Iowa may have the majority of the fans at Soldier Field and may be picked to win, but it will not have the law on its side.

College football’s opening weekend is less than a week away and NIU’s opening game against Iowa on Sept. 1 at Soldier Field is gaining national exposure, but not for the reasons one might expect.

Iowa wide receivers Dominique Douglas and Anthony Bowman were suspended indefinitely after being arrested and charged on Aug. 19 by University of Iowa police for unauthorized use of a credit card.

They were later released under their own recognizance.

“The accusations are serious and, if proven to be true, are extremely disappointing for everyone associated with the University of Iowa and our football program,” Iowa football head coach Kirk Ferentz said in a statement to the media. “As always, we will work with the appropriate individuals and entities on and off campus as this matter works its way through the legal system.”

Douglas broke onto the scene in a big way for Iowa last year. The Detroit native led the nation in receptions by a freshman with 49 last year and also tallied 654 yards, second-best among freshmen.

The arrest came only four days after Douglas was featured in Sporting News as the top wide out in a young Hawkeye receiving corps. Douglas also became the first true freshman to crack the starting line up at Iowa since 2003.

Bowman saw some time as a true freshman last year but was not a big impact player. After a year of experience, however, Bowman figured to play a more prominent role this year.

With the loss of these two players, the Hawkeyes will rely on junior Andy Brodell to be their number one receiver and playmaker. Staying young, sophomore Trey Stross and redshirt freshman James Cleveland look to help carry the load for the receiving corps.