Redhawks announce games with Cincinnati in 2007, 2009

~ Southeast will receive a total of $525,000 for the two games.

In exchange for playing a football game at Arkansas on Oct. 14, the Southeast Missouri State athletic department will receive $300,000.

That represents by far the largest payday the university has ever garnered for having its Division I-AA football team play on the road against a Division I-A opponent.

But games against Division I-A squads scheduled for two of the following three years won't fall much short of that figure.

Southeast athletic director Don Kaverman confirmed Thursday that Southeast has signed contracts to play at Cincinnati in both the 2007 and 2009 seasons.

Kaverman said Cincinnati will pay Southeast $250,000 in 2007 and $275,000 in 2009. The money, after team expenses for the trip, goes to the university's general athletic department revenue.

"We're very pleased that we're going to play Cincinnati twice, just like we're very happy to be playing Arkansas this year," Kaverman said. "Games like this, where our team can stay off an airplane and our fans can get there relatively easy, are what we're looking for."

The Bearcats, who joined the Big East Conference in 2005, are coming off a 4-7 season. They open the 2006 campaign against Eastern Kentucky, which like Southeast competes in the Ohio Valley Conference.

"It's a game I think we can go over and compete in," Kaverman said.

Since 2000, Southeast has played at least one Division I-A opponent every season in order to provide a financial boost to the university's athletic department, which operates on a budget of around $6.5 million.

Until this year, all of those games had been against teams from what are considered mid-major Division I-A conferences, with payouts ranging anywhere from $100,000 to $150,000.

But now, beginning with the Oct. 14 contest at Arkansas of the Southeastern Conference and extending to the 2007 and 2009 matchups with Cincinnati, the financial gain is significantly bigger.

"That's very important," Kaverman said.

Kaverman said Southeast has a verbal commitment from a Division I-A opponent for the 2008 season, but no contract has yet been signed. He did not name the school.

Kaverman also said there is a chance Southeast could play two Division I-A opponents per season for at least the next few years if legislation passes allowing for Division I-AA programs to schedule 12 games instead of the current 11. That vote will come in October.

"If the 12th game is passed, we will look into adding a second Division I-A for a few years," Kaverman said. "It's not something we want to do, but until we really get things turned around [financially] and the basketball program is humming again and we're filling the Show Me Center, it's something that could really help us.

"There are limited revenue opportunities at this level. When you have an opportunity to generate $250,000 or $300,000 with one game, that's a lot of money for an athletic department like ours."

Since Southeast moved up to Division I-AA in 1991, the football team has played on the road against 11 Division I-A opponents, none from what are regarded as major conferences. Since 2000, Southeast has faced nine Division I-A foes, seven from the Mid-American Conference and two from the Sun Belt Conference.

The Redhawks' only win over a Division I-A team came in 2002, when they beat the Sun Belt's Middle Tennessee State 24-14.