CEDAR FALLS - For the first time since 1995, second-ranked Northern Iowa's football team will play in front of a sellout crowd Saturday when No. 7 Southern Illinois visits the UNI-Dome for a 4:05 p.m. clash of unbeatens.

It will be the eighth sellout (16,324) in school history, but the first since Idaho's Nov. 11, 1995, visit to Cedar Falls. It will also be the Panthers' first home game since Aug. 30.

"That's an awesome deal, particularly a week out from this football game," said UNI head coach Mark Farley. "It's what you've always tried to generate a program to, is get it to the level where you have that kind of excitement within the community, the school and the state.

"Once you get here with the four weeks away from home and coming back home to play another undefeated team, you couldn't have asked for any better scenario as far as a fan or just a person who enjoys the game of football. It's what you line up for, and it's what we practice for.

"You want to be a part of these football games. We've put ourselves in position, just as Southern Illinois has for this game."

Actually, Saturday's crowd could be a Dome record.

"We expect right at 17,000," said UNI athletic director Rick Hartzell. "Capacity of the building is 16,800, so we'll have a little bit for standing-room."

That doesn't mean other Panther students and fans can't be part of the atmosphere and enjoy the game. Hartzell said 500-600 of the 3,800 tickets set aside for students had not been claimed as of Monday, but athletic officials are confident they'll be gone by kickoff.

Meanwhile, anyone unable to secure a seat for the game is being offered the option of watching it on the big screen video board inside the McLeod Center.

"We're trying to accommodate every single one of our students," said Hartzell. "We asked them to pick up tickets so they can be guaranteed a seat. We will then allow every student in that we can up to capacity off their I.D., and then any students that can't get in past that number we'll put in McLeod."

Hartzell said UNI officials have been working to minimize traffic congestion, which could be considerable because of the construction on University Avenue and around the campus. Cedar Falls police and university security will be directing traffic.

A free shuttle service will be provided from 1-9 p.m. for fans who park in the lots south of the Gallagher-Bluedorn Performing Arts Center. Hartzell said fans should avoid University Avenue by accessing the lots from Jennings Drive. In addition, some additional parking will be made available in the grass lots west of the Dome. Golf carts will shuttle fans from those remote parking areas to the Dome.

Hartzell is enjoying the excitement the Panthers are generating this season.

"It's exciting," said Hartzell. "It's always been important to me to have football and volleyball do well in the fall because I think that rising tide raises all the boats, and I think that's happened to us.

"With football going like it's going, it just generates so much interest and so much excitement, and it just kind of leads into the next season. What I'm really excited about is you see more people than ever wearing UNI stuff out in the stores and the malls."

SELLOUT II? Hartzell said tickets for UNI's Oct. 27 Family Weekend game against Youngstown State in the Dome are also selling fast.

About 1,000 remain in the Panther ticket office with another 1,500 available at Cedar Valley business locations. Cedar Valley Chamber of Commerce, Craft-Cochran, First National Bank of Cedar Falls, Hy-Vee, Iowa Sports Supply, Liberty Bank locations in Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Grundy Center, both Scheels Sports locations, Simpson Furniture, University Book and Supply and the Cedar Falls Wal-Mart are the area outlets.

Contact Doug Newhoff at (319) 291-1467 or doug.newhoff@wcfcourier.com.