If the Panther football team defeats Northern Iowa Saturday it will mean another home playoff game and parking woes for graduation ceremonies the following Saturday.

Graduation is scheduled for Saturday Dec. 8 with ceremonies being held at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m., while a second home playoff game would most likely be scheduled for noon the same day.

Faculty Senate Chair Bud Fischer, biological sciences professor, said Tuesday it was his understanding that the game would be held at noon.

“The game would start an hour before (one of the graduation ceremonies),” he said. “There’s not going to be any parking anywhere in this town if we win on Saturday.”

Athletic Director Rich McDuffie said Tuesday that he has been working with Jill Nilsen, vice president for external relations, and her staff to coordinate parking in the event that there is a game the same day as commencement..

McDuffie said noon was chosen because they wanted to schedule the game when it would cause the “least amount of conflict,” with graduation.

“Commencement obviously has to take priority,” he said.

Fischer said that providing shuttles for motorists to park in Wal-Mart’s lot is one strategy that has been discussed. McDuffie confirmed that using shuttles along with notifying graduates and their parents of the situation in writing has been discussed.