The Northern Iowa Panthers return to action Thursday night with a visit to Stephen F. Austin. Not only will the game provide the Panthers with a quality one-double-a foe but also give the program national exposure. Fox Sports will televise the contest. U-N-I coach Mark Farley says alumni groups all over the U.S. will gather to watch this game – a game they might normally get to see. He says this will also be seen as a test for the Gateway Conference. He says a lot of people will be watching what are probably the two elite conferences in one-double-A football.Farley says this game could have playoff implications at the end of the regular season. He says if they need an at-large bid, they go back and look at how you fared in games. He says it would bode well for them if they win as the road team.U-N-I is 1-1.