FIU Football: The Positives of Taking on a Power Five Opponent

FIU will get a $1.5 Million check to face Arkansas this year

FIU Athletics

Just hours away from kick-off, the Panthers are set to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks for the second time in program history. This time, FIU hopes to keep it close with a better opportunity for exposure.

FIU will be on ESPNU for the first time since the 2020 season. Per source, Florida International is being paid $1.5M to take on the Razorbacks late into the season, where a loss will eliminate the Panthers from bowl contention.

"I think it's always good and we're excited about our opportunity with what we're gonna be able to do," said FIU head coach Mike MacIntyre on taking on power five opponents. "It's good for our program. It's good for the school, a lot of exposure, all that side of it and the kids of course, excited about playing."

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Florida International's Athletic Director Scott Carr and head coach Mike MacIntyre always want to ensure that they take on at least one Power Five opponent each season. FIU will open the 2024 season against Indiana University.

"When I met with Scott Carr and different people, we were talking about different things and we felt like for our overall athletic program that our football team needed to play a power five program each year," said MacIntyre when asked about how the game against Arkansas came to be. "We're getting a big paycheck which helps our overall athletic program. It helps on every sport in our program and that's something that us as a football program will do to help this overall program. They haven't done that here in the past and we're trying to do that basically every year."

The Panthers and the Razorbacks are set for a 7:30 PM kick-off in Fayetteville, televised on ESPNU.