The Eastern football team is getting a new locker room thanks to Central Michigan.

Associate Athletic Director John Smith said the $225,000 from the Central Michigan-Eastern football game would be used for a new locker room.

Eastern, which released its schedule on Friday, will open the season at Central Michigan on Aug. 28. The 2008 season allows Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) football teams to add an additional game if desired, and the Panthers will play 12 regular season games.

“(The athletic department and the football team) talked with Dr. (Dan) Nadler, and the one thing the football program needs desperately is a locker room renovation,” Smith said. “Our locker room is in very poor shape. It’s not unsanitary, but it’s just ugly. It hurts our recruiting.”

Smith and Eastern interim athletic director Ken Baker met with Nadler, Eastern’s vice president for student affairs, to ask if they could play a second “money game” in 2008 and if the money could be used for the locker room renovation. Nadler agreed.

Normally the money the football team makes goes to the athletic department fund.

Smith went to Eastern head football coach Bob Spoo, and Smith said Spoo gladly accepted the idea to renovate the locker room.

Smith also negotiated the contract with CMU to increase it by $25,000 from what was originally offered. He said it easier to negotiate when it is a smaller Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) school.

The Chippewas started the 2007 season 1-2 but went on to win the Mid-American Conference West Division and the MAC Championship game. CMU lost to Purdue 51-48 in the Motor City Bowl in December.

“Did you see them play Purdue?” Baker said. “That’s a heck of a ball team. Plus, there’s a nice paycheck for us. When we go to Central Michigan we’ll come back with a nice profit.”

The 2008 season opener marks CMU’s first game against Eastern since the 1999 season. The Chippewas beat Eastern 33-17 and lead the all-time series 21-2. CMU was 17-2 against Eastern when both schools were members of the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference from 1951-69. Eastern last beat CMU 17-14 in 1964.

“I know the MAC is pretty good, but we feel like we play a pretty good brand of football here too,” said Eastern defensive coordinator Roc Bellantoni. “We’ve got our hands full with the opener.”

The Panthers are coming off their third straight FCS playoff appearance.

Eastern’s last win against a FBS team was in 2004 when the Panthers defeated Eastern Michigan, a MAC school, 31-28.

The Panthers play their second “money game” on Sept. 6 at Illinois in the newly renovated Memorial Stadium. Eastern received $300,000 to play Illinois in 2008. Illinois defeated Eastern 42-17 during the 2006 season.

It will be the first time Eastern will play two FBS schools (formerly I-A) since the 2006 season when they played Illinois and Hawaii.

“First and foremost we play these to win,” said Eastern offensive line coach Jeff Hoover. “A win (at Illinois) could really catapult us on a national scale.”

Eastern is also scheduled to play at Penn State in the 2009 season.

Eastern received $450,000 to play Penn State, which is the largest amount Eastern has received to play a FBS team.

Kevin Murphy may be reached at 581-7944 or at kjmurphy@eiu.edu.