Holy Cross Crusaders at Northern Illinois Huskies Football
Northern Illinois Huskies at Maryland Terrapins Football
Northern Illinois Huskies at Mississippi State Bulldogs Football
San Diego State Aztecs at Northern Illinois Huskies Football
Miami (Ohio) Redhawks at Northern Illinois Huskies Football
'
Team: Northern Illinois University Huskies
Sport: NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision
Conference: Mid-American Conference
Claimed National Titles: 1 (Division II)
Conference Titles 12
Notable Players: Dave Petzke, George Bork, Bob Heimerdinger, Garrett Wolfe, Thomas Hammock, Mark Kellar, Jordan Lynch, Jimmie Ward, Tommie Lee Lewis and Tom Beck
''
Northern Illinois football dates back to the early 20th century. Head coach George Evans, who led the team between 1929 and 1954, established many of the traditions for which the school is known. During his long tenure, he amassed a school record 132 wins. Howard Fletcher was the obvious successor to Evans. In 1963, Fletcher’s undefeated 10-0 Huskies team was declared the division national champion by the Associated Press, resulting in the school’s only national title to date. Overall, Fletcher’s teams won 74 games through 1968. After making the leap to Division I football, Northern Illinois had a brief stint in the Mid-American Conference between 1975 and 1985. It joined the conference permanently for the 1997 season. In 2012, Northern Illinois had one of the best seasons in school history. Under the leadership of head coach Dave Doeren, the Huskies went 12–1 during the regular season and were selected to play in the
Orange Bowl
though the team lost to
Florida State
by a score of 31–10. If you want to experience the atmosphere and tradition of Huskies football, then you can purchase tickets at StubHub.
''
Northern Illinois plays at
Huskie Stadium
, located on the school’s campus in DeKalb. Opened in 1965, the stadium's playing surface is named after Robert J. Brigham, a former coach, player and athletic director. The stadium has a seating capacity of 24,000. In addition to general seating, Huskie Stadium also offers several premium seating options, including the Coaches Club and the Terrace Club.
''Northern Illinois offers plenty of events for fans to experience. Approximately four hours before the start of the game, fans can congregate on the west grass for an event called the Yard, which features live music, food and drink, a kids’ zone and other exciting activities. Students and young alumni are invited to join the Rally Zone for food and drinks in the east grass area. During the game, fans can catch a performance by The Pride of the Midwest marching band. The Huskie Fight Song is played frequently after the team scores.'
'Tailgating is permitted in all designated areas and parking lots around campus. The student tailgating section is located in the east lawn area where the Rally Zone is set up. Tailgating begins the moment parking lots open and continues until the start of the game. Tailgaters must follow the school’s policies at all times. That means glass containers, kegs, fryers and fire pits are not allowed. Small grills and personal music devices are permitted, however, assuming they don’t interfere with other tailgaters or impede traffic.'
'
Northern Illinois shares its most significant rivalry with its fellow MAC school the
Ball State University Cardinals
. The two teams originally met in 1941, and although they were members of different conferences at the time, they have played almost every single year since 1966. The winner of the game has received the Bronze Stalk Trophy since 2008. Depicting a stalk of corn, the trophy was designed by prominent DeKalb artist Renee Bemis.
''
Northern Illinois opens up the 2019 season with non-conference games against the
Illinois State Redbirds
,
Utah Utes
,
Nebraska Cornhuskers
and
Vanderbilt Commodores
. This is followed by a MAC portion of the schedule that consists of the Ball State Cardinals,
Ohio Bobcats
,
Miami of Ohio Redhawks
,
Akron Zips
,
Central Michigan Chippewas
,
Toledo Rockets
,
Eastern Michigan Eagles
and
Western Michigan Broncos
.
'