The 2005 NIU football schedule is set, but the future still holds many questions for the Huskies.

The 2006 season may allow teams to add a 12th game, potentially lowering NIU’s bowl opportunities. Also, one of the Huskies’ tentative opponents for that ‘06 season, LSU, may be moved to make room for a “better opportunity.”

Headlining the 2005 slate, which features two nationally televised ESPN2 games, is a season-opening showdown at ESPN.com preseason No. 3 Michigan.

After that, the Huskies will take on another Big Ten foe, traveling to Evanston to face Northwestern.

The Huskies end the non-conference schedule with a home game against Tennessee Tech, which NIU beat 42-17 in 2003.

“We already knew who we were going to play, but it was just a matter of when and where,” NIU coach Joe Novak said about this year’s schedule. “We have four Saturdays in the fall that we don’t play. But we’re doing it for national attention, so it’s a good trade off. The whole thing still boils down to winning a conference championship.”

As the Huskies begin conference play, their two MAC crossover games are both traditional powers in the East Division, Akron and Miami-Ohio.

Akron could be a big surprise team, Novak said, and Miami-Ohio is the defending East Division champion.

NIU’s 99th Homecoming game is set for Oct. 15 against Eastern Michigan.

The Huskies have five of their 11 games at home, including Western Michigan on Nov. 22 for Senior Recognition Day, which will end the regular season, but hopefully not the entire season, Novak said.

“To win a MAC championship, that’s been our goal from day one and that’s how we get to another bowl game,” said the NIU boss going into his 10th year. “If we beat Northwestern and Michigan we may not go to a bowl. There’s no guarantee.”

While this year’s schedule is complete, the focus for NIU Associate Athletics Director Robert Collins turns toward 2006.

But Collins doesn’t know exactly what to look for, as changes may be on the horizon.

A plan to allow NIU and other Division I-A, as well as I-AA, teams to add a 12th football game starting with the 2006 season was backed by the NCAA Division I Management Council.

While the plan was given tentative approval on Monday, it will be sent to the NCAA Board of Directors for final consideration on April 28.

“A 12-game season would eliminate a few opportunities for us to get to bowl games when other teams can get to bowl games with 6-6 records,” Collins said. “I would go with an 11-game season for a few reasons – it’s an odd number so you either have a winning or losing season. And the concern about bowl games.”

One constant in yearly bowl discussions is LSU, which was on NIU’s tentative 2006 schedule for the last few years.

LSU, however, is in the process of being moved to 2011, Collins said.

“There’s a potentially better opportunity for next year,” he said, while not disclosing any details.