'Hawks drop SIU, Missouri St. from lineup

Southeast Missouri State's two longest-standing football rivals will not appear on next year's schedule, and also probably not on schedules in the foreseeable future.

The Redhawks will play neither Southern Illinois nor Southwest Missouri State after four-year contracts with those schools ended this season.

"We decided not to try and renew those contracts, and to take a look at our scheduling a little bit," Southeast athletic director Don Kaverman said.

Kaverman said he wants future Southeast schedules to include one "money" game against a Division I-A program, which next season will be a $300,00 payday at Arkansas.

He also hopes to add one home game against a Division II program -- which generally commands about a $25,000 to $30,000 guarantee -- and one game against perhaps a lower-level program in Division I-AA, in which Southeast competes.

Kaverman said Southeast has signed a contract for a 2006 game at Austin Peay, currently a nonscholarship I-AA program. Austin Peay, formerly an Ohio Valley Conference member, is in the process of resuming scholarship football and will join the OVC in 2007.

Kaverman said the likely Division II opponent for 2006 will be Southwest Baptist, although no contract has yet been signed.

Southeast has played SIU 12 straight seasons, and 14 out of 15 years since Southeast moved up to Division I-AA in 1991. Southeast and Missouri State have played nine times since 1991.

-- Marty Mishow