 2005 football schedule Wednesday. Originally, IU was scheduled to play the Oregon Ducks at home Sept. 10; instead the Hoosiers will play the Nicholls State University Colonels at 4 p.m. at Memorial Stadium the same day.\nLast season, when the teams met in the first game of the series, IU defeated the No. 24 Ducks 30-24 in Eugene, Ore.\nNSU is a Division I-AA school located in Thibodaux, La., 66 miles southwest of New Orleans. The Colonels participated in the Southland Conference finishing with a 5-5 record in 2004. This will be coach Terry Hoeppner's first home game at IU. \nBecause of the many challenges facing Hoeppner in his first season at the helm in Bloomington, IU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan said it would be better for the Hoosiers to change their previous plans.\n"I thought with a new coaching staff and challenging Big Ten schedule on the road, the change would give us a better chance to build confidence as a team and young guys to get a chance to get some experience that they might not get with Oregon," he said.\nThough other schools were in the mix to fill the hole in the schedule, those options went away quicker than IU anticipated. Greenspan said that further consideration was given to the change to ensure the game would be at home rather than on the road.\nIn addition to the football game, the schedule also calls for NSU to play the men's basketball team Nov. 18 in Assembly Hall.\n"It is going to provide a tremendous amount of exposure for us," said NSU Athletics Director Rob Bernardi. "I appreciate Rick (Greenspan) and the folks at Indiana to allow us to play IU. Especially with basketball, to play a team with the tradition and pageantry at a school like IU is something (the team) is looking forward to."\nHoeppner will officially kick off his career at IU by visiting Central Michigan University Friday Sept. 2 at 7:30 p.m. Last season the Hoosiers knocked off the Chippewas 41-10 in Bloomington.\nIU will conclude its non-conference schedule with a home game against the University of Kentucky at 4 p.m. Sept. 17. Kentucky has already decided to drop the Hoosiers from its 2006 schedule.\nHaving a balance in terms of what the on the field talent is as well as other factors will continue to play a role in who the Hoosiers will play in the future, Greenspan said.\n"I will never schedule a game without the coach having an influence, but it is a decision that rests in my hands," he said. "I will certainly discuss future opponents for a lot of reasons -- what fans want in terms of an opponent, based on television, Big Ten rules and what will soon be changes in NCAA rules that will likely allow for 12 games and a rule that will allow Division I-AA opponents to count towards bowl eligibility."\nIllinois, Ohio State, Minnesota and Purdue will highlight IU's Big Ten schedule at Memorial Stadium. Additionally after a two-year hiatus, Iowa and Wisconsin will return to the schedule, replacing Penn State and Northwestern. Both games will be on the road. \n"This schedule is a solid fit for our program and its fans," Hoeppner said in statement. "The opportunity to play three Big Ten bowl teams at home will provide a great gauge to our team's progress, and it gives our fans the chance to see some of the premier talent in our league. On top of that, we start out the season by hosting Nicholls State, followed by a tough regional rival in Kentucky and then the league home opener against Illinois Oct. 8."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Dan Click at daaclick@indiana.edu