Exposing Niu to the Chicago audience is one of the athletic department’s biggest goals, but NIU’s first opportunity will have to wait a little longer.

The NIU football team’s scheduled game with Miami (Fla.) Sept 12 in Soldier Field has been cancelled. NIU men’s Athletic Director Robert Brigham would not reveal what school would replace Miami until the Athletic Board approved the contract at Wednesday’s meeting.

A source said the opponent is Lamar, which was 2-9 last season, 0-5 in the Southland Conference. Lamar Sports Information Director Rush Wood confirmed that NIU is on Lamar’s 1987 schedule. The game will be held at Huskie Stadium.

Brigham said Miami initiated talks about not having the game. Brigham said he received a call in early December from Miami Athletic Director Sam Jankovich who said he had scheduling and season ticket problems for the 1987 football season.

“He said he had a chance to schedule Arkansas on a home-and-home basis (for 1987 and 1988),” said Brigham. “I talked with (NIU Associate Athletic Directors) Chuck Shriver, Jerry Ippoliti and (NIU) President (John) LaTourette. We agreed we could have a home-and-home arrangement and a future relationship.”

In return for letting Miami out of the contract, NIU will play Miami at Soldier Field in 1990 and at the Orange Bowl in 1992.

“They’ll give us two games for one – and the promise of a future relationship,” said Brigham. “Otherwise, they’d be playing the game.”

Jankovich was at the National Collegiate Athletic Association convention in San Deigo last week and unavailable for comment.

A member of Miami’s sports information office said its release stated only that NIU had been dropped from the schedule and had been replaced by Arkansas. No specifics were given.

Brigham said the cancellation of the game was unrelated to NIU’s inability to sign a contract with the Chicago Park District to rent Soldier Field. He said he had the contract in his office and the only thing remaining was review by the Park District’s new administration. He also said it would have cost NIU $10,000 to rent the facility and NIU would not have to share money generated ticket sales.

“That (not having the contract completed) was not a part of the decision, although it does give us more time to check it out,” said Brigham.

A Park District official said no events can be booked at Soldier Field until the Chicago Bears’ 1987 schedule is known. The official said if the Bears have a home game on a Sunday, no college football game can be played on a Saturday.

The offical said the Bears’ schedule is not known usually until April, meaning NIU would not know if it could stage the game until then. She also said NIU would have to pay a $10,000 deposit before negotiations begin. She said if NIU charged admission, the Park District would take a percentage of the gate.

“We would take somewhere between 10 and 15 percent (of the gate),” the offical said. “At least that is what it was last year.”

Brigham said the date had been confirmed when former Park Superintendent Ed Kelly was in office. He also said under the agreement with Kelly, NIU would not have to share ticket sales revenues.

By playing Lamar in DeKalb instead of MIami in Chicago, NIU not only will save the money to rent Soldier Field, but also will not have to pay Miami $200,000 as a guarantee. Brigham would not reveal the guarantee for Lamar until the board meeting Wednesday.

Brigham said he had no intention of trying to bring the Miami game to Huskie Satdium if the Soldier Field situation had not been cleared up. He said he did not discuss the problems with the Park District with Janovich.

“Sam Janovich does not discuss the problems with the Orange Bowl with me,” said Brigham.

The Miami game was cancelled without the Athletic Board members’ knowledge. Brigham apoligized to the Board at the Dec. 22 Huskie Club luncheon, saying Miami leaked the news to the press before he could inform the Board.

Athletic Board Chairman Curt Norton said “I’m satisfied with Bob’s explanation. I know he doesn’t have control over the MIami press. I know there will be alot of questions about that (Wednesday).”

The first mention of playing Miami in Soldier Field was Nov. 6, 1985, the same day NIU announced its withdrawal from the Mid-American Conference. Since then, the Athletic Department continued to promote the game with announcements at NIU athletic events. Brigham said the cancellation will not hurt NIU’s drive for an improved athletic program.

“No, it’s not a step backward in any stretch of the imagination,” he said. “It gives us a better chance to be prepared to play Miami.”

NIU football coach Jerry Pettibone agreed.

“Well, I would have enjoyed playing the game because it would have been good exposure for us,” he said. “I think we’d be a lot more competitive then (1990) than we are now. It gives us a chance to have another home game which I’m certainly in favor of.”

For the first time since 1984 and only the second time in five years, NIU will have six games at Huskie Stadium. NIU only played four in DeKalb those other years.