Iowa's future non-Big Ten opponents include UNI twice and a Big East foe

Iowa's future football schedules include a pair of dates with Northern Iowa and a pair of games against a Big East foe.

Iowa will play Pittsburgh in 2014 (at Kinnick Stadium) and 2015 (at Heinz Field). The schools played in 2007 at Pittsburgh and will meet again in 2011 in Iowa City.

Iowa has an opening for a BCS opponent in 2012 and 2013, and Iowa associate athletics director Mark Abbott said the school is having discussions with a possible opponent for those dates. Iowa would have to play on the road in 2012 and at home in 2013.

Iowa plays Northern Iowa again in 2012 and 2014 at Kinnick Stadium. Iowa hosts Ball State in 2014 as well.

In 2013 Iowa hosts Western Michigan and has a two-game series at Kinnick Stadium with North Texas in 2015 and 2017. Iowa has an agreement with a Mid-American Conference school in 2016 but the contract is unsigned.

Ball State Coach Stan Parrish recently said he'd like to get out of the school's 2010 game at Iowa because he doesn't want to play Big Ten schools in consecutive weeks. Ball State plays Purdue on Sept. 18, 2010 and then at Iowa on Sept. 25.

Iowa is paying Ball State a $800,000 guarantee for next year's game. If Ball State dropped the game, it would cost the school $800,000 in damages to Iowa.

"We have not heard anything from Ball State about this," Abbott said. "We're expecting them to honor that contract and play us that game. Tom Collins, their athletic director, is a solid athletics administrator and I expect that we'll play that game.

Iowa and Ball State are slated to play in 2014.

All Iowa non-Big Ten football contracts have a clause that allows the schools to reach an amicable resolution should the Big Ten or the opponent's conference expand or adapt the league schedule. 

Here's how Iowa's non-conference schedule shapes up through 2017:

• 2010 - vs. Eastern Illinois, Iowa State, Ball State; at Arizona
• 2011 - vs. Pittsburgh, TBA (two opponents); at Iowa State
• 2012 - vs. Northern Iowa, Iowa State, TBA; at TBA (BCS opponent)
• 2013 - vs. TBA (BCS opponent), TBA, Western Michigan; at Iowa State
• 2014 - vs. Ball State, Northern Iowa, Iowa State; at Pittsburgh
• 2015 - vs. North Texas, Pittsburgh, TBA; at Iowa State
• 2016 - vs. Iowa State, TBA (MAC opponent), TBA; at BCS opponent
• 2017 - vs. North Texas, TBA (BCS opponent), TBA; at Iowa State