When FIU hosts Middle Tennessee Saturday at 7 p.m., the school wants the Golden Panthers, with their two-game win streak, to find their new on-campus stadium crowded with fans.

That’s why the school is running a “Pack the House” promotion, which allows FIU students in for free, and each can bring one guest. Alumni and high school football teams can get in free as well. FIU staff can buy as many tickets as they want for $1 each.

“It’s really to show appreciation for faculty and staff and the other thing is we’re trying to get alumni back,” FIU Athletic Director Pete Garcia said. “We’ve gotten a tremendous response. This is going to be a one-shot deal for one game so they can see the atmosphere … We figured we let them taste it, they’ll want to come back and eat all the time.”

Garcia is convinced the promotion will be worth it because it will give more people an opportunity to experience Golden Panthers football and the school will still reap the benefits of parking, concessions and merchandise sales.

FIU is focused on gaining revenue from its new on-campus stadium, by scheduling home-and-home deals with other schools. The school turned down a huge $1.2 million offer to play a one-shot away game against an SEC team next year.

“Having a brand new stadium, we can’t continue playing five home games and seven away games. We’ve got to play six and six home and homes,” Garcia said. “You do pass it up as a money game, but with a brand new stadium here's the difference … we’re getting 100 percent of parking, merchandise, club seat sales, suite sales.”